In a recent victory for the Aledo Bearcats football team, senior linebacker Ben McElree scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown as the crowd, coaches and teammates went wild cheering.
But no one was more enthusiastic - other than Ben himself - than his younger brother Nash, a sophomore backup quarterback.
"I was going crazy," Nash said, adding with a laugh. "For a second there when he was celebrating I thought he'd get a flag."
Ben didn't. But what he did get was quite a rush.
"That was so exciting. My senior year. Homecoming," he said. "I saw the ball on the ground and I thought, 'I'm gonna run as fast as I can.'"
That is one of several moments the brothers have shared in what will be their only season to play together on the Bearcats varsity. It's been quite a while since they were on the same team, with Ben being two grades ahead of Nash.
"Ever since we stopped playing peewee together I've wanted to play with Nash again," Ben said.
The brothers have always been close, even to the point Nash would play at a higher level so he could play alongside Ben and be coached by their dad at the peewee level.
Ben even drives Nash to school every day.
"It's up to him to wake up," Ben said with a grin.
“I was able to play with my brothers, which was pretty cool,” said Bearcats head coach Robby Jones, who played at Pilot Point. “It was tough my sophomore year when we got beat (state quarterfinals in 1987 against Lorena). I knew it was his last game, but being able to share that experience was really great.”
The season didn't begin with the brothers playing together. Nash was actually on the junior varsity so he could get more playing time.
But after starting quarterback Gavin Beard was injured in the season opener at .
Denton Guyer, Nash was called up,. He started in wins over Lancaster and Brewer, having a near-perfect night in the latter game, completing 11 of 13 passes.
He's since stayed on the varsity roster.
"I was super excited. I was thinking, 'What can I do to stay on the varsity roster with my brother?'" Nash said.
"We found out that Gavin was hurt and that Nash would be starting, I was nervous for my brother," said Ben, who is in his third varsity season. "I told him, 'Be calm and play how you always play.'
"Nash played well. He made a couple mistakes, but went back on the field and handled it well. After the Lancaster game we all figured out Nash could fill that role."
The McElrees are originally from Central Valley in California. They moved to Aledo during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"COVID shut down California," Ben said.
Their dad still runs a construction company based in California. Their grandparents joined them in the move east.
Their family sports heritage also includes California. Their dad played basketball at University of California Davis and their grandfather played football at Cal Poly.
"He actually ran against Reggie Bush (former USC standout and Heisman Trophy winner). He never beat him, but he got close," Ben said.
"My dad knew Shaq (Shaquill O'Neal) in college," Nash added.
The move brought the brothers even closer.
"He was all I hung out with for a long time when we got here," Ben said.
Then, of course, as they began their respective school activities that took them different directions, they didn't see each other as often - until this season.
"When Nash started practicing with the varsity, it was so great," Ben said.
Ben noted that there is another McElree on his way to the Bearcats varsity some day. Younger brother Kinser is a quarterback in the sixth grade.
"The youngest is always the toughest," Ben said with a smile. "He's going to be a stud."
Ben will occasionally enter the Bearcats backfield in certain goal line situations. He said he has a dream scenario involving that.
"We were going to ask coach if we could go in together so I could hand the ball to Ben for a touchdown," Nash said.
"Sometimes we'll come up with funny plays and joke around," Ben said. "Like maybe a toss back to one of our offensive linemen and he throws a deep pass."
But the thing they'd love to do most of all is something that has become a tradition at Aledo and which Ben has experienced twice - win a state championship together.
"That would be really special, my senior year, sharing that with my brother," Ben said. "What a great memory that would be."
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