Sister act

BRADEN RIVER — Senior defender Kendall McNab is in the middle of her best season at Braden River.
But it’s not the Lady Pirates win-loss record or her role as team captain that has provided McNab with an extra spark of enthusiasm this season.

Rather, it’s the chance to play alongside her sister, Kennedy, a freshman at Braden River, for the first time in her career. The two are not only sisters but also best friends.

“It’s easily my favorite year,” Kendall McNab says. “We are so close. Even though it’s only one year, my last year, I’m glad I got to play with her.”

The McNabs, who are both defenders, have been the backbone of the Lady Pirates’ defense this season, having helped Braden River post six shutouts through its first 14 games.

Having grown up playing the same position, the two sisters have developed a unique understanding on the field. The two recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses and are in constant communication — somethins they don’t even have to speak to understand each other.

“She’s a really strong player, and I know she’ll always be there to back me up,” Kennedy McNab says.
But the McNabs aren’t the only set of sisters on the Lady Pirates’ roster who are enjoying their first and only season together at Braden River.

Senior forward Mackenzie Madrid and her sister Alexis, a freshman center midfielder, moved to the area from Utah prior to the start of the school year. The two didn’t know what to expect when they tried out for the Lady Pirates’ varsity squad, but having each other’s support made the transition that much easier.

Unlike the McNabs, who had never played together on the field until this season, the Madrids played on the same recreational soccer team in elementary school. But the experience wasn’t quite the same.

“We used to fight on the field and not want to pass to each other,” Mackenzie Madrid says. “Now we are more comfortable and know each other so well that all we want to do is pass to each other.”

Having spent the vast majority of every day together for the past three months, Kennedy McNab and Alexis Madrid have watched their older sisters closely, learning what it takes to be a leader on the field, how to juggle soccer and school work and, most importantly, how to remain positive throughout trying times.

At the same time, Kendall McNab and Mackenzie Madrid have used the opportunity to bond with their younger sisters before they head off to college next year — something they’ll continue to do on the field for at least another month.

“I wish I could’ve had more, but I’m so glad I got the opportunity,” Mackenzie Madrid says of playing alongside Alexis.

“I’m glad we had one last season to get close before I have to go,” Kendall McNab says. “We are constantly together. I think it really brought us all closer.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].