Band Of Bros: Springdale, Charleston trio of brothers enjoy time together

SPRINGDALE -- In a loud crash of helmets and shoulder pads, the public address announcer keyed the microphone to describe the play to the crowd at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium.

"Sparks with the tackle for the Bulldogs!"

He could make that announcement blindfolded and be correct almost 25 percent of the time for the Springdale football team. Of the 11 players on the Red'Dogs' defense, three of the players are the Sparks brothers -- Andre, Da'Von and Ta'Jon.

"It's funny because when he says the name, everyone says 'which one was it?'" said senior outside linebacker Andre Sparks. "But we have loved this because it's the first time we've ever got to play together."

It's somewhat rare for three brothers to play on the same team in high school football, but both Springdale and Charleston are blessed with a trio of brothers.

Like the Sparks brothers at Springdale, the Ketter brothers in Charleston -- Breckon, Brevyn and Bryton -- are enjoying the camaraderie that only brothers as teammates can relate to.

"It is a blast to play on the same team as my brothers because it's something you don't see a lot and it gets really competitive," Charleston senior Breckon Ketter said, "but at the end of the day, I know they will always look out and have my back."

In a house with three brothers close in age, competition is natural. Who can take out the trash the fastest or who can eat more pancakes is always a challenge.

"We compete in everything," said Andre Sparks of his twin brothers. "Every single thing is competition."

It's no different for the Ketters, who have all played key roles for the Tigers this season. Charleston will take on undefeated Paris tonight in a huge 3A-4 Conference clash that will likely decide the conference championship.

But despite their burning desire to constantly one-up each other, they also are each other's biggest supporters.

"We are probably the most competitive brothers that some people have ever seen on the football field," said sophomore linebacker Brevyn Ketter. "For example, my brother Breckon had a fumble recovery against Greenland, and me and my brother (Bryton) were the first ones to run down the sideline with him to celebrate."

Having an older brother on the team has been beneficial for the younger siblings, said Ta'Jon Sparks.

"Seeing (Andre) do it, it boosts my confidence to go harder," he said. "He makes hard tackles and hard plays, and I see that and it makes me know that I can do the same thing."

The rarety of three brothers on the same team is not lost on Charleston sophomore Bryton Ketter, who has been a key contributor for the Tigers (6-2, 5-0 3A-1) with 31 catches for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season.

"It means a lot to us because it's something that all three of us will never forget," he said. "Not many people get to experience playing football with their two brothers. It a blessing to have brothers like this and how we can play together so good and compete."

The Sparks brothers have excelled both on offense and defense for the Bulldogs (2-6, 1-4 7A-West), wh0 host undefeated Bentonville tonight. Andre Sparks has emerged as a solid running back in addition to his role as an outside linebacker. Andre Sparks has 20 carries for 119 yards and three touchdowns on offense to go with his 45 tackles and team-high 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

The Sparks twins have also made their mark. Da'Von has 35 tackles and has 19 carries for 173 yards as a running back. Ta'Jon has 26 tackles to go along with 4 catches for 83 yards as a receiver.

They credit their mom for encouraging them to always support each other in all things.

"She said family comes first and we always stick up for each other and fight for each other," said Ta'Jon Sparks. "We just love to compete, but we want each other to be the best he can be. We want each other to be successful in life."

Breckon Ketter has been a key performer for Charleston for the past three seasons, and has been even bigger this season as the Tigers have emerged as a contender for the league championship. Breckon has 344 yards rushing and 209 yards receiving to go along with 44 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Sophomore Brevyn has 245 yards on 32 carries and 12 carries for 143 yards to go along with 13 tackles and four touchdowns.

"We rely on Breckon just as much as he relies on us," Brevyn said. "I can't wait to see how far the rest of the season goes and how well our chemistry will be from here on out."

With just a handful of games left in the 2020 seasons, the brothers agree that they will miss their time together as the oldest of the siblings move on after graduation.

"I'm definitely going miss playing with my brothers when the season is over," Breckon said. "There is nothing better than winning games together and knocking heads with each other."

For Andre Sparks, who is drawing interest from several small regional colleges, he knows the special season of playing with his twin brothers for the only time in their prep career is a special bond that few get to experience.

"This will be the last time to play with my brothers," he said. "You don't see that very often. I'm going to miss that. I'm already feeling it. I know it's coming soon, but we're just going to go and ball out and enjoy the rest of the time we have together."