Oakland Mills senior midfielder Isaac Ramsey dodges during practice and often finds a familiar face guarding him. That would be his twin brother, Caleb, who is a defender for the Scorpions.

While the two have always bonded through athletics, their senior season is the first time they’ve shared the lacrosse field as teammates. Coach Bryan Cole and assistant Justin Wethington know just how special that is, as they played with their older and younger brothers, respectively, during their time at Oakland Mills.

“It’s just a special bond between brothers, especially the ones that are tied in athletics,” Cole said. “It’s hard to talk about and define, but it’s a great experience for the two of you to have. Especially when you have a situation like this where they’re both going to get a lot of time and have a great experience. I know I talk to my brother about lacrosse all the time. He’ll bring up old stories and I’ll do the same thing. It’s an experience that’s kind of cool, not many people can do it.”

Growing up in Connecticut, football and basketball were big in the Ramsey household. Looking for a spring sport, Isaac played lacrosse for three years in middle school and loved it. Meanwhile, Caleb joked that he thought lacrosse was dumb at the time and never considered playing.

After transferring to Oakland Mills in the spring of their freshman year, the Ramsey brothers maintained their involvement in sports. However, Isaac fell in love with track. He became an accomplished hurdler and an integral part of the Scorpions’ indoor and outdoor track and field state championship teams. In the fall, the Ramsey brothers both played football each of the past three years as Isaac developed into a two-way standout at quarterback and safety.

Cole is also an assistant football coach and has encouraged many of his players to try lacrosse. Last year, Cole invited Caleb outside after a football workout to join some kids playing wall ball. After throwing the ball against the wall several times and talking with friends, he was sold. Caleb joined the Scorpions last year and quickly acclimated to the new sport, playing defensive midfield.

Entering this year, neither Caleb nor Cole pressured Isaac to join the team. Cole merely asked him to think about it, while Caleb explained it was their final opportunity to share the field together. Those conversations were supplemented by recruiting efforts from several football and now lacrosse teammates, including Levonte Kama, Oliseh Ndekwu and Ayo Adeniyi, who each played on Isaac’s offensive line.

After wrestling back and forth with the decision, he ultimately decided to play shortly before the indoor track state championships.

“I’ve always missed lacrosse so much ever since I played it,” Isaac said. “Our lacrosse program wasn’t always great, but what we’re doing with this squad here and coach, we’ve got a bunch of new equipment. We got a squad and we’re just ready to play. That definitely was a convincing part, but ending the indoor track season on that hard-fought state championship was definitely the way to go out and join my brother.

“It’s always been about impact over praise. Anywhere where I can make that impact, that’s where I want to be at.”

Isaac explained that his return to lacrosse feels just like middle school and joked that it feels as if “he’s living out his childhood, but he’s not that old.” Caleb vividly remembers the team-wide excitement level during their first practice and the initial conversation in which Isaac explained that he would be joining the team.

“There were a lot of smiles,” Caleb said. “Everyone was really happy. A lot of energy going on, knowing that Isaac’s part of the team now. Getting to play with my brother again, I’m just really happy. A lot of competitiveness of course, but just trying to get better with each other.”

While the brothers are all smiles after practice, make no mistake about the healthy competition during it. The brothers are determined to make each other better and help the program reach new heights after finishing 3-11 last year. Their energy is reflective of a larger turnaround within the program, as Oakland Mills has its largest team in several seasons, including about 15 players from the football team.

With those increased numbers, Oakland Mills held its first intra-squad scrimmage on March 9, which the brothers described as their favorite moment of the season to date. Caleb is aptly adjusting from midfield to defense, improving his stick skills and enhancing his already keen understanding of defensive schemes. Meanwhile, Isaac is bringing added dynamism, speed and athleticism to the midfield.

Those frequent one-on-one battles are a necessary step on the path toward changing Oakland Mills’ lacrosse reputation. However, they are also creating new lifelong memories and enhancing the unbreakable bond forged through athletics.

“We’re just excited to get better from last season,” Caleb said. “This season with all the guys that we have, we’re looking to improve beyond that and have a winning record.”

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