Memories of athletes can be echoed from generation to generation. For siblings in sports, their name can be held with a certain standard in and out of play.
For senior Claire and freshman Campbell Massey, they know exactly what that standard is like. In the Taylor women’s soccer program, the last name “Massey” has stuck around since 2018.
Claire Massey reflects back on this year as one filled with fun team bonding.
“From start to finish, the year was very focused on relationships and connection,” she said. “I think it (the year) was really good. This was my only year as captain.”
In taking that leadership role, the senior sister spoke on how the team did not succumb to gossip or drama. She said that everyone’s purpose has been the same, relaying the message of “to him be the glory,” playing for God above all else.
Massey got the chance to play with her oldest sister, Riley, who graduated two years ago.
She also stayed consistent on the stat sheet, starting in nearly every game this season. She chipped in three goals and two assists in her senior campaign on the defense. As her last year with women’s soccer closes, she hopes the next few years will be successful for the team.
“Every athlete would probably say that the more you win, the more fun you have,” Massey said. “I hope for that success.”
As Claire took a leadership position, her freshman sister Campbell took a starting position, literally. The freshman phenomenon started right away, playing in 18 games, almost the whole season.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play with Claire this year,” she said. “But even just practicing with her was a really fun idea.”
The idea came into reality and provided an opportunity to grow closer to each other.
While Campbell Massey was on the field, she learned how to use her voice to communicate with others on the field. The youngest Massey sister had to learn to “start over” as a freshman. Coming out of high school, she was on top. Now that she has found herself a freshman again, she learned to find her groove and earn the opportunity to play.
The unique opportunities athletes hold in sports go beyond playing with brothers and sisters. For senior Hutson Hohlbein, his story is a little different. His brother Grant played wide receiver in his tenure with the Trojans.
Though not overlapping in years, Hohlbein is now in his brother’s position, a senior and a wide receiver.
“Growing up in high school and middle school when Grant was here at Taylor, I got to spend a lot of time around the school,” Hohlbein said. “I would spend the night with him in second Berg (Bergwall), and the guys up there and just saw what the Taylor football brotherhood meant in a really early age.”
By the time he got to freshman year, there were a number of guys who played with the former Hohlbein that took the new freshman receiver under their wing.
Hohlbein is going to further his college football career, opting to play a fifth year. He was injured during the 2023 season, hurting his hamstring in the early part of the year. When healthy, he put up over 460 yards of offense and a trio of touchdowns.
Someone who has seen growth from the senior captain is his coach, Aaron Mingo.
“Football is a game you don’t truly continue,” he said. “It’s an all-in perspective. I hope to see another jump in improvement from Hutson. His confidence just feeds into the other guys.”
Mingo sees Hohlbein’s next year as another year to get better. He wants to see toughness from both the new recruits and returning players and expects tangible improvements from all sides of the ball.
Players come and go, but legacies are never forgotten. For the Massey sisters and the Hohlbein brothers, the stories of their athletic success shall live on for years to come.
