Brothers experience success together in high school sports all the time, but it’s not often that siblings advance to the Elite 8 for different schools.
Benedictine freshman Asher Herrin and Savannah Country Day junior Athon Herrin will both play in the quarterfinals of Georgia High School Association state soccer tournament on April 25. Savannah Country Day (13-2) hosts Hebron Christian (13-2-2) at 6 p.m. in Class 3A, while Benedictine (13-5) hosts East Hall (14-3) at 7 p.m. in Class 4A.
There was another big game, perhaps the biggest for the Herrin brothers, on April 4 when BC and Savannah Country Day squared off to end the regular season. Asher, 15, had the last word, contributing an assist in a 2-1 BC victory, but the game hasn’t been mentioned again since in the Herrin house.
When they played, the teams had already qualified for the GHSA playoffs, with both BC (Region 3-4A) and SCDS (Region 3-3A) earnings region championships.
It was the first time that brothers Athon and Asher played against each other in an organized game. When they lined up at the start, Asher Herrin was at his usual right wing position, and Athon moved to left wing instead of right wing or striker.
They were directly across from each other. The coaches apparently knew what was going on, as did the teams’ supporters.
“It was pretty cool to play against him,” recalled Athon, 17. “I told him before the game, ‘Right here we stop being brothers when the game starts. When it’s over, we’ll be friends again.’ I was ready to take him out.”
Asher, 15, wasn’t going to brag about the Cadets’ victory.
“Way too scary,” said Asher, who is at a size disadvantage. He’s about 5-foot-10, 140 pounds, while Athon, who also plays football and has two years on him in the weight room, is 6-2, 190.
“I guess I stayed humble and let the score show at the end,” Asher said.
Athon was a good sport despite his disappointment.
“I honestly didn’t think (Athon) was going to come over to me and say anything. He did come over and say good game,” Asher recalled.
Athon, already contemplating the rematch in 2024, said he did all he could to defend against Asher, also a standout in cross country.
“He’s a quick kid,” Athon said. “He might have stamina on me, but I might have a little speed and size.”
They are appreciative of their parents, Mark and Kari, who almost never miss the games – home and road – their sons play on two different teams despite schedule conflicts. One parent goes to one game, one to the other, or “divide and conquer,” said Mark Herrin, who gets to more of the road games.
He’s a real-estate agent with Keller Williams Realty and has a schedule more flexible than his wife, the senior vice president of brand experience at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“We’re committed and we love it and love watching them,” said Mark, who played soccer and golf at his alma mater, Savannah Christian. “This isn’t going to be forever. You’ve got to enjoy it while you can.”
Their schedule is even more packed, as they have a daughter, Ellie, a seventh-grader at Hancock Day School. She plays volleyball, basketball and soccer, and Mark is her soccer coach.
But on April 4, BC and SCDS played at the same time, on the same day and in the same place. Mark said he stayed neutral, dressed in all gray because the Hornets’ and Cadets’ colors clash.
He said it was “interesting and pretty cool” to see his sons play each other.
“Athon’s a little bit more of a trash talker because he’s the older brother,” Mark said. “He was talking a little bit of smack to Asher on the field, in a brotherly way. It was a great, competitive game.”
Athon said it’s true that he’s the bigger talker.
“I don’t like losing, especially against my younger brother.” he said.
They’re competitive in everything. Soccer, golf, pickleball, basketball, on and off the court – even doing chores around the house.
Athon said that competition makes them both better at sports.
“There’s always going to be nagging at each other, but I would say it’s all in fun,” Asher said.
They had played together on youth travel soccer teams with the Tormenta soccer club, then went to Hancock, where Mark was their soccer coach.
With the two-grade difference, the boys had one season, in spring 2020, to play on the same Hancock middle school team. They got in one or two practices before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled sports everywhere, and Athon, Asher and Mark agree that year’s team would have been a special team poised to win a middle school title.
Athon moved on to SCDS, and two years later, Asher was leaning toward doing the same but decided Benedictine was a better fit. Mark said the parents wanted to give each son the same options, and it wouldn’t have been fair to force Asher to enroll at SCDS just because that’s where his older brother attends.
But it would have been easier on their schedules. Asher said he and his brother like their schools too much to change.
Asher was asked if he’s ever beaten his older brother in anything. He thought for a bit.
“I’m sure I’ve beaten him in a basketball game before,” Asher said. “The soccer game was very important for my reputation against him.”
