Patrick Reneau is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover San Tan Charter School for AZPreps365.com

Uriah and Isaiah Neloms always shared things growing up together, but for the first time since they were kids, they are sharing the football field at San Tan Charter School. 

Isaiah, a freshman wide receiver and defensive back for the Roadrunners, had the opportunity to reclassify but decided against it in order to play with his brother, Uriah, a senior quarterback and Arizona State commit. 

“I always wanted to play with my brother and I could’ve reclassified,” Isaiah said. “I just wanted to play with him for one year and I knew I might not get to play because I’m a freshman, but with the opportunity I’ve caught a few passes from him.”

With the opportunity to catch passes from his brother also comes the realization that the two are able to share the field together. For both Uriah and Isaiah, that realization set in during a game against Shadow Mountain when Isaiah caught his first pass of the season from his brother. 

 “The first pass that I ever threw to my brother that he caught was in week 2,” Uriah said. “He caught a first down and that’s when I realized I’m back on the same field as my brother.” 

Through nine games this season, Uriah has thrown for 1,343 yards and 20 TDs while also rushing for nine more. Isaiah has caught eight passes for 90 yards and has one interception on defense. 

The two brothers have always had a great relationship. Having not played with each other since playing in the Arizona Youth Football League as kids, the two are using the opportunity to grow their bond. 

“We’re just family,” Uriah said. “We put each other first. We go home together and talk about the game together. It’s just a loving relationship between us.” 

While the two have a bond as close as they do, that doesn’t stop one from going at the other, which has happened in practice from time to time. 

“You can definitely tell they are brothers out here,” San Tan coach Chase Cartwright said. “When the younger brother makes a mistake, the older brother is pretty quick to confront and demand the right things out of him.”

While the two have the opportunity now to form a quarterback-wide receiver duo, that was not always the scenario expected to happen. Uriah, who is in his first season as starting quarterback, was a wide receiver last year, the position he will play at  Arizona State. As a receiver last year, he finished with 53 catches for 1,118 yards and 13 TDs.

“Uriah was actually our backup quarterback for two seasons,” Cartwright said. “He’s always played receiver, he’s always played quarterback, he’s a pretty multidimensional athlete. So after last season when our starter graduated it was a pretty seamless transition to plug and play Uriah,” 

As for Isaiah, all he has ever wanted to be is just like his older brother. After seeing Uriah as not just an older brother, but also a coach and role model for his entire life, he now has him as a teammate. 

“Ever since he got started playing tackle football and showed he’s the best on the field at all times, it was just always good to watch that because that’s what I want to be. I want to be just what he is,” Isaiah said. 

With the season nearing the finish and just one game to play, the Roadrunners are ranked No. 1 in class 2A and undefeated at 9-0. As for the Neloms brothers, they both understand that every game from here on out could be their last together, but that is not the intention. Uriah is looking to close his high school career with a state championship while Isaiah is looking to begin his with one.

Although this season could possibly be the last that they spend on the field with one another, they will always be able to say they had the opportunity to bring their relationship into the game both of them love.