Brotherly bond: Playing basketball together

When Jerred Treacy is on the court, he often will make eye contact with his brother, Dante. 

From that simple look, Jerred knows what move Dante wants him to make so he can get the ball to him.

It’s nothing telepathic or supernatural, though.

“We just know each other well,” said Jerred. 

As they should. 

Jerred, a senior at Central Florida Christian Academy, and Dante, a sophomore, are basketball teammates and brothers. 

The siblings started playing basketball together in early elementary school in the FBVA league. They continued to play together through middle school, and then Jerred attended Cypress Creek High School, where he played basketball for two years.

For the 2014-15 school year, Jerred transferred to Central Florida Christian Academy, where Dante enrolled. There, they have played a strong role in the team’s growth.

“They’ve been really seminal to our progress as a basketball program — kind of key to the resurrection of the basketball program.” -Coach Jonathan McClintock. 

The 2014-15 season was the first season at CFCA for both the Treacys and McClintock. In that season, CFCA went 23-7 and made it to the regional semifinals, a remarkable turnaround for a team with a 1-24 record the season before. 

This year, the team has a 3-4 record and is looking forward to district play again, though this year’s district is more challenging than the previous.

CFCA’s district includes Orlando Christian Prep, Agape Christian Academy — last year’s state runner up — International Community School and Geneva. 

Last year, the team was able to prove themselves, Jerred said. He is looking forward to play against tougher opponents and said he will always take a tougher opponent over an easier one. 

His love for competition stems back to the Treacys’ childhood, where competition was commonplace.

“Growing up playing in the backyard, we would compete really hard to the point where we’d start fighting,” Dante said. “Our dad, he’s always been there to push us and let us grow.” 

Dante and Jerred are still competitive with each other, whether it’s wrestling at home, racing to see who can brush their teeth first or playing basketball together.

“The basketball court brings out the best in us,” Dante said. 

During their short time at CFCA, the Treacys’ high expectations for themselves have also helped to bolster the expectations that other athletes have of the basketball program. 

“They’ve contributed more to CFCA than just basketball,” McClintock said. “They’ve become excellent student athletes and fit in wonderfully in terms of the culture — contributed positively to the culture that we want at our school.” 

As the season progresses, the Treacys hope to grow more into their role as leaders at school and on the team. They also want to enjoy the rest of their season together, as it is likely to be the last time they play together at a competitive level. 

Jerred wants to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with hopes of joining the Air Force. 

If he has the chance to play basketball, he will, but his interest in planes is even stronger.

“It’s sad just seeing him go,” Dante said. “But the years we had together, it’s been fun. (We) still (have) the rest of this season, too.”

“We’ll just try to make the most out of it,” Jerred said.

Contact Jennifer Nesslar at [email protected].