By Cuyler Meade
Perhaps the most impressive number in Estrella Foothills’ 69-55 quarterfinals victory over Cibola was 45.
That’s how many points came from the Greabell family Thursday night.
Between senior Rex’s 28 and sophomore Grant’s 17, 65 percent of the Wolves’ scoring came from one of the two brothers. At this point, that isn’t a surprise.
“They’ve played a lot of basketball together,” Estrella Foothills coach Rich Gutwein told Sports360AZ.com of the brothers. “Both of them really have high basketball IQs. They play the game well.”
For the Greabells, it’s been the chance of a lifetime.
“It’s great,” Rex said. “I’m never going to forget this. It’s a fun thing to go out there and just play basketball with him.”
Grant believes their bond is an advantage on the basketball court.
“I like it,” Grant said. “We always know where each other are, and it’s kind of like the same person out there.”
Like anything with brothers, it’s not all sugar and spice. Grant said they don’t talk about basketball too much off the court, except for one thing.
“He kind of makes fun of my mistakes,” Grant said. “Bad plays, if I get crossed up, if I get dunked on, I never hear the end of it.”
Grant, on the other hand, seems willing to keep the teasing to a minimum. Asked if he’d give Rex a hard time after the elder Greabell missed an alley-oop chance his brother had set him up for with an impressive behind-the-head pass in Thursday’s game, Grant just laughed.
“Oh, he’d never have dunked it anyway.”
Rex, who said he’s received an offer from Mesa Community College and is getting looked at by Seattle Pacific, will play his final game with Estrella Foothills – and Grant – in this state championship tournament.
“It’s going to be sad,” Rex said. “But hopefully he can carry the reigns here for the next couple years.”
There is some disagreement between the brothers however. According to Rex, when the boys play one-on-one, “Nobody wins. He can’t guard me and I can’t guard him. A game to 21, win by two, probably goes to 50.”
Grant says differently.
“I win,” the younger brother said confidently. But then, without having heard what Rex had said, he continued, “A game to 21, win by two… it probably goes to 50.”
