Scholls in session: Garrett, Scott have big name to live up to
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| Garrett Scholl (left) and his cousin Scott have quite a name to live up to for the Marcos. Scott’s brother Matt (below) led Polo to the quarterfinals in 2008, while their fathers and grandfather also excelled in sports for the Marcos. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@svnmail.com) |
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POLO – The surname Scholl can be found in quite a bit of Polo lore. Whether it be Irv Scholl from the good old days or Bruce and Brent Scholl from the next generation, Scholl is a name that invokes a lot of memories for the Marcos.
The most recent Scholl to make a name for himself was Matt, who guided the Polo football team to the quarterfinals last fall before playing a part on regional title teams in basketball and baseball.
This year, the name – and all that comes with it – will be carried on by two more Scholls, cousins Scott and Garrett. Neither one is too worried about feeling any pressure associated with their surname.
“In all sports, in everything, I’m used to being Matt’s little brother,” Scott Scholl said. “There’s probably always that image in people’s heads when they hear the name Scholl. Depending on how old they are, they’ll think of Matt or my dad or grandpa. It’s no big deal; I just want to be as good as I’m able to and help the team the best I can.”
The team philosophy is something that has been drilled into every generation of Scholls for as long as anyone can remember. Scott’s father Bruce and Garrett’s father Brent help Irv run the family farm, and the latest generation is no different.
On the farm, it’s everybody pitching in that makes things successful. On the field, it’s the same thing.
“I don’t think any of us, Matt included, thought about ourselves as individual players,” Garrett Scholl said. “I really just strive to play well and help the team. We all want the team we’re on to do well, and we do our part to help that happen.”
This year, both Scholls will do their part by blocking up front as part of the offensive line.
Playing such different roles than Matt’s quarterback/middle linebacker combo should help younger brother and younger cousin avoid too many comparisons.
“I think it will be nice to be in a different spot, at least this year,” Scott said with a grin. “Next year, I don’t know, maybe I’ll try quarterback, just to change things up a little bit.”
Both boys are unabashedly proud of Matt and prize his assets on the field: intelligence, strength, quickness, athleticism. But both also have their own strengths to play to.
“He’s stronger than me, but I might be just a little faster than him,” said Scott, who runs track for the Marcos. “We haven’t raced in a while, but I was always a little faster when we were younger.”
“I think I have him in size; I can just use brute force where maybe he would use speed,” Garrett said.
There’s no nervousness or pressure when Garrett and Scott Scholl hear Matt’s name. Instead, along with that pride, is the lessons the they learned from watching him play and practice.
“The main thing is Matt’s such a hard worker, and that spreads to us,” said Garrett, who will be playing football for the first time after golfing the past few autumns. “We both know we’re not as good as he is, but we’re going to be the best players we can be.”
Polo Marcos
Last year: 8-4 (5-3 NUIC Upstate); lost in 1A quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Stark County, 25-13
Captains: Drew Cheatham, Jake Peterson, Michael Smith
Key losses: Steve Frano, Drew Mitchell, Matt Scholl, Scott Smith, Matt VanOosten
Key games: Sept. 18 vs. Galena; Oct. 9 vs. Aquin; Oct. 23 at Milledgeville
FYI: The Marcos have made the playoffs 4 straight seasons, including last year’s run to the quarterfinals. ... Polo also qualified for the playoffs 7 straight years from 1991-97 and 6 of 9 seasons from 1977-1985.
Drew Cheatham breaks down Polo
Our strength is: Team unity. We all work together and trust each other. We’ve also got a solid run game and defense.
We need to work on: We have low numbers, so we have to keep in shape, avoid injuries and work hard.
Strongest Marco: Jake Peterson. He’s huge.
Smartest Marco: Garrett Scholl. He’s book smart and gets good grades.
Fastest Marco: Dagin Buck. He can break away from people; if he gets in the open field, he’s gone.
Funniest Marco: Connor Lincoln. He keeps us all relaxed on the field and on the sideline.
Breakout player: Dagin again. He’s a junior and hasn’t played varsity before, but he’s worked hard and I expect good things from him.
Team mottos: Team Unity, and Improve Every Week. That’s pretty much the same as last year.
Can’t wait to play: Milledgeville. We’ve had a big rivalry with them for a long time.
Opposing player I respect most: Kurt Landis of Milledgeville. He’s a hard worker and a good guy.
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