ALBUQUERQUE — On first glance at the Sides brothers, you might guess that Graham is the older of the two. But that would be wrong.

"Graham has always been the
'Big Boy,' " chuckles McCall, the older of the two brothers who play for Santa Fe Prep's sixth-ranked soccer team.

The brothers, who both hover at 6 feet in height with shocks of blond hair and long limbs, are in the top 10 for scoring in Class A-AAA.

McCall, a senior winger for the Blue Griffins, is the top goal scorer with 12 and second overall with 27 points, including three assists, according to nmsoccer.com.

Graham sits ninth in the state with seven goals and three assists. Together, the Sides make Santa Fe Prep (6-2, 2-1 District 2-A-AAA) a contender for the state title.

The two have completed a calendar year of playing together for Prep, as well as for the Santa Fe-based Northern Raptors in the spring club season.

"It's been good," McCall says. "Graham played two years up (in club). We've gotten used to it. We play together all the time and we also run a summer camp with some other kids. So we've learned to like it."

Santa Fe Prep coach Hersch Wilson says McCall and Graham, a sophomore forward, joined the Prep varsity when each was an eighth-grader.

"It's been great watching them develop, not so much in their playing, but in their maturity," he said. "McCall is a captain (this year), he's become a very smart, mature player on the field."

Wilson said the differences in their style of play — and physical presence — complement each other on the pitch.

"McCall is just speed and moves. He's so fast, he's by you in a second and he's just gorgeous on frame," Wilson says. "We usually start him up as a wide mid because he's fast and we like to get him the ball so he can go right to goal.

"Graham is solid," Wilson adds. "He is big and hard to knock off the ball. When he has the ball at his feet, people are very leering of stepping in on him because he'll beat ya."

Wilson said that several of the Griffins play club ball together, which gives the team an advantage. Having McCall and Graham playing together year-round has been a boon for Prep.

"We have a whole team that's experienced with each other and they've played together for a long time," he said. "(With McCall and Graham), they instinctively know where the other one is and they can give a blind ball to each other without even looking. They anticipate their runs and anticipate where they'll be on the field."

Graham thinks the year-round schedule has only elevated their game — and their on-field rapport.

"It's been fun," he says. "You take the chemistry from the school season into the club season. Having an older brother and playing with him a lot, having that — for me and the other players — is just great. I think he's one of the best players in the state. So having a role model is good. He scores a lot of goals."

For Wilson, coaching McCall for five years, and the possibility of coaching Graham for five, has been interesting.

"(When they first joined), you had skinny little kids, and all of the sudden now they're big and they're driving," Wilson says. "That's the fun part. They play soccer all year long, they play club soccer with some great coaches and in high school soccer, and we coaches inherit that talent. Because our season is so short and so intense ... you get a team like this together and it's a real gift."

As far as brotherly competition, McCall and Graham say it's not as bad as with some siblings.

"We're pretty good compared to other brothers," Graham says. "Last season it was a lot more intense. This season, it's about the team and getting wins."

McCall indicated that the rivalry over goals was friendly — but heated — over the last two years.

"Towards the end of the season it gets more intense, it's a rush for goals, but overall not really," he says. "I get a lot of goals but I think there are no hard feelings. Graham has six goals, so there's no rush — for now."

Another factor in the easing of sibling rivalry is the arrival of the third Sides brother, Griffin, who plays junior varsity for Santa Fe Prep.

"We were looking forward to all three of us playing varsity, but it didn't happen," Graham says. "Next year he'll definitely make it."

Graham says he's looking forward to still having a brother to play with on the pitch next season.

"I think (playing with Griffin) will be pretty similar," Graham says. "The relationship me and McCall have is great. It'll be fun. Knowing someone that well helps on the soccer field."

The Sides brothers also play off the field — Graham and Griffin ski, while McCall snowboards. While his brothers are teaming up for Santa Fe Prep next season, McCall says he likely will be playing Division III soccer in Colorado.

"Lately I've been going to Colorado College and the coaches there are really interested in me," he says. "I'm kind of looking still. I have to make a decision soon. I just want to play soccer to my full potential.

"I don't think Division I is a good fit for me because I also snowboard, that's my other main passion. I do that in the winter and if I couldn't do that I'd probably lose it. But I love soccer and Colorado seems good for that and snowboarding."

Until then, McCall and Graham will continue to play together and cheer on Griffin along with their parents, Ann and Hampton Sides of Santa Fe.

"We have a lot of the same interests," Graham says. "We have fun together. It's not like the usual brotherly thing."