The Raiche sisters, twins Taylor and Morgan and youngers sister Brooke, will all be playing for the Spartans on the women's basketball team where the older two sisters are already stand outs. 

It’s been three years since twin sisters Taylor and Morgan Raiche played basketball on the same team as their younger sister, Brooke.

Now, with Brooke graduating from West Rutland High School, the sisters will once again share the court, but this time in Glenbrook Gymnasium.

The girls grew up in Ira, Vermont, a town of 432 people. They are three of six siblings and family has always been important to them, on and off the court. In fact, a West Rutland varsity girls basketball home game just wouldn’t seem right without a large chunk of the stands occupied by the Raiches.

The twins made the Castleton University team in 2014. Brooke was recruited just after her senior season at West Rutland.

“We try to identify the best players in the state and they certainly had very good high school careers,” said Coach Tim Barrett about the twins. “They are quality student athletes. They represent themselves well, they represent their family well and they represent our basketball team well.” 

Brooke, along with her sisters, looks forward to the next chapter and getting to play on the same team again.

“I’m excited to be close. My family is very close, and I know that my high school coach and my family is excited to be able to see me play and still have me around here,” Brooke said.

West Rutland coach Carl Serrani has had a Raiche kid on his team for the past seven years, but it’ll be a few more until he gets another.

“It’s about time that someone took the time to look at her,” Serrani said about Brooke’s recruitment. “You won’t find three kids that work and try as hard as they do.”

Serrani says for selfish reasons he’s glad Brooke chose Castleton because he gets to watch the girls play together for one last season. The twins will be seniors at CU next year as Brooke starts her freshman year.

“We got to stay here, commute, go to school and play a sport,” Morgan said, “It was just the perfect fit.”

Being a new member of a concrete team can be scary, but Brooke said it’ll be easier, and more fun with her sisters by her side.

“Playing a sport in college is much different than playing a sport in high school,” Taylor said. “There’s a lot bigger of a transition and I’m just excited to help her through it so she can be more successful.”

            Barrett said that while scouting, the twins he also caught a glimpse of Brooke back when she was a freshman. He says their family has “provided great support” to the basketball team already and that each game is guaranteed at least 12 fans, and that’s just the Raiche family.

            “Having my sisters there will help me calm the nerves and help me be a little more relaxed,” Brooke said.

            She said she is looking forward to long basketball trips with her sisters and the team.

            “I told her if you go to Castleton and you don’t like it, at least you played that one more year with your sisters,” Serrani said.

            It is clear that the support system for Taylor, Morgan and Brooke is massive. From family to coaches to friends, they’ve always got someone in the stands cheering them on.

            “They’ve worked too hard not to be successful,” Serrani said. “One of the best families I’ve ever been involved with. They’ve done a lot for this school and this community.”

            As the girls continue on to their last season together, the support will continue to follow the team, and the school as long as the last name Raiche is on the back of at least one of the Spartan uniforms.

            “It’s going to be nice for my family to get to come to one location to see us all play and see us play together again,” Morgan said. “I think it’s really special.”