Mahtomedi brothers cherish their time together

Only 14 months separate Andrew and Zach Lindquist, and the Mahtomedi brothers are cherishing the chance for siblings to compete at the high school level as teammates.

"We competed with each other in everything we did, whether it be basketball or video games. There was always competition," said younger brother Zach, a junior. "We drove each other to become better and it made us better."

Now Mahtomedi's hoping to cash in. For three years, the brothers have been fortunate enough to share their skills, encouragement and moments of both triumph and defeat on the basketball court.

They know it will come to an end soon enough. Better make the most of it.

"Right now, we're just having the time of our lives. You take every practice and every game as an undeserved gift that many people don't get," said older brother Andrew, a senior. "I told him that it's too good of an opportunity to waste."

The Lindquists are natural leaders and believe in both each other and their teammates.

"Andrew thinks the world of his younger brother," coach Keith Newman said. "He's like, 'OK, Zach can cover him or Zach can do this.' He's just really confident in his little brother, so it's neat to see."

"They get the vibe from it," Andrew said. "It's an idea that this is something that's coming together at the right time and an opportunity that a lot of people don't have. We're just enjoying ourselves and winning."

Mahtomedi finished 7-9 in conference play last year, but 10 seniors are back, including five who played significant minutes. It's a tight-knit group that has led the Zephyrs to three victories to start the season, albeit not against top-10 competition.

"We're kind of flying a bit under the radar," Newman said.

The Lindquists, who also both played football this fall, are leading what could be the surprise team of the Classic Suburban Conference.

At 6-4 and 180 pounds, Andrew is a bigger guard with long arms and strong defense. He averages 12.5 points and 10 assists per game. He finishes well inside, distributes the ball effectively and earned all-conference honors last season.

Zach is younger and bigger, at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds. He played varsity as a freshman and started last year as a sophomore, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game. He can play both inside and out, shoot and present difficult match-ups for opponents.

"The presence he is inside, it's kind of something we haven't seen in a long time," said Andrew, a three-year starter.

Zach is averaging a double-double early this season, including a 24-point, 20-rebound performance against New Life Academy.

With the Lindquists leading the way and a strong, experienced supporting cast filling out the roster, the Zephyrs are looking to finish near the top of the conference.