MORENCI — What are the odds? Twins aren’t that common, so three sets of twins in one class, in a high school with fewer than 200 students, seems unlikely.
And yet, Morenci High School’s class of 2025 has just that.
Wyatt and Zach Stevens, Abby and Chelsea Pierce, and Zoey and Zach Martinez are all set to graduate in May. All six were born and raised in Morenci and have all been multisport athletes during their time in the school system.
The Stevens brothers got their athletic careers started early.
“We started out playing at the YMCA when we were probably 5 years old,” Zach said.
“Before we were able to play in school sports,” Wyatt added.
“We went to the ‘Y’ all the way up until we could play Junior Dawgs here,” Zach remembered.
The Pierce sisters got their athletic start with the Morenci youth programs.
“We played everything,” Abby said.
Both sisters played basketball, volleyball and softball in middle school and even tried powerlifting in high school, before settling on volleyball and softball as their main sports.
The Martinez twins also played every sport they could in their youth.
“Wrestling is definitely my top sport,” Zach said. “I’ve been wrestling ever since I was little — about like 5 — and then just stuck with it.” He ran cross country in the fall and is currently finishing his senior season in track.
Zoey competed in basketball, volleyball, softball, and track and field early on before making a couple of changes in high school. She traded volleyball for competitive cheer, and while she loved basketball she decided to focus on her other sports.
All three pairs of siblings have fond memories when thinking back on their time at Morenci High.
Abby Pierce enjoyed her time in Jonathan Boesger’s classroom — both the academics and the recreation. “Sometimes, just any of us go in there and play Super Smash Bros. on his switch,” she laughed. “That’s just always fun, it doesn’t matter who the heck you are.”
Both sisters joyfully recalled being part of Coach Kay Johnson’s 1,000th win in softball.
“It was cool just to be a part of it because of how many people came together to celebrate Ms. J.,” Chelsea said. “She’s just such a special human. She’s instilled so much into me, a lot of my morals and work ethic came from Ms. J.”
Johnson, for her part, said both of the Pierce sisters love softball and are hard workers, always asking questions and trying to get a better understanding of the rules or strategies of the game.
“As for being sisters, I don’t believe I’ve coached siblings that are so supportive of each other,” she said.
One of Zoey’s favorite memories was launching a softball over the fence at home last year, but the home run itself is not why it sticks in her head.
“I thought the girl had caught it because I thought Schaff [assistant coach Renee Schaffner] at first base said, ‘oh you’re out’,” Zoey explained. “But, she actually said ‘jog’, so I looked back and was like ‘what?’, and she said it [the ball] was out. So that was fun,” she finished the story with a laugh. She remembers hitting home plate and her teammates surrounding her and cheering.
Her brother’s favorite memory was achieving a goal he’d set for himself from a young age.
“Walking down to Ford Field, to the mats, with Anthony Perez and our coaches. Because I’ve been with him my whole life and that was our big goal, going to state, make it to state. And walking down to Ford Field was pretty amazing,” Zach recalled of the experience of making it to the state finals in wrestling.
Wyatt Stevens remembered the team basketball camp during the summer after his sophomore year. “I really enjoyed going to Findlay for basketball. It was a really cool team bonding experience to be there with the coaches and players,” he said.
Zach Stevens reflected on the Cayden Cook memorial basketball game at Morenci. “It was probably the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of. You could tell they were there for Cayden and it was a mix of emotional and electric atmosphere,” he said.
And while the Stevens brothers will have these memories forever, they also know there are some things they will undoubtedly miss.
“Sports in general,” Zach said. “Especially football because I didn’t play until my senior year. I was really enjoying it through the first couple of games and it didn’t hit me ’til the very last game that it was over, I won’t be able to play football again.”
“For me, I think I’m going to miss the small town feel,” Wyatt said. “The feeling of being in high school, knowing all the kids, knowing the teachers, knowing the parents. That community feeling is really important.”
The Pierce sisters have similar sentiments. “Just everybody knowing everybody and we all support each other,” Abby said. “The ‘one team, one town, one family’, I feel like that is so true here.”
The Martinez siblings both said they’ll miss practice.
“My freshman year, our cross country had a huge team and our practices were a whole bunch of fun,” Zach shared.
“I’ll miss throwing practices,” Zoey said. “It’s a whole different atmosphere, even if there’s someone you’re not best friends with you can always find a way to laugh with them. It’s just so fun being at practice.”
There are still a few more practices left to enjoy before it’s over.
Wyatt and Zach Stevens have already helped the baseball team improve from a one-win team last year to multiple victories early on this year.
“They have helped shape the identity of this team,” Coach Matt Enders said. “They support each other, push each other, and they’ve grown into players that younger guys look up to.”
Zoey and Zach Martinez will both look to end their track careers on a high note as they prepare for the regional meet and a chance to go to the state finals. Zoey will also be found on the softball diamond along with the Pierce sisters and the always-competitive Bulldog squad as they gear up for districts.
After the seasons wrap and the graduation caps fly, there will be a turning of the page and a new chapter for all of the siblings.
Wyatt Stevens plans on attending MSU or the University of Toledo to pursue a computer science degree, while Zach intends to join the workforce and get some “mud under his boots.”
Abby and Chelsea Pierce will both attend Jackson College where Abby will study nursing with a focus on pediatric oncology and Chelsea will go into dental hygiene.
Zoey Martinez is going to Central Michigan University to study psychology with hopes of becoming a forensic psychologist. Zach wants to attend lineman school and prepare for work in the utility industry.
And no matter where they end up, these twins have no plans on forgetting where they came from.
