- Slug: Sports–Vanden Bosch Twins, 700, words.
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By Jalen Weathers
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – The 2024 high school football season has been nothing short of competitive in the AIA, and Brophy College Prep is at the center of it all. Ranked the No. 2 team in the Arizona 6A division, the 5-1 Broncos are in the midst of a fierce start thanks in part to key contributions from twin brothers Case and Bastian Vanden Bosch.
The dynamic duo benefits from Kyle Vanden Bosch’s 12 years of NFL experience, which he shares with his sons to make them better football players as the special team’s coordinator for the Broncos. But more than statistics, Kyle is focused on the character of his sons as teammates.
“I’m just proud of them for who they are,” Kyle said. “I told them from when they were little that you will get respect based upon how hard you work in life. Neither one of them is perfect. They make mistakes, but they’re tough. And they show a certain level of toughness on the football field.”
Unlike their father, who played defensive end for several teams including the Arizona Cardinals, Case is the Broncos’ starting quarterback, while Bastian starts at linebacker.
“He lets me pave my own way,” Case said. “I don’t think there’s pressure. The only pressure there is, is to do my best and give it all I got.”
Case and Bastian, both 17-year-old juniors, have already received Division I offers, including from Kyle’s alma mater, Nebraska. Case has also received an offer from the University of Iowa. Bastian has received offers from the University of Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, Colorado State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oregon and Washington.
While they want to reach their father’s heights of playing in the NFL, the high schoolers are focused on securing a state title for now.
“Yeah, I see myself playing college football,” Bastian said. “Hopefully in the NFL, as well, but there’s a lot of work that has to be done up until then.”
This season, Bastian became the first Bronco to win the Arizona Cardinals Player of the Week award since E.J. Warner accomplished the feat in 2021. Bastian also received the Week 4 Doherty Award Nomination Medallion, which recognizes outstanding performances from the previous week’s action, and is in the running for the 2024 Ed Doherty Award, which goes to Arizona’s best high school player.
The production between Case and Bastian has been exceptional. Bastian has 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 4.3 tackles, while the national average is 2.8. Case has recorded 582 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and a 64% completion rate.
Although Case and Bastian have their own experiences and individual goals, they share their father’s wisdom – and rightly so. At Nebraska, Kyle won a national championship (1997), while earning the 2000 First-Team All Big-12 Conference, the 2000 Woody Hayes Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and the 2000 Vincent dePaul Draddy Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a defensive end. The three-time Pro Bowl selection was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by Arizona and also played for the Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions.
Kyle learned many insightful lessons, but one stuck with him.
“One of them, and my boys have both dealt with this as well, is dealing with adversity,” Kyle said. “I mean, when you’ve played the game long enough, you’re going to have highs, you’re going to have lows. It’s important to just kind of remain consistent and do the same things every day.
“The thing that allowed me to get to where I got to and allowed me to stay there was just hard work. I’ve had multiple season-ending injuries. The game of football, to me, is the best game on the planet, but at times it can be really tough. And as long as you keep your head down, you’ll stay focused on your daily goals.”
The Broncos have four games remaining in the regular season as they look to bounce back from last week’s tough loss to Basha beginning Friday night on the road against Desert Vista, when Case and Bastian will continue to carry on the Vanden Bosch legacy.
“The ultimate goal is winning the Open as a team,” said Bastian. “But that comes with getting better every day individually.”
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