NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Growing up, twins Mason and Owen Clouse and their older sister, Claire, turned everything into a competition.
Everything.
“We would race up the steps to see who could put their clothes away the fastest,” Claire said.
“You think of anything that would be normal, and we’d make it competitive,” added Owen. “Any little thing. We’d make it a little game, stuff like racing to see who could get to dinner first.”
“Me and Owen especially would turn anything we could think of into a game,” Mason said. “Like making our beds or who could pick up our toys outside the fastest.”
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It wasn’t just who could complete chores in record time — mom, Shannon, and dad, Alan, certainly knew how to channel the trio’s competitive spirit into practical production.
It was also athletics.
Claire, a senior, plays basketball and runs track and field at Redbank Valley. Mason, a sophomore, plays football, basketball and baseball and Owen, also a sophomore, plays soccer, basketball and baseball.
“We’ve always played sports,” Claire said. “We’ve always done a whole bunch of stuff together. When we were younger, we were more competitive with each other than we are now.”
Growing up, though, the rivalries were fierce.
It was an interesting dynamic for the three of them. Claire, the older sisters, had to compete with twin brothers, who, in turn, were always squaring off with each other.
Still, they made it work and their relationship flourished.
“Having a twin, it’s competitive for everything,” Owen said. “And then having an older sister who’s very close in age, everything is even more competitive. But I’m lucky to have siblings because if I was an only child, I don’t think I’d even be where I am. We’re so athletic, we push each other to our max.”
“We’re all pretty close,” Mason added. “We’ve gotten closer over the years. I mean, when you’re younger, you’re just always playing and fighting. But now that we’re older, we’ve gotten close. It’s nice. Every time you’re down, you always have someone right by your side to pick you back up.”
The three shared a special day Saturday at Clarion University.
Mason and Owen looked on while Claire and the Bulldogs’ girls basketball team downed North Clarion to win their first Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference championship since 1993.
Claire then cheered on her brothers as they went out with the Redbank Valley boys basketball team and also downed North Clarion to win the KSAC title — the school’s first since 1991.
“It’s just crazy,” Owen said. “We can all share it as one memory and it just feels great.”
“It was exciting,” Claire said. “The older we’ve gotten, the more we’ve been proud of each other. It was just super exciting for me to get it first and then to sit and watch them do it, too.”
All three got into sports at early ages.
Claire began playing basketball when she was in kindergarten. Her twin brothers followed close behind.
As the years passed, Claire maintained the upper hand against Mason and Owen on the court — until recently.
“We were like the same for a year and a half,” Claire said. “Then they passed me up.”
Mason and Owen had their sports diverge a bit because of a spate of unfortunate injuries.
By the age of 10, Owen had suffered three concussions, which forced him to give up football. He filled that void with soccer, picking up the sport relatively late in the grand scheme of things in the seventh grade.
By his sophomore season this fall, Owen had become a star on the pitch. He broke the Redbank Valley single-season goal scoring record that had stood for two decades.
Meanwhile, Mason was playing receiver and defensive back for the Bulldogs’ football team. He caught 11 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns and also recorded 27 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble as Redbank marched all the way to the PIAA Class A championship game.
“It was a little weird for sure not having Owen on the football team,” Mason said. “I mean, not having him by my side, but I got through it. It was a little nice sometimes getting away from being around him every day.”
Mason and Owen have made a big impact on the basketball team this winter.
With seniors Bryson Bain, Chris Marshall and Marquese Gardlock getting the bulk of the attention — and deservedly so — the Clouse twins have embraced their roles as supporting cast despite growing up as the stars on their youth teams.
Mason and Owen have terrorized opponents with their gritty play, penchant for hitting big shots, crashing the boards and stepping into passing lanes.
“They are an example of how every basketball player should play,” said Redbank Valley coach Emmanuel Marshall of Mason and Owen.
The twins had to put their egos aside to do what was best for the team.
Now, the Bulldogs have won 16 straight games heading into the District 9 Class 2A playoffs, where they are the No. 1 seed and the favorites to take home the crown.
“We have the ‘Big Three’ and it’s kind of Mason and my job now to do that stuff,” Owen said. “On previous teams, it was me and Mason as the main guys. Roles have changed.”
“We just play our role on the team,” Mason added. “We’re not going to be the leading scorers, but when we get our chances, we shine. We try to do everything as hard as we can and work for everything we can get.”
With KSAC medals dangling from their necks, the Clouse siblings would like nothing more than to snag more medals this winter.
Through it all, they will be each other’s biggest fans.
“That would be so cool (to win District 9 titles),” Mason said. “We’ve thought about it. Hopefully, we can.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
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