Talk about a double double.
A pair of fraternal twins lead Great Neck South's varsity basketball team, which is undefeated and vying for its first clean sweep in Nassau County since 1967.
Seniors John Roggendorf and Jesse Roggendorf, 17, combined for 48 points in the Rebels' recent 14-0 win over MacArthur High School, but that was just the tip of the iceberg for the Twins. Ta.
The dynamic duo, John a 6-foot-5 forward and Jesse a 6-foot-1 guard, have been difference-makers on the court at North Shore since they first made the varsity team as freshmen.
Having a sibling rivalry was the best thing for their high school careers.
“We're always pushing each other when we play one-on-one, whether it's in the backyard or on the court,” John told the Post, adding that the two eat, sleep and play basketball.
He teaches his younger brother, who is two minutes younger, how to become more powerful, and Jesse returns the favor by improving his finesse and quickness.
They spend six hours a day training and watching game film. The two say they can critique each other's games more constructively than their own.
“They took the program to the next level,” Great Neck South coach Mike Holleran told the Post.
Holleran said Jesse, last year's conference player of the year, is known for his sense of humor. John, who earned All-County honors as a sophomore, is praised for his maturity.
“John is averaging a double-double and Jesse is the leading scorer with over 1,000 career points,” their coach said.
Coach Holleran was very impressed with Roggendorf and gave them freedom to make decisions such as whether to stay in man or zone when defending.
“We have a lot of trust. We see things [Jesse] He sees things that I don’t see,” John said. “It's really helpful.”
Both players are serious about basketball, but at the same time, their individual personalities shine through. John wears number 20 and Jesse wears number 10, as a joke that John is “twice the size” of his twin.
The Roggendorf boys say this is the tightest-knit group they've ever been a part of, with their easy-going personalities leading to impregnable teamwork.
“They feel like our extended family now, too,” Jesse said, recalling the many off-court trips to Applebee's the Rebels took together.
But that's not the only reason the Twins and their teammates were aspiring to win Great Neck South's first county championship title even before the Jets won the Super Bowl.
Last year, the team won 17 games and was the No. 1 seed, but fell short in the quarterfinals of Section 8AA Class against Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park.
“We want more of it now,” Jesse said. John added that the half-off app became a full-court push as the special chemistry was “starting to show” throughout the undefeated game.
“We're growing and getting better together,” he said.
But with six games remaining – the next being a rematch with MacArthur on Friday night – nothing can be taken for granted.
“It's more important to be undefeated to have an advantage in the playoffs,” John said.
“We really want to put 2025 under the banner of 1967,” Jesse added.
The standout athletes said they wanted to play in college after high school. They are considering several schools upstate.
“We’ve been on the same team forever,” John said. “But we've been talking about it, and it might be fun to finally play against each other next year.”
