The Trichlers in Sultan and Palacols in Marysville are pairs of twin brothers who have helped put their high school basketball programs on the map.
Seniors Toby and Eli Trichler have a unique connection on the court, but it didn’t begin like that at first.
“Growing up, we did a lot of 1-v-1s. We were in the backyard every day, and it kind of got taken away from us because we would fight so much. So our dad (Sultan High School boys basketball coach Nate Trichler) was like, ‘Nope. You guys aren’t allowed to 1-v-1 unless I’m back there,’” Eli recalled.
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Toby said they would constantly argue about fouls, who the ball was out on — just typical disputes of playing one-on-one basketball.
This type of relationship also holds true for Marysville Getchell High School juniors Arion “Bubba” and Mariano “Ano” Palacol. Though they didn’t have basketball revoked, their sports-filled youth created the urge to always one-up each other.
“Bubba will tell you his hardest defender is his brother,” Rey Palacol, their dad, said.
Editor’s note: This is the second installment in a two-part series about basketball twins in the area. Part I ran in Friday’s edition of The Herald and features twin sisters from Everett and Arlington.
Sultan’s super siblings
Toby Trichler, left, directs brother Eli Trichler, right, during the game against King’s on Jan. 23 in Shoreline. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Nate Trichler has coached basketball for more than 20 years. He’s had other siblings on his teams before, but he’s never managed twins until two of his own.
“The sibling thing is a real deal,” Nate said. “Siblings are going to bicker differently than normal teammates do. It’s like an understanding that even though I’m mad at you right now, I believe in you. … And then you multiply that times 10 when you’re talking about twins.
“It is absolutely crazy how the two of them, it looks like they’re frustrated with each other, something’s not going right, they immediately look to the other person to fix it,” he continued. “They count on each other for everything they do.”
Nate said he warns his players that even though it’s not acceptable for teammates to talk to each other the way Toby and Eli do at times, “there’s a bond there that isn’t going to be broken over a word or two. There’s a level of trust that’s so much deeper than I really think that I can even understand.”
The brothers played various sports in their youth, but they agreed basketball had a certain energy no other sport could offer. Basketball has been a longtime fixture in the family, and the twins, along with older sister Grace, have collectively brought much success to the Sultan boys and girls basketball programs.
Grace was a two-time Emerald Sound Conference Coho Division player of the year and 1,000-point scorers who holds all girls scoring records at the school. Toby and Eli made an immediate impact, helping the Sultan boys to four consecutive winning campaigns after three straight losing seasons before their arrival. They were all-league picks as sophomores, leading Sultan in assists, steals and rebounds. Toby averaged about 15 points per game and Eli nine as they helped the Turks progress to a winner-to-state game for the first time in about five years. The pair repeated as all-leaguers their junior season while leading Sultan to a program-record 20 wins. Toby averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 8.0 blocks and Eli 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 5.0 blocks. This season Toby joined the 1,000-point club in December and Eli in January.
Toby Trichler high-fives his dad and coach Nate Trichler during a timeout on Jan. 23 in Shoreline. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
The twins are eager to help Sultan take the next step and reach the Hardwood Classic this winter, and their connection is key in reaching those goals.
“Him and I both know how to complement each other so well,” Eli said. “He’s definitely more of a rebounder than I am, and I’m more of a point guard, so I know when Toby gets the rebound I’m taking off, (and) he’s going to come find me.”
The pair also appreciated their teammates’ efforts each game.
“They’re always looking for us,” Toby said. “They know we’re the No. 1 scoring options. They’ll pass up shots to get us open, they set good off-ball screens, they run sets with purpose, even if they’re not the goal to score in that set.”
After their high school careers are finished, the Trichlers have high hopes for their basketball futures.
“The plan for both of us after high school is to play basketball as long as we can even if it’s community college, Division III, NAIA,” Eli said. “Wherever it is, I hope to play basketball professionally one day. … If I’m playing basketball in my 30s, that’s really the goal. It doesn’t matter where I’m playing, and I know that’s the same for Toby, too.”
Leading the Charge-rs
Marysville Getchell’s Ano Palacol, left, and Bubba Palacol, right, work together to knock free a loose ball against Cedarcrest on Jan. 16 at Cedarcrest High School in Duvall. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Joining Marysville Getchell’s basketball program was in the works for Bubba and Ano before they were freshmen. They had access to a YMCA, a nearby park and neighborhood hoops, allowing them to play anytime and anywhere. The pair also attended summer Chargers hoop camps, giving them a feel for what high school ball would be like in the upcoming years.
“Those camps really relate to our practices now because they’re like the same thing: simple, on the basics and we compete (in) a lot of scrimmages,” Bubba said.
Ano agreed, and said the brothers enjoyed the atmosphere that current MG boys coach Corby Schuh brought to camps, and they knew it was only a matter of time before they were wearing a Chargers uniform.
“We got there, and we’re like, ‘Wow, this is really it. We’re here. We did it,’” Ano said.
As important contributors as the twins are to Getchell, they display different personalities. Schuh described Ano as the floor leader who’s always communicating with teammates regardless of if he’s in the game or on the bench. Bubba is quieter and leads by example with his play on the court. He averaged 20.3 points and 2.8 steals per game as a sophomore on his way to second-team All-Area and first-team All-Wesco 3A/2A honors.
Marysville Getchell’s Bubba Palacol makes his way to the hoop against Cedarcrest on Jan. 16 at Cedarcrest High School in Duvall. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Rey said his sons always had a knack for athletics. Their youth involved basketball, jiu-jitsu, football, baseball and soccer. They eventually settled on basketball and football. As time went on, the brothers had competitive battles but grew to learn that combining their strengths would be more beneficial.
Bubba was Getchell’s quarterback this fall, and Ano played in the defense’s secondary, and though the brothers played on different sides of the gridiron, that didn’t stop them from getting on one another.
“When we’re out there, we get more mad at each other when we’re making a mistake,” Bubba said. “But we know it’s this brotherly love, and we’re trying to pick each other up.”
Marysville Getchell’s Ano Palacol, left, attempts to block a shot against Shorecrest during the game on Dec. 16, 2022, in Marysville. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
On the hardwood, the twins’ constructive criticisms toward each other don’t cease to exist.
“They have a huge competitive spirit where they’ll get after each other both ways at times,” Schuh said. “It’s all because they’re competitors and they want to win, and you got to let it go at some point for a certain amount of time just because they know the game and they’re trying to keep each other going.”
But a few choice words never get between the brothers’ rock-solid bond.
“They love each other a lot,” Schuh said. “They’re their biggest supporters.”
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