Brothers Shay and Trey Prichard grew up playing sports together. On Sept. 3, they shared the field again, only this time on opposite sides of the UNK and Chadron State football game.
Trey is a fourth-year backup kicker for the Lopers, and Shay handles the same duties as a starter in his third season with the Eagles.
Chadron State beat UNK 24-21, giving the Eagles their first win over their in-state rivals since 2008.
Shay said it meant a lot seeing Trey on the opposite sideline.
“Having him there to watch me play was pretty sweet,” Shay told Hurrdat Sports. “Obviously, it’s a big rivalry game, so the stakes are pretty high. It just made it all the more special.”
The game was extra special with several of the brothers’ family members coming from Colorado to watch them compete as well. The schools renewed their rivalry in 2024, with the Lopers winning the first two matchups. The Eagles took home the Good Life Trophy this season, however.
“The boys played their heart out; it was sweet to get that trophy back here,” Shay said. “All three sides of the ball put it together, and it was great to get that win.”
Trey said he was proud of Shay, with his 24-yard field goal being the difference.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous kicking myself, than watching him,” Trey admitted. “It was just a different feeling, and as much as I wish I would have been able to be out there, it was also just incredible to get to watch him do something.”
After the game, Trey and Shay embraced and talked for a while, with the former almost missing the bus back to Kearney.
“It’s cool to see him in such a good program, somewhere where they just established such a solid culture,” Trey said. “For him to have a head coach that really rides with him through thick and thin is super special, and it’s what you want for your little brother, for your best friend. It was just an incredible time.”
Shay said Trey’s support means a lot.
“He’s always pushing me to be better, so now that we’re both at this level and competing against each other, it just makes it even more fun,” Shay said. “He’s been super supportive. He’s always been behind me, even though we’re on different sides of the field.”
Their diverging paths began when Trey committed to UNK. He said the chance to play in the MIAA made UNK the right place for him.
“I really just liked the school itself, and it just felt like a good place to be,” Trey said.
Shay’s path wasn’t as smooth, though. He was originally enrolled at Northeastern State in Oklahoma, where he spent a week before transferring to Chadron State, where he found a warm welcome.
“We had a really strong specialist group, and they were pushing me a lot,” Shay said. “They were obviously really good at their craft, so as soon as I got out here the entire team just kind of embraced it. I just loved it out here.”
The brothers also love each other a lot. There bond has always been strong with them being a little over a year apart.
“He’s kind of been my built-in best friend,” Shay said. “We’ve done everything together. We’ve always been at the same school, so me and Trey are super close.”
Their bond stems from their shared love for sports, where they played organized games while also making up their own competitions. Trey and Shay grew up playing soccer, with football coming into the picture during Trey’s junior year of high school at Lewis-Palmer in Monument, Colo. The junior tried out after a friend encouraged him and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I’ll never forget, we went out on like a Tuesday, and we didn’t have soccer,” Trey recalled. “We just started kicking field goals, and I had a blast. I kind of fell in love with it, and from then on it was just, ‘Let’s see how far we can take this thing.’”
Trey’s taken it all the way to college. After redshirting in 2023, he made his UNK debut in 2024, going 27-for-27 on extra points and 3-for-5 on field goals. As a sophomore, he went 21-for-22 on PATs while making 2-of-5 field goals.
He said the decision to play collegiately was a difficult one after spending most of his time playing soccer.
“It really just came down to where was I going to get the best opportunity for myself,” Trey said “I remember playing on a high-level club team and having to call my coach and tell him I was going to turn my focus to football. He was incredibly cool about it, and I remember that was kind of my green light.”
Shay then followed in his brother’s footsteps, taking over for Trey once the latter graduated high school. He said he was hesitant at first but fell in love with it soon after.
“I really enjoyed soccer, and I wanted to go play college soccer, but I went up to Denver with his kicking coach and tried it out for the first time,” Shay said. “I just really enjoyed it, and it felt like something new. Obviously, playing soccer my entire life, I had kind of seen where that was going to take me, so football was something new and something that I enjoyed learning.”
Shay learned a lot from Trey, whom he credits for helping him understand the mental part of the game.
“I really just struggled with getting down on myself if I’m missing or getting too high up if I’m making a bunch,” Shay said. “So he’s really helped me stay level through all of that and not ride the highs or lows too much, but just stay grounded.”
Shay has done well. After redshirting in 2024, he went 2-for-2 on PATs last year. This season he is 2-for-2 on field goals with a long of 44 and is 5-for-5 on extra points. He’s also recorded a touchback on four of his nine kickoffs.
Both brothers will look to continue improving this season while supporting one another on opposite sidelines.
“Football is cool, and football is awesome, but there are very few things in life that will be with you from womb to tomb,” Trey said. “I really believe that is your family and your faith. So if you pour everything into the football basket, I think sometimes you lose out on those other things. So if there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that football comes and goes, and family’s forever.”
