Three of a Kind Even on the Mat

David, Jared and Michael Brems are three on a mat for Newbury Park High.

Born minutes apart, the triplets understandably are close--right down to their records.

David is the team’s only undefeated wrestler at 14-0. Michael is 12-2, Jared 10-4. All are juniors and part of the Panthers’ starting lineup entering the El Rancho tournament this weekend.

Of course, they bear a strong physical resemblance, too.

“Last year, I did have a little trouble [telling them apart] because it was my first year,” said Jerry Barnes, Newbury Park’s coach. “This year, David got his braces off, Michael still has them on and Jared looks a little different.

“They’re definitely brothers--fighting all the time. But at the same time, they support each other.”

Said David: “We wrestle a lot just for fun. Instead of fighting, we wrestle.”

The trio began wrestling as sixth-graders in Indiana. Soon, it was the only sport they were competing in.

“In the Midwest, all the middle schools have a wrestling team,” Michael said. “We just decided to try it. We wrestled all the time when we were little.”

David defeated seven wrestlers en route to placing first at the Bakersfield tournament. David and Michael, both varsity wrestlers last season, placed first at Newbury Park’s own tournament last month. Jared spent much of last season on the junior varsity.

“We help each other out a lot,” Jared said. “We practice every day and when we see each other make mistakes, we tell the other what he did wrong.

“Mike and Dave usually go against each other. I need to get a little bit better. But I wouldn’t say who’s the best.”