Rohr Keeps a Busy Schedule

It’s not easy getting a younger brother to admit admiration for an older brother.

Remember, there’s always competition, whether it’s about who’s best at video games or who deserves a second piece of cake at the dinner table.

But 12-year-old Shawn Rohr leaves no doubt what he thinks of his 17-year-old brother, Brandon.

“I want to be like him,” he said. “He treats people with a lot of respect.”

Brandon Rohr is one of the most popular students at Orange Lutheran, and for good reason. He can’t say no when asked to play on a team.

He’s the starting strong safety and a receiver for the Lancers’ 8-1 football team. He’s a starting guard on the basketball team and the starting shortstop on the baseball team.

Football Coach Jim Kunau said Rohr might be “the best all-around athlete in our school.”

Rohr, 6 feet 3 and 185 pounds, is a big reason why the Lancers could win the Southern Section Division VI football championship. He is a ferocious tackler and doesn’t flinch when catching passes over the middle. He leads the team in receptions with 24 and also serves as the punter.

The Lancers play unbeaten Placentia Valencia (9-0) Friday night in an Empire League showdown in a prelude to the playoffs.

While many top athletes devote their energy to one sport in an attempt to increase their chances of gaining a college scholarship, Rohr’s unselfishness is appreciated by coaches and fans.

“He’s the consummate team player,” Kunau said.

Rohr wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I made a commitment to my team and plan to stick with it for four years,” he said. “I made a bunch of friends doing it. I feel if I quit, I’d be letting people down.”

His bedroom at home resembles a sporting goods store, cluttered with posters, shoes, trophies and equipment. Since it’s football season, cleats and footballs are everywhere. Come spring, bats and gloves will cover the floor. And since Shawn shares the room and plays four sports, the two should feel lucky not tripping over something.

“Sometimes it’s pretty smelly,” Rohr said.

If Rohr ever needs more excitement in his life, he can drop by Disneyland, where his father, Skip, works as an engineer and is allowed to let his children and their friends visit the park for free. Rohr loves roller coasters that are fast and scary.

Rohr has experienced a hectic high school life, trying to balance academic demands with a three-sport commitment.

“You have to be organized,” he said. “My football coach wanted me to gain weight, but that wasn’t possible doing three sports in the summer. There’s no time to rest.”

Rohr likes football best, but each sport provides memories to cherish.

In football, he remembers a goal-line stand from last year’s Division VI final against Hacienda Heights Los Altos.

“All I could think of is not letting my guy score,” he said. “We stopped them.”

In basketball, he remembers guarding a player from Anaheim Katella his sophomore year when the game was on the line.

“I was guarding one of their best shooters,” he said. “I stuffed him when he was trying to score with five seconds left.”

In baseball, he remembers the final out, a ground ball hit to him, in a playoff game last season that sent the Lancers into the Division III semifinals.

“It was relief after I threw the ball,” he said.

All those pressure-filled moments have prepared him for life after high school and given him the confidence to test himself against the best.

On weekends, Shawn plays receiver for the Yorba Linda Ravens, a youth football team. The quarterback is J.D. Blackamore, the younger brother of Orange Lutheran quarterback Seth Blackamore. It’s as if the younger brothers are following in the footsteps of their big brothers.

“I think he’ll be better than me when he gets to high school,” Brandon said of Shawn.

If Shawn succeeds, it will be because he learned so much from his big brother.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.