Playing a varsity sport with a sibling isn’t uncommon, however, playing a basketball lineup of all family members is. The Peabody girls basketball team consists of 10 players – half of them share the same last name: Bettencourt.
Taylor and Allyson are sisters, and cousins with the sibling-trio of Isabel, Abigail, and Elizabeth.
If you were at a game this season between Peabody and Beverly, no, you weren’t seeing things. All five Bettencourts were on the floor at the same time.
“At first, I didn’t even notice. I started to look around and I was like ‘oh my god, all of us are in.’” Taylor said. “I just got so excited and it brought up the intensity and energy. It was awesome.”
Head coach Stan McKeen said there are at least three Bettencourts on the floor at all times.
“Taylor, Isabel, and Abigail start. Allyson is the first one off the bench while Elizabeth plays half of a game with JV and the other half with the varsity team,” McKeen said.
When asked what it’s like to play with family members, Taylor mentioned she has been playing basketball with Isabel for most of her life, and the chemistry translates onto the court.
“I have been playing with Isabel for my entire life. I know what she’s going to do before she even does it,” Taylor said. “I’ve been playing with Abby for a really long time so the chemistry is there [and] obviously, I know my sister [Allyson] like the back of my hand.”
“Abby, Lizzie, and I played volleyball together in the fall, and it was the first time we got to play together,” Isabel said. “Adding Taylor and Ally to the mix for basketball season is really cool. We all know where each other will be on the court.”
Both McKeen and Taylor believe the girls’ off-court bonds have helped them on the court.
“Since our dads are cousins, we used to hang out a lot. Then, we all got busy with different sports, so life kind of got in the way,” Taylor said. “But now, we all got brought back together in high school. The bond will never be broken – we are so close.”
“It’s a unique situation. They all get along so well,” McKeen said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The name Bettencourt has been known in the Peabody community for decades. Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. (Taylor and Allyson’s father), the mayor of Peabody, was a basketball player in Peabody who went on to play at Holy Cross.
Mark Bettencourt (father of Isabel, Abigail, and Elizabeth) is the current Peabody football coach and former player who won a Super Bowl with the Tanners when he was in high school. He later played baseball at Boston College.
The Bettencourt name is still pertinent in high school sports – but this time, it’s the girls who are representing the Bettencourt name.
“Bettencourt has been a name in sports for a long time, but mostly for boys,” Taylor said. “It’s awesome to see the name again, but for girls in sports.”
“I think it’s cool that they [Ted and Mark] have been influential when they were in high school, and now they both had girls and we have been able to make the difference that we had in girls sports,” Isabel said. “I’m hoping that continues with the rest of our cousins coming up, too.”
