Springfield siblings love competing, lead their teams into the postseason

One day, when she was 6 years old, Nuari “Nunu” Filipe came home crying after her Little League basketball game. This was out of the ordinary for the happy-go-lucky elementary school kid, her dad, Victor Filipe, recalled.

“She was bigger than the other girls. So she shoved a girl down by accident,” Victor said. “I think the (other) parents were, like, screaming at her.”

Victor remembered how Nuari was shaken and upset, but he vividly remembers seeing a competitive fire ignite.

“She was like, ‘Dad, I want to get better at this,’” Victor said.

Now, a 6-foot 15-year-old freshman at Springfield High School, Nuari is excelling as a starting forward for the Millers. On Jan. 30, she put up a career-high 34 points against Crater High School, the defending girls’ 5A state champions. On the season, she’s averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Millers, currently at the top of Midwesterner League, will head to the 5A state tournament in the coming days. The team was undefeated in league play until Feb. 27, when they lost at Crater, their second matchup of the season to their league rivals.

A family of athletes 

Down the road at Thurston High School, her older brother, Leofatu “Leo” Filipe, 16, is an equally gifted athlete. At 6-foot-5, he has carved out significant roles as an all-conference defensive lineman on the Colts football team and as the starting center for the boys basketball team. Leo chose to go to Thurston instead of Springfield for the stronger football program.

The Thurston boys, also atop the Midwesterner League standings, will be headed to the state playoffs, too. First-round matchups will be released on March 6.

On the hardwood, Leo doesn’t want to be known as just another football player using his big body to get rebounds and set screens. He takes basketball as seriously as football, and it shows, according to his coach, Blaine Liberatore.

“He’s not just your typical football kid,” Liberatore said. “He’s an incredible basketball player and an incredible athlete who will probably be good at whatever he does.”

Leo showcased that athletic ability and impressive defense at a game against his sister’s high school, Springfield.

With his sister in the stands, Leo poked the ball away from the offense, made an outlet pass and ran the floor, eventually getting the ball back for a smooth and-one. He missed the free throw, but fought back for the ball, got it, and drew yet another and-one, giving him five points in about 20 seconds. He ended the game with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.

“Honestly, I’m a competitor,” he said after the game. “I don’t like to lose, so whatever I have to do for my team to win.”

As a sophomore, Leo has started every game for Thurston and looks to expand his role as a scorer next year.

“I hope he continues to challenge himself athletically and find his voice as a leader,” Liberatore said. “I think kids look up to him as a gifted athlete and a leader.”

Honing their talents with early mornings

Their success isn’t just talent.

The siblings’ routine involves getting up at 5:30 a.m. to work out, either at their parents’ strength performance gym or in their home gym. Whether it’s shooting practice or strength training, the early morning sessions are designed to help the kids achieve their goals without overloading them, their dad, Victor, says. To avoid burnout and injury, the Filipe siblings work on stretching and activation.

The kids can thank their parents for many of their athletic gifts. Victor is a former Division I defensive end who played for the Ducks from 2003 to 2006. But he knows how it feels to have pressure surrounding the sport you love, and wants his kids to be happy first and successful second.

“There was a lot of pressure involved when I was coming up. I was always told that football was the only avenue in terms of being successful,” Victor said. He wants the desire to come from them. “I think that my upbringing really helped me, like, not put too much pressure on them.”

Victor emphasizes that his kids are “more than just sports.” Training is about supporting his kids through the path they chose.

“I feel like my dad does a good job of balancing life and sports,” Nuari said. “Sports never feel like hard work. It never feels like a chore or something I don’t want to do.” Their mom, Mollie Filipe, plays more of a “supportive role — she’s more of the encouraging type,” Nuari said.

The young athletes are not exempt from chores. When they come home, the two rotate duties.

Leo might be responsible for dishes and counters, a job everyone in the house seems to hate, while Nuari handles floors and bathrooms. Both of them tidy their rooms. Homework has to get done, and if there’s film to watch for an upcoming game, they’ll carve out time for that, too.

Both siblings have their sights set beyond high school.

“Definitely college,” Nuari said. “Going Division I is one of my biggest goals in life.”

Leo agrees. “I definitely want to go play (football) at the next level,” he said. “Whatever school wants me.”

But before any of that, there’s competition left to settle closer to home. Victor mentioned that a one-on-one between the two would be a must-see event. The siblings agreed, but they couldn’t agree on what the score would be.

“11-2, me,” Leo said confidently. “I’m blocking every shot.”

Nuari wasn’t having it.

“That is so not true,” she said. “I pump fake one time, and you’re jumping over me.”