The Rodino brothers will never forget the rusted rim hoop on a pole that rests atop a concrete slab at the junkyard near their house.

Although insignificant in its appearance, it proved to be instrumental in the development of the brothers - Jesse, James, and Dylan - who are all currently in the Marian basketball program.

Juniors Jesse and James are twins on the varsity team, while Dylan is a sophomore on the JV squad who also dresses for varsity games.

But the Rodino pipeline doesn’t end there, as brother Damian is a freshman, and brother Dominic is an eighth grader.

Sometimes, though, the simplest of things can have the most impact on a family. And a simple, blue-collar work ethic can sometimes override pure talent.

The Rodinos’ road to basketball is proof of the latter statement.

“We put a net on it,” said Jesse Rodino referring to the structure roughly 10 minutes from their home on Route 424 near the Hazleton DMV. “We also had some plywood to help secure everything.

“It made do, and it was hard to get us away from it. But it really helped us learn the game playing with each other, and helped us to learn about working hard and working together. We would spend seemingly endless hours there, and it was our special court.”

The Rodinos’ appreciation for the game of basketball didn’t start until the twins reached middle school - a rather late start compared to the majority of their peers who picked the sport up in elementary school. There was a good reason for that, however - it was because the Rodinos started out participating in a different winter sport.

All three of the older boys began their athletic careers as wrestlers - following in the footsteps of their father, Jimmy, who was an all-state wrestler at Hazleton High School.

They started wrestling at age seven in youth programs in McAdoo and Hazleton. There were plenty of signs in their early days of the sport that all three brothers would follow in their father’s footsteps.

For Jesse, it was a broken leg in sixth grade that basically ended his career on the mats. In addition to the injury, a growth spurt he was experiencing pushed him toward a different sport.

“I started playing football and baseball when I was a little younger, but we didn’t start playing basketball with that old rim until the seventh grade,” said Jesse. “I also thought I was getting a little tall for wrestling.”

“Both James and I decided to make the shift to basketball, but Dylan stayed with wrestling a little longer.”

Dylan, who has been nicknamed “Y.R.” by his football coaches, stayed with wrestling until eighth grade, and then made the switch to basketball.

“I really enjoyed wrestling, and stayed with it longer,” he said. ‘I thought I was pretty decent at it.

“But eventually all three of us decided to go with basketball. We played against each other, and we all grew as players. I do like playing basketball.”

James may have had the most circuitous route to the hoop. He broke his elbow during football season in seventh grade, and suffered a broken ankle at the beginning of the season in eighth grade.

Still, it has been worth it, even though it had some rough beginnings.

“I remember when I first started playing, I had trouble dribbling,” he recalled. “With the help of my brothers and some great coaches, I started to catch on fast. Soon after, I really felt pretty comfortable with everything.”

All three brothers agreed that each of them has a charged motor when it comes to drive and determination. Their mother, Jennifer, who is deceased, played basketball at Hazleton, and their uncle, Shane Palnutis, is a member of Hazleton’s Hall of Fame for basketball.

“We’re all very competitive,” said Jesse. “We all want to do whatever we can to help the team win. James and I know each other well on the court, and we’re looking to help each other out.

“We have had a lot of family members involved with basketball and other sports.”

Yet, James knows the competition thread reaches even deeper.

“We’re very competitive among ourselves,” he said. “If Jesse makes a big play, I want to make a bigger one. That goes for any sport. We always want to beat each other’s efforts in a game. We do have plenty of competition against each other.”

First-year head boys’ basketball coach Scott Murphy couldn’t have asked for a better situation with the Rodino brothers’ trifecta. Currently, Jesse averages nearly nine points per contest, while James averages close to four per game. Both consistently post double-digit rebound games.

“They are very competitive, and push each other every day,” said Murphy. “They make other players around them better. They push as hard as they can every single day and in every single game. They don’t want to be denied.

“They are a coach’s dream.”

But they aren’t only a basketball coach’s dream - they have also been a dream for other Marian coaches.

All three boys were key members of the Colts’ football team this past season, with Jesse earning an All-State selection as a defensive lineman. All three brothers are also baseball players.

Another thing the Rodinos share it a tremendous admiration for the support they have received from their grandmother, Kathleen Burger, who has been a driving force in their lives. Burger lives right across the street from her grandsons.

“She has a big role in our lives,” said James. “She always has been there, and supports us at our games.

“We all have a very strong connection with her. She is the reason why we are where we are today.”

When they do have some down time from sports, all three brothers enjoy hiking, quad riding, and playing video games.

Still, it is all about keeping your eye on gaining the biggest prizes.

“There are days when we get tired, but we push through it,” added James. “God gave us all athletic abilities.

“We don’t want to waste them.”

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NEAR PERFECTION ... In Tuesday’s Jim Thorpe at Pine Grove boys game, the two teams were nearly perfect from the free-throw line.

The Olympians went to the stripe 17 times and converted on 16 of them. The Cardinals, meanwhile, finished a perfect 11-for-11 at the charity stripe.

The combined 27-of-28 works to a percentage of .964.

Prior to Tuesday, the best combined free throw percentage in a game this season involving an area boys team (with at least the same amount of attempts) was the .906 that Tamaqua and Blue Mountain had on Jan. 12. The Raiders were 12-for-12, while the Eagles went 17-of-20.

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MOST D-11 WINS ... The Palmerton basketball program finished the regular season with 36 wins.

The Blue Bomber boys had 17, while the girls ended with 19.

That total is tied for the third most among District 11 schools.

Pocono Mountain West and North Schuylkill are currently tied for the most with 38. The Panther boys have 18, and their girls have 20. As for the Spartans, their boys have 18 and the girls have 20.

North Schuylkill can actually finish with the most. The Spartan boys have one regular season game remaining - Saturday against Mount Carmel. A win would give the programs a combined 39 victories.

Palmerton’s 36 victories are tied with Notre Dame-Green Pond and Blue Mountain.

Among area schools, Marian is next in line with 35.

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ON THE HORIZON

... The individual portion of wrestling’s postseason begins with the District 11 tournament, which starts on Friday, Feb. 24. The first day of the Class 2A tournament will be held at Freedom High School, while the opening day of the 3A event will take place at Liberty High School. The finals and consolation finals will take place Saturday, Feb. 25 at Liberty High School for both classes. There will be four wrestlers in Class 2A advancing to the Southeast Regional Tournament, while five will move on from 3A to the Northeast Regional the following week. The Southeast Regional will take place March 3-4 at Freedom High School, and the Northeast Regional will be held the same days at Liberty High School. The top six from the Southeast Regional will advance to states. The top four from the Northeast Regional will qualify for states. The PIAA Championships will be held March 9-11 at the Giant Center in Hershey. Look for more on each tournament as they draw closer.