Sisters Marley, left, and Stella Jarvais of Windham High School listen to coaches at halftime during a preseason scrimmage on Aug. 31 at Falmouth. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Right now, Windham sisters Stella and Marley Jarvais are probably competing at something.

“Short answer, there’s a little competition,” said Kregg Jarvais, their father. “They push each other pretty hard.”

When the sisters were little, trips to Hannaford included frenzied races to the door. Family board games became an excuse to beat each other up. Now that they’re teenagers, Stella and Marley will regularly play one-on-one soccer against each other, 10 games in a row to reach a definitive winner.

“Then we go home and brag to our parents about it,” Marley said during a break at Falmouth’s preseason play day. “Actually, before this (interview) we were kind of bickering with each other, and arguing about who’s better at what… It’s always good being competitive with each other at home, because then we take it on the field and we work well together.”

The Jarvais sisters are at their best when they redirect that competitive fire toward Windham’s soccer opponents. The two are a big reason why the Eagles are a contender in always-tough SMAA.

“It’s always something competition-wise between me and Marley. That’s what makes our day fun. In the classroom, we see who can get the better grades,” Stella said. “At practice, especially when we’re on different teams, it’s so high intensity  between both of us, I feel like it makes our peers around us better.”

Windham’s Marley Jarvaisl controls the ball during Aug. 31 preseason soccer scrimmage against Cape Elizabeth. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

The top SMAA teams all feature a pair of players who can be considered among the best in the state at their respective positions. Two-time defending state champion Scarborough has forward Delia Fravert and goalie Sophia Rinaldi. At Gorham, it’s midfielder Ashley Connolly and back Bailey Hatch. Cheverus has forward Annie Vigue and midfielder Finley Brown, and at Thorton Academy it’s midfielder Charlotte Belanger and forward Quincy Thibault.

Windham has the Jarvais sisters.

“I think they just have a really special bond. You see it on the field. They have each other’s backs. They know right where the other is. Stella does everything she can to get Marley the ball. They do set that rivalry at home aside when they step on the field,” said Deb Lebel, Windham’s coach. “Nobody messes with them, because you’re going to get the other sister, too.”

Stella, who will turn 18 in December, is 21 months older than Marley, who will turn 16 this month. They come from an athletic family. Nikki Reed Jarvais, their mom, played soccer at the University of Maine. Kregg Jarvais, their father, was a catcher at Maine and later played in the Boston Red Sox minor league system.

Stella Jarvais of Windham High School gains possession of the ball during an Aug. 31 soccer scrimmage against Cape. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Last season was the first the sisters played together in high school. Marley missed her freshman season recovering from a knee injury. Last fall, Stella moved from center back, where she was the SMAA Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2022, to center midfield. A two-time Varsity Maine All-State selection, Stella continued playing strong defense while adding a spark to Windham’s attack with seven goals and three assists.

In her first season of varsity soccer, Marley scored 11 goals with 10 assists, one goal shy of team leader Kyla Harvey. When Nikki Jarvais watches Marley with the ball, she sees the kid who was pushed by her big sister for hours in the backyard.

“(Marley) worked on her foot skills to beat Stella,” she said.

Marley also credits her sister with making her a better player.

“She’s really competitive and she’s really strong, and she pushes me to be a better player every day. It’s really nice having her on the field. We work so well together,” she said.

Stella is committed to playing college soccer at Maine for Coach Scott Atherley, the same coach her mother played for when she was a Black Bear.

“It’s kind of a full-circle moment. I want to make my parents proud,” Stella said. “Also, being close to home, maybe being able to see some of Marley’s games her senior year, it’s just important to make my family proud but also make myself proud. That’s what I think I did going (to Maine).”

Marley said she’s started to look at college options, too. A Jarvais family reunion in Orono is not out of the question.

“I’m thinking maybe Maine, because I’d really like to play with Stella. My mom went there, then Stella, and if I went there that would be pretty cool too,” she said.

First, there’s the upcoming season to consider. The sting of how last season ended, on penalty kicks to Gorham on a cold night in the Class A South semifinals, lingers. It’s motivation, Stella Jarvais said. During training runs in the summer, she reminded herself that these are the moments that will be pivotal when her team is pushing to make a deep playoff run.

“We made a run we didn’t think we’d (be) able to,” Stella said. “That comes from our communication and how well we trust each other, not necessarily our skill. This is a team sport.”