Double Trouble for the Opposition : Serra High School’s Chris and Corey Long Are a Tough Twosome

Serra High football opponents have been seeing double all season, but it is not an optical illusion.

The reason? Chris and Corey Long, identical twins who play for the Cavaliers.

Even Coach Jon Dimalante acknowledges that he has had difficulty telling the 17-year-old brothers apart.

“I know their numbers,” Dimalante said. “So on the field it’s not a problem. And whenever it is, I just say, ‘Hey twin!’ ”

Corey is actually the older of the brothers.

“Corey’s the oldest by two minutes,” Chris said. “That’s something we always kid each other about.”

About the only noticeable difference between the twins is that Chris wears No. 56 and Corey No. 59. Corey, at 6 foot and 215 pounds, weighs about five pounds more than his brother.

Chris, a two-time All-Camino Real League selection, starts at right guard and inside linebacker. Corey, who made the all-league team last year, starts at left guard and inside linebacker, and occasionally plays strong safety.

The twins have helped Serra to a 5-2 record and 2-0 start in league play heading into Friday night’s game against St. Anthony at Serra in Gardena.

Ask them who is the better player and you are certain to hear an argument.

“We fight over that all the time,” Corey said. “We tease each other about who’s the best. If one of us doesn’t play a good game, we tease each other about it.”

Chris may have received a few more honors than his brother, but Corey has a slight edge in speed. Corey runs the 40-yard dash in about 4.7 seconds and Chris in 4.8.

If there are any major differences in the players, college recruiters haven’t seemed to notice.

In fact, both have been recruited by NCAA Division I schools, including California, Hawaii, Washington State, Iowa State, Fresno State and Nevada Las Vegas.

Because of their size, the twins will play defense in college, Dimalante said.

“I’d say they’re definitely defensive guys, whether it’s at linebacker or strong safety,” Dimalante said. “I have no doubt they can move on to the next level. They’re just two great football players and they’re both winners.

Dimalante credits the twins’ success with their attitude toward the game.

“What I really like about them is their competitiveness,” he said. “That’s what separates the good players from the great ones. They’re not just out there competing. They compete with burning desire.”

But the twins are unsure about the future.

“It’s a special season for us because this might be our last year of playing together,” Corey said. “We might end up going to different colleges.”

That would be a new experience.

“We’ve always been playing together, ever since we first started playing Pop Warner ball,” Corey said. “Wherever one of us goes, the other is always right alongside.”

Chris said they will never be too far apart, regardless of what school each decides to attend.

“If (Corey) goes to a different school, I’m sure we’ll both be on the phone every day calling each other,” Chris said. “We’re just very close, and we don’t want anything to change that.”

Dimalante said he believes the twins will attend the same school.

“They’re as close as two brothers could be and they really watch out for each other,” he said.

They even have the same classes, which enables them to pull an occasional prank on an unsuspecting teacher.

“Once in a while, we’ll switch seats,” Corey says. “Nobody usually notices, at least not until our friends start to laugh. Then the teacher catches on.”

Having the same classes also allows them to study together. Corey had a 3.0 grade-point average last year and Chris was at 2.7. Both have already scored higher than 700, the NCAA minimum for freshman eligibility, on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

“Ever since we were small, we’ve both been on the same teams, we’ve always taken the same classes and we’ve always gotten about the same grades,” Chris said. “We do everything together, and we do it at about the same level.”

Though that has created a competitive rivalry between them, it has also helped bring the twins closer together.

Corey says it is simply a comforting feeling to have his brother near his side.

“Most people don’t have the luxury of having somebody right beside them all the time like we do,” he said. “It’s just nice to have somebody there for you when you need them.”

It may be comforting for the Long brothers, but not for opponents.