Twins a Power Couple on Tiny School’s Team

When they enter a room, the Elmore twins don’t cause heads to turn as abruptly as do the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, but these two football players are so large and loquacious that people either run and hide or embrace them as gentle giants.

Rick, 6 feet 5, 230 pounds, and Cory, 6-5, 240 pounds, are 16-year-old juniors at Simi Valley Grace Brethren. They’ve been called “super freaks” by the school’s principal, Scott Marshall, who used to catch passes from John Elway at Granada Hills.

Rick had 24 sacks last season playing defensive end. He has moved to middle linebacker. Cory is an offensive tackle who gets goose bumps when he knocks a linebacker on his backside.

They thrive on being aggressive, which makes football the ideal sport. The intense Rick, in his first basketball game last season, seemingly forgot that the football season had ended because he was called for a flagrant foul when he ran over an opponent who was trying to set a screen.

“You should see us play basketball,” Rick said. “We foul out real quick.”

They are fraternal twins who play sports with the intention of never settling for an average performance.

“We’re not going to show mercy,” Rick said.

Rick, who likes eating as much as wearing his designer sunglasses, has the biceps of a college athlete thanks to almost daily trips to the gym. He bench-presses 345 pounds. Cory has lost almost 20 pounds since last season while trying to become quicker. He benches 305 pounds.

They are best friends who once shared the same bunk bed until they became teenagers. They like the same music (rock and R & B), they like the same action movies and they like the same food, which means anything and everything.

Seeing the two enter a buffet restaurant should be enough to frighten any cook. They consume a minimum of two gallons of milk a day. Their mother, Debbie, knows to prepare three servings of food for dinner.

“Breakfast here is like I’m a short-order cook,” Debbie said. “It’s an adventure.”

Added Rick: “If we’re home all day, we can clean out the refrigerator in two days. Our friends come over because they know we have food.”

The boys are particularly sensitive to those who challenge their athletic credentials because tiny Grace Brethren, with an enrollment of 190, played in Southern Section Division XIII last season.

“I hate people who are all talk,” Rick said. “Dude, when we were little, we still rocked you. I know I can go against any high school player out there.”

While they can be mean and nasty on the field, their personalities change out of uniform. They are friendly, outgoing and energetic. Much smaller classmates at the seventh-through-12th grade campus have been known to jump on their backs for piggyback rides.

Said Debbie: “If you walk into the house in the evening, you’d see them huddled together watching the Disney Channel. That’s their personality. They’re goofy, cuddly and funny.”

At home, they have to clean the dishes and take out the trash. They are inseparable and use their closeness as an advantage in sports.

“We have this connection,” Cory said. “It’s like a twin thing. We can help each other through our minds.”

As for what they appreciate about each other, Rick said, “He’s real funny and a good person.”

Added Cory: “I like his competitiveness, and we’re always trying to make each other better.”

In a perfect world, they would hope to play college football at the same school, but Rick is considered the better prospect right now, which is putting pressure on Cory to make improvement during his junior season.

Rick is motivated to prove he’s one of the best players in Southern California.

“I want to make an impact,” he said. “I want people to remember me.”

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com