Moss twins make Foothill twice as tough

SANTA ANA — Jullian Moss left identical twin brother Jarrell Moss stranded on Monday. Football practice was in an hour and Jarrell's car needed a jump-start. He called upon his brother, only to be denied because Jullian was, er, busy.

"I was eating," said Jullian, a starting cornerback and receiver for Foothill. "I was at my friend's house around the corner. I called him (when) I was ready to pick him up, and he's like, I'm already walking."

"I was upset at that point," said Jarrell, a starting safety and receiver for the Knights. "But I saw him and I didn't care anymore. I was over it. We get mad like that, but after two minutes, maybe less, we're close."

This is about as dramatic and contentious as it gets between the senior Moss twins. On the field, they're even less likely to clash.

Last week they turned in the best dual-performance of their careers in the Knights' season-opening victory against Fountain Valley, 28-14. It was the first time each started on both sides of the ball for Foothill, which plays rival Tustin on Friday.

"It's just a natural progression for them," Foothill coach Doug Case said. "They've been waiting in the wings to get their shot. It's the twins' turn to get it done."

Last week, Jullian had a long punt return and, in the final minute, a game-sealing interception at the Foothill 2-yard line. He prevented another touchdown earlier when he forced and recovered a fumble inside the Foothill 10.

He was so excited he ran off the field and forgot to come back out to play receiver. His favorite moment, though, was when Jarrell laid out for a 31-yard reception with the game tied in the third quarter, a play that led to a go-ahead score.

"When he caught it, I was automatically excited," Jullian said. "It was a sick catch. I was on the other side. I was watching the ball and saw him dive for it. I knew he was going to catch it."

Jarrell finished with six receptions for 136 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown, and a long kickoff return. Incidentally, the two agree that Jullian (5-9, 155) is the better offensive player and Jarrell (5-8, 145) the better defensive player.

The twins were born in Long Beach and moved around quite a bit, a byproduct of their parents' divorce and their father, Norman, serving in the Army. The elder Moss starred in football and track, earning an athletic scholarship to Grand Valley State in Michigan, where he played under then-assistant Brian Kelly, now the coach at Notre Dame.

"It was a difficult thing," Moss said of raising the twins as a single parent. "Double everything."

Making it easier for the since-retired veteran was how well his boys got along. Side by side they acted in movies ("For Love of the Game" and "I Am Sam"), TV shows ("ER" and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), competed in sports, and, of course, shared a room.

Somehow, a sibling rivalry never materialized. After Jarrell got his driver's license first, Jullian said his brother drove him everywhere.

"Whenever they run (track), they congratulate each other, always giving each other high-fives." Norman said. "If one of them beats the other, they don't get mad. I don't know how they do that. They take that pretty good. They're really humble. They're really good kids."

Their football coach agrees. Case described them as easy to coach, always in great spirits, and all about team.

"They're very well-respected by their teammates," Case said. "They're not prima donnas by any account. They bring a lot to the table, but one thing they don't bring is a bad attitude or too big an ego."

You can hear it in their voices as they describe the play in which Jullian came away with the fumble.

"He saved me on that one," Jarrell said. "I came in way too hard and whiffed (on the tackle). I over-pursued and my brother was right there. There's someone always there having your back. It's a good feeling."

"If one of us looks bad, we both look bad," Jullian reasoned.

"It's good having someone there," Jarrell said.

"We've always been next to each other," Jullian said. "I know where he is, he knows where I'm at. It's kind of a twin thing."

Almost on cue, the two began to restlessly peek over at the practice they were missing, and soon were running side by side back to their team.