Right now in Calhoun, Georgia, there is a bit of an identity crisis that produces wry smiles on the football field and creates utter chaos for opponents.
Quin Smith and Cole Speer often get confused for each other on and off the field – something the Calhoun High School seniors laugh about – but it’s no laughing matter for opposing coaches, who would be just fine if they didn’t have to deal with even one of them.
The two, who rarely come off the field, play the same positions: receiver on offense and cornerback on defense. They are both 6 feet tall and around 190 pounds, can run the 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds and are more than willing to throw their bodies around.
Entering Friday’s GHSA Class AAAAA semifinal against Blessed Trinity, a Region 7 rival Calhoun defeated by five points during the regular season, Smith and Speer will again figure prominently in Yellow Jackets coach Clay Stephenson’s game plan in front of the home crowd at Phil Reeve Stadium.
“When we need a big play, No. 5 (Speer) or No. 9 (Smith) seem to make it,” Stephenson said. “They’ve been that way their entire careers. They mean so much to our team, and they do it on both sides of the ball and on special teams. We give them ‘Going The Extra Mile’ and ‘Heart’ awards after every game, and they get it just about every week.”