Tigers have opponents seeing double

HURON —The Huron football team has found some success this season and a contributing factor has been that the opponents have been seeing double when they lineup across the line from the Tigers.
As the regular season comes to a close with home games against Spearfish at 7 p.m. today and Brookings on Oct. 18 at Tiger Stadium, Huron will be looking for its four sets of twins on the roster to continue playing key roles.
“The four sets are really good athletes and they help us out, so the more of the same kids we have, the better,” said Huron coach Michael Schmitz. “They get really competitive with each other, therefore they push each other and that pushes the other kids around them.”
The oldest of the four sets of twins are seniors Benjamin and Remington Walton.
“The Waltons really have been a pivotal part of the team the last couple of years, especially on the offensive line and defensive line,” Schmitz said. “They have really gotten good at their craft and they have a great motor. Between the two of them they just constantly run and they do some good things.”
The junior class also includes a set of twins in Hayden and Landon Hegg.

“Landon and Hayden Hegg have played quite a bit of cornerback for us this year and have really brought some athleticism to our secondary,” Schmitz said. “They are also good runners and help our running game.”
Two sets of twins are members of the sophomore class for the Tigers — Tristan and Sebastian Cardona and Carter and Colby Hott.
“I have known the Cardonas for quite a while and am impressed with their mental toughness,” Schmitz said. “They are starting to get their technique down for the o-line and d-line and starting to become really good players.
“The Hotts have been playing a lot more junior varsity, but they play some special teams for us,” he said. “Man do they bring some intensity and an all-around another group of athletes.”
While it can be challenging at times to tell them apart, Schmitz said the positives the twins bring to the team far outweighs the negative.
“They have been a lot of fun to be around. They are a good group of people,” he said.
“You take those twins, and you have eight kids, so we are pretty fortunate.”
The Tigers are currently 3-4 and will be looking to add to their win total during the final two games.
“They are a big part of it,” Schmitz said of the roles the four sets of twins have played in the team’s success thus far this season.
“We have some great seniors, with two of them being twins. But the rest of them have played quite a bit, so it has helped us out a lot.”