Two of a kind

Kelly twins Kendal and Kent Deason are double trouble for opponents ~ Southeast Missourian

This season opponents have faced quite a dilemma when taking on Kelly's boys basketball team.

One question quickly comes to the forefront: On which Deason to concentrate their efforts?

Kendal and Kent Deason, senior twin guards for the Hawks, have been causing problems for opponents all season. With the help of Kelly's one-two Deason punch the Hawks are off to a 15-5 start heading into an 8 p.m. matchup with Jackson tonight at Kelly High School.

"It's one of those things you can't come in and just stop one of them, because the other will step up and make things happen," Kelly coach Cory Johnson said.

Added Kendal Deason, "I think the other coaches, they don't try to single us out. They just say you have to stop the Deasons."

Stopping the Deasons has been no easy task this season. Whether they are hitting shots from 3-point range or making things happen off the dribble, the pair have been a near unstoppable force for the Hawks. The Deasons seem to rotate leading the team in scoring, with both brothers routinely approaching 20 points a game.

While the Deasons have similar games, there are some differences in the way they play. Kendal, the older brother by one minute, plays the point for the Hawks and is more of a ball handler. Kent plays the shooting guard position, often hitting outside shots off screens.

"We're pretty much the same as shooters, but he takes them coming off screens more, and I look to make my shot more," Kendal said.

Having twin siblings on the court can certainly have its advantages. Playing together as long as they have, Kendal and Kent are plenty adept at finding the other on the court.

"They definitely have a feel for each other," Johnson said. "They seem to find each other on the floor no matter where they're at."

Added Kent, "We've been playing together so long we just play good together. We kind of know what each other's going to do and what we need to do."

The Hawks would not have gotten to 15 wins on just the play of the Deasons, though, a fact the brothers are quick to point out.

"It's a team game. The other three guys on the court have to get us open. They're just as important as we are," Kendal said. "They just do the things that don't get noticed."

Added Kent, "We have to rely on our teammates; they're the ones that put us in position where we can make big shots. Sometimes they're the ones making the big shots."

Kelly's team play, which has included big performances from seniors Clay Mothershead, Michael Glastetter, Derek Felter and junior Jordan Felter, along with strong play from its reserves, has netted some big wins. The Hawks made it to the finals of the Christmas Tournament as a seventh seed, knocking off Scott City and Charleston before losing to Jackson in overtime of the championship game.

The Hawks have four games left on their schedule before entering district play, where they will likely be seeded first or second. Kelly has not won a district title since 1999.

"I really don't think our season could have gone any better than it's gone so far," Kendal said. "At the end of the year we'd like to win district, but we're just taking it one game at a time."

Johnson said it is the team's hard work and team-first attitude that makes the team so successful.

"That's been the best part -- nobody cares who's getting the credit, just that the team is winning," he said.