FORT COLLINS — Twin brothers Mason and Jackson Cowgill know what’s on the line Saturday in the Class 4A state championship game.

One last chance for a ring. Shoulder to shoulder for one final game.

The Erie High School seniors have played side by side since they first donned pads in the second grade in football-crazy Delaware, Ohio. They insist they’re not dwelling on the weight of Saturday’s game.

“We can’t make the moment too big,” Jackson said. “We just have to go out and play, like it’s a backyard or something. Just go out and play. That’s what we’ve been talking about all week.”

Standing in the twins’ way are the top-ranked Palmer Ridge Bears, who bring a 13-0 record to Canvas Stadium on the Colorado State campus.

To win its first state football title since 1997, No. 2 Erie (12-1) must conquer some bitter memories. The Tigers suffered a painful 41-34 loss to Chatfield in the 2021 Class 4A title game, and a goal-line fumble by star quarterback Blake Barnett in the final seconds cost them in last year’s 36-32 semifinal loss against eventual state champion Broomfield.

Last year’s defeat stung a lot of folks, including Matt Cowgill, the twins’ father.

“I lost sleep over that for multiple nights and I know the kids did too,” Matt said. “It was a controversial, bang-bang play, and the referees decided the game. It was gut-wrenching and the one that got away from us.”

But win or lose on Saturday, the Cowgills’ football journey has been memorable and rewarding. Jackson, a tank-like 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive lineman who has made 38 tackles (eight for losses) and six sacks, is headed to Washington State on a football scholarship. He can squat more than 500 pounds and bench presses 375.

“He’s one of the strongest guys I’ve seen on a high school field and he’s pretty unstoppable,” Mason said. “He bullies centers and guards, so most teams will triple-team him, and that frees up our linebackers to make plays.”

Mason, a 6-4, 225-pound tight end/wide receiver, has committed to South Dakota. Athletic and speedy, he had 10 receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns in nine games.

“He’s got great speed, great initial moves, great hands,” Jackson said. “He’s kind of a jack-of-all-trades on offense for us.”

The twins are quick to thank their parents, who paved their path of football dreams.

“They’ve invested a lot in us,” Mason said. “A lot of time and money, and they took us all over the country to camps. Now, I think their investment is paying off because football is paying for our college.”

When the brothers graduate from Erie and leave for college next year, their parents won’t be the only ones missing them.

The good folks at Costco will be sad to see them depart, too.

“Oh my gosh, our grocery bill is huge,” their mom, Carrie, said with a hearty laugh. “We go to Costco, it seems, like every week. We can’t keep up with their appetites. They eat all of the time. When I cook, I have to double or triple the recipe.”

Matt put a number on what it takes to feed and fuel two college-bound football players.

“Before big inflation hit, I was looking at the numbers and I would say that just the grocery bill was between $2,200 and $2,600 a month — easy,” Matt said.

For the record, Jackson is a big meat eater, and steak and mashed potatoes are his meal of choice. Mason is a pasta fiend. He could chow down on lasagna “every day of the week,” according to his mom.

Mason was born first, with Jackson following him into the world three minutes later. According to his dad, Mason is a “social butterfly” and much more outgoing than his barely younger brother.

“Maybe Mason being born first might have something to do with it,” Carrie said.

The twins were always big. Jackson was 7 pounds, 9 ounces when he was born and might have been a 10-pound baby if doctors had not induced Carrie into labor at 37 weeks.

Mason and Jackson began playing flag football when they were 4. They also played baseball as they grew up and even flirted with hockey for a short time. They have both wrestled for Erie, and they throw the shot and discus during track-and-field season. During the pandemic, when there was no football, they even played tennis.

“The boys were always big for their age and could play sports, and it was apparent early,” Matt said. “We always heard the complaints when they were playing sports. ‘Whose kids are these? Where are their birth certificates?’ That kind of stuff.

“We saw sparks when they were younger, and they definitely have the genetics and the drive for sports.”

The Cowgill family moved to Colorado in the summer of 2015 and the twins immediately signed up for the Erie Youth Football League. Steve Barnett, the father of Blake, was the coach of the youth team.

“The first day I walked in there with the boys, Steve saw them, and he saw how big they were, and said, ‘Thank you,’” Matt recalled.

Now, Erie coach Jeff Giger is the one giving thanks.

“They have been unbelievable for us,” Giger said. “Obviously, they were chasing their individual dreams of wanting to play college football, and yet, I don’t think it ever got in the way of high school football. It’s been a blast watching them play.”

Mason and Jackson, of course, are well aware that they are suiting up for their last rodeo together. Perhaps it hasn’t sunk in yet, but they say they’re ready to move on as solo acts.

“It will be a little weird, I guess,” Mason said. “But we’ll be OK. We’ll be able to share new experiences.”

Jackson concurred.

“I always dreamed we would play college ball together, but it’s going to be good, sharing our new stories with each other,” he said. “But we still have one game to play together.”

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