Football and family go hand in hand. Coaches and players refer to each as brothers, teams are sometimes called families and fathers will pass the game along to their sons from time to time.

Two members of the Zion Chapel Rebels have a bond that goes deeper than lifting weights next to each other, or pushing one another in the post-practice conditioning. LaMarcus and Chris Adair truly are brothers, although you wouldn’t think they were just by watching.

LaMarcus is older, more boisterous and more athletic. Chris is the younger of the two, quiet, and not quite the athlete as his brother.

They are quite different from each other on paper, but are quite similar on the field.

“He is at linebacker, and I’m at safety,” said LaMarcus. “I help him get lined up right and he makes sure we get the formation. We look out for each other, and our teammates.”

LaMarcus is as one of his coaches puts it “a wow athlete.” He is a multi-threat player who can lineup at a variety of positions, including quarterback, running back and wide receiver. His playmaking abilities make everyone step-back and admire, even little brother Chris.

“He is a great player,” said Chris with a smile. “Every Friday night he does something that is amazing. I know I have to work hard to be the type of player he is, but I can do it.”

Chris plays primarily on defense, and is competition to win a starting job at linebacker for the 2012 Rebels. He isn’t the best athlete on the field, but his brother has taken notice of the improvement he has made.

“He has gotten a lot better over the last year,” said LaMarcus. “He is playing better every day and will help us out some this season.”

The brothers bounce ideas off each other on a daily basis, each looking to improve their game by watching the other.

Defensive coordinator Bradley Bowers knows exactly what the duo is going through. During his high school playing days at Elba, Bowers played alongside his brother. Bowers said that some things are different from when he played, but other will always be there.

“The sibling rivalry thing will always be there,” said Bowers. “It was there when I played, and is here now. But now I have seen brothers, and especially Chris and LaMarcus, help each other out and help each other get better.”

Both Adair brothers look to contribute to the improving Zion Chapel defense this season, with Chris playing linebacker and big brother surveying the field from the safety position. While LaMarcus is the team leader currently, the coaches already have their eye on Chris.

“LaMarcus is the man right now,” said Bowers. “But we tell him every day that he better keep an eye on little brother because he is improving all the time.”

Zion Chapel travels to Wicksburg on Friday night for a pre-season scrimmage, before opening the 2012 season next week against G.W. Long. Kickoff for both games is set for 7 p.m.