MEADVILLE — As defense goes, both Brad and Brian Covington know the hardships of their position and each carries a blue-collar attitude about it. The twin brothers play defensive end and are senior starters for Franklin County.

Mild-mannered and to the point, the brothers are two of the eight starters that return for the Bulldogs on defense this season. And both feel this season could be a special one.

“We want to go out on top,” Brad said. “We’ve got a lot of goals this season, and the first one is to have a good senior year and hopefully get another (state championship) ring.”

Brad was a freshman when the Bulldogs won the Class 3A championship in 2006. Brian moved up to the varsity team the next season in 2007. Last year as starters, the combo combined to make 14 sacks.

“We’re always working hard,” Brian said. “No matter if it is lifting weights or playing football. We give 100 percent all the time.”

The hard working motto is something their father A.D. Covington, an employee of the Franklin County School District instilled in the twin brothers a long time ago as youngsters by getting them interested in exercising and teaching the concepts of training. No matter if it was doing push-ups or sit-ups the brothers were always competing with each other to get better, and it paid off.

In the weight room, the Covington twins are pound for pound the strongest members on the team. Each can bench-press over 325-pounds and squat in the 500’s. Last season in a Region 7-3A contest with Wilkinson County, both brothers made three sacks apiece and forced a fumble.

“We’ve been practicing hard the last few weeks to have a better season than we did last year,” Brad said. “We’re ready for Loyd Star. It’s time we hit somebody else instead of ourselves for a change.”

The Bulldogs travel to Loyd Star, a Class 2A member in Northwest Lincoln County Friday at 7:30 p.m. The contest will be the first meeting between the two schools (located 22 miles from each other) since 2004, when the Bulldogs beat the Hornets 59-0.

“We’ve got out there and get to work,” Brian said. “It’s a long season.”