It is easy to find a team that considers itself a family; it is difficult to find one that actually is.

For South Mountain, 36-year-old twins Marcus and Mark Carter lead by example and promote a brotherly love adopted by their players.

The Carters are co-head coaches, the first in Phoenix Union history, born two minutes apart but separated in life by less than a football.

“The longest we’ve ever lived apart from each other was about eight months or nine months and that’s the reason why I came here,” the younger Marcus said.

Mark arrived in Phoenix a year before Marcus, who was coaching in California.

“We made a bet - whose ever team did better than the other guy would have to move there,” said Marcus. “And you know, that year they went 14-0 and won the state championship.”

As children, the twins’ parents dressed them the same until the age of 10, according to Mark, and the eighth grade, according to Marcus. Now that they have families of their own, they are just as close, although they do wear different hats to practice.

“We live right next to each other,” said Mark “I could walk to his house in 15 minutes… Our families do everything together.”

This includes weekly Carter institutions like church and Sunday dinners.

The relationship is special away from the game but on the field they use it to impact their team. “It’s a great deal and it’s cool for these kids to see that, because we try to have a brother mindset,” said Mark.

The message is getting through.

Senior free safety Kyler Traini said, “The way they bond basically connects us to be brothers with everybody else on this team. I think it really brings everyone together.”

While championships are coveted, they are not the Carters focus. They have been there and done that. Now it is about molding athletes who come from a background similar to them into quality young men.

“Most of their family and stuff have been in gangs, or been in jail or are abusers or womanizers, and we grew up around that as well, but we made it out,” Marcus said. “Just us being an example for them and for this community, that’s just God’s plan for us and that’s just what we do.”

South Mountain (2-3) became a two-coach team last summer. Marcus, who originally joined his brother as an assistant, was called into the weight room and surrounded by players and coaches.

“I was like, ‘Damn what’d I do?’” said Marcus, not knowing athletic director Brian Fair was about to recognize him as a co-head coach of the program. Although Marcus was given the title, the act meant as much to his brother.

“It means a lot to me (and) means a lot to our family because everybody knew that it was a two-headed monster,” said Mark. “So for him to get his due, it makes me happy.”

Senior wide receiver Marvin Cotton described his coaches’ bond as “unbreakable” and believes being co-head coaches is only bringing them closer together. “Because football,” he said “is a family thing.”