ESPN RISE

Trailing Westside (Macon, Ga.) 12-0 in the second quarter last November, Northside's (Warner Robins, Ga.) lengthy winning streak was officially in jeopardy.

So when Eric Fields pulled Abry Jones aside in the middle of a key huddle, Jones assumed Fields had noticed a tendency or weakness in Westside's offense that the two defensive stars could exploit.

Fields had noticed something about Westside, all right, but it had nothing to do with the offense. Instead, he directed Jones' attention to the sideline, where one of Westside's cheerleaders had caught his eye.

"Sometimes," Jones says, still amazed and amused by his teammate's light-hearted moment nearly a year later, "it's like we're not even in the middle of a game."

Northside eventually recovered and went on to claim a 22-12 victory over Westside, securing its 24th consecutive victory. With Jones and Fields leading the way, the streak eventually reached 30 when the Eagles captured a second consecutive Class AAAA state crown last season.

And though their individual contributions to the team have been irreplaceable, Fields, a senior linebacker, and Jones, a senior defensive lineman, could not go about their business more differently. One is flashy, the other blue collar. One talks trash, the other usually listens to it.

"When you see Eric play, he's the type of person who's setting someone up for the big hit," Jones says. "I think I'm the person who's just trying to get the tackle."

Jones and Fields do have a few things in common. Both list "Family Guy" as their favorite TV show, Lil Wayne as their favorite rapper and hot wings as their favorite food. Beyond that, both are effusively respectful, addressing adults as sir or ma'am.

As respectful as they are off the field, they are just as merciless on it. Each is among the top recruits in the nation. Fields, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound Clemson commit, is rated the No. 4 linebacker in the ESPNU 150. Jones, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound Georgia pledge, is rated the No. 19 defensive end.

Having two players of that caliber in the same grade would be unprecedented at most schools. But it's hardly unique at Northside. In 1999, the Eagles boasted two Division I recruits in Kenny Parker (Florida) and Will Thompson (Georgia). Two years later, Northside produced another pair of D-I recruits in Chansi Stuckey (Clemson) and Roger Williams (Florida State).

Jones and Fields added their names to that list of venerable Northside duos by producing outstanding junior seasons last fall. Fields racked up 93 tackles, eight sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Not to be outdone, Jones added 13 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 72 total tackles.

The Eagles, No. 38 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50, will rely heavily on Fields and Jones this fall as the team makes the jump from Class AAAA to AAAAA. The last GHSA team to win a state title in its first year at the state's highest classification came in 1950 when Decatur moved from A to AA, the top division at the time.

"We've had great players before," Northside coach Conrad Nix says. "We've had a few guys of their caliber, not to say that they were any better than [Jones and Fields]. These two are really good players, and obviously we're very dependent on them."

Fields is explosive and quick with incredible balance to boot. The linebacker can run sideline to sideline and make a play before the ball carrier even knows what hit him.

"He can really blow the play up," Nix says. "He has that knack of knowing where the ball is, getting off blocks and getting to it."

With a great understanding of leverage and blocking schemes, Jones can get into the backfield before an opposing lineman is even out of his stance.

"Abry has that understanding of the game that all the good ones have," Nix says. "It's something he probably couldn't explain, but when he gets into situations where he's feeling pressure or seeing things happen, he can react perfectly."

Each reached his peak in different ways. Jones never played football before entering high school. But at the urging of his father, he gave it a shot and found the game much more difficult than he first imagined. After an up-and-down first season, Jones came on strong as a sophomore. First, he mastered the swim move, recording his first sack with the technique against Jones County. Since then, Jones has perfected a series of moves, including the speed rush and the slap rib, which allowed him to gain a starting job as a junior.

Fields had played football before arriving at Northside, but he never anticipated a college career. That changed after his freshman year, when Nix took him aside and told him he would be playing varsity the following season. At a school like Northside, that's a sure-fire way to get noticed by recruiters. On the field, the pair's contrasting personalities mesh well and balance each other out. While Fields might get in an opponent's face after a big hit, Jones always goes right back to the huddle to prepare for the next play.

"Me and him, we are completely different players," Jones says.

This fall will be the odd couple's last season as teammates. They wanted to attend the same college, but Fields chose Clemson because it will allow him to play the bandit position, a hybrid of linebacker and defensive back. Their dream to play side by side at the college level may not come true, but there's an outside chance Fields and Jones could meet as opponents in college. In 2013, when both could be fifth-year seniors, Clemson is slated to host Georgia in a nonconference game.

"Oh, there'll be a lot of trash talking then," Fields says with a laugh.

Nothing will change. One will talk. The other will listen.

Scott Lieber covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com.