RUMFORD – Jim Aylward could see the future, and it looked very promising.

The Mountain Valley football coach might not have been so bold as to predict a possible state championship, but when he saw Zach and Travis Fergola as young football players, he couldn’t help but know his Falcons would ultimately benefit.

“The Fergola’s are just incredible kids,” said Aylward. “I’ll be honest, I was licking my chops when they were in middle school knowing they were going to come up and play for us. It’s like a dream come true when you have two kids like that that are so dedicated and athletic.”

It may be no coincidence that the Falcons are within reach of their first state title with the two brothers anchoring the offense and defense. With Zach, a senior, at quarterback and Travis, a junior, leading a tenacious defense, they’ve been key components to Mountain Valley’s championship hopes.

“I remember growing up and coming to watch the high school play and always wanted to play there,” said Zach. “I was always hoping the team that I played on could win a championship. I always wanted to get there. Finally, this season, we’re there and hopefully, we have one more game left and we can get it done.”

Football was a staple in the brothers lives at an early age. Their father, Robbie, played football at Mexico, and passed that passion for the game to his sons.

“We grew up watching football with my father,” said Travis. “He always influenced us and has always been there to support us.”

Being close in age, the brothers always had someone to play football with, and it didn’t take much work to get a game going.

“It’s been awesome just growing up around football,” said Zach, who plays defensive back on defense. “We’d always have kids around the neighborhood to play pick up games with. We had some friends down the street and could have pick up games in the yard.”

The brother’s carry that lifelong love of the game to their team. Aylward will tell you that they won’t Wow’ you with their athleticism. He jokes that you’d measure both of them in a footrace with a calendar. Their success comes, he says, from their dedication and determination.

“They’ve chosen to be athletes,” said Aylward. “You can want your kids to be athletes and hope they’re athletes, but these kids have made themselves athletes.”

Just watch the Falcons offense go or the defense stuff the opponent and you see the impact they have on the Falcons.

“On offense, he’s the quarterback. He speaks on offense, and I usually speak on defense,” said Travis, who is also an offensive lineman. “I usually call the plays. It’s kind of a coincidence that it ended up that way.”

Zach Fergola does a little bit of everything. The Falcons are known as a running team, but Zach has shown some diversity. He’s rushed for nearly 300 yards and he’s thrown for 625 yards, completing 39 out of 78 passes. He’s thrown for seven touchdowns and rushed for three others.

“I think Zach is the more natural leader,” said Aylward. “Zach is a kid that wears his heart on his sleeve. His athletics means so much to him. It’s not so much about wins but performing to the best of his ability. As far as being a verbal leader and the way he carries himself, I think Zach is our true leader.”

Travis tends to lead more by example. He’s the catalyst at linebacker and leads the team with 56 tackles and 55 assists.

“Travis is just one of those kids that shuts up and plays hard,” said Aylward. “He has incredible expectations for himself.”

Aylward recalls after the York playoff victory, he found a frustrated Travis standing in the middle of the field.

“I’m like Travis, what’s the matter,’ ” said Aylward. “Travis was like I was awful. I was just awful.’

“He’s a kid that is so hard on himself to perform at a higher level than everyone else. It’s kind of refreshing because it’s not verbalized. You look at him, and he just epitomizes the intensity of the kids.”

Zach will go off to college next year. He’s looking at the University of New Hampshire or Plymouth State, and is unsure about his football future. That makes this final week of the football season that much more meaningful for the two brothers.

“It will probably be the last game that I play with my brother,” said Travis. “So it will mean a lot to me.

“This is what we’ve always hoped for. It’s what he always wanted and what I’ve always wanted. It would mean a lot to end our last game with a state championship gold ball.”