FARMINGTON – They’ve gone from playground pals to rec league rivals, from alternating point guards to one of the best backcourts in the state, from anonymous backups to the focus of every opponent’s defensive game plan.

Juniors Ben Russell and Jamie Sawyer have been through a lot together, so it’s not surprising that they have unparalleled chemistry on the Mt. Blue High School hardwood, and that has helped keep the Cougars among the KVAC’s contenders.

“They complement each other very well,” Mt. Blue coach Jim Bessey said. “They’re both extremely coachable. They’re both very bright. Both have very good athletic ability.”

Their older brothers were classmates, so Russell and Sawyer were good friends from a young age. Growing up in separate towns, though, they were rivals on the court, usually meeting in tournaments with Russell leading his Farmington team and Sawyer his Wilton team.

“I guess people did consider it a little rivalry,” Sawyer said. “I never really thought of it that way.”

“We knew each other and we’d take it to each other. It was really a lot of fun. Jamie definitely (had the upper-hand). He won most of the tournaments. Up until middle school, everyone thought Jamie was the best player. They didn’t even know who I was,” Russell said with a laugh.

It took some time for their middle school coaches to tell them apart on the court. They alternated at point guard for some time before Sawyer’s abilities as a penetrator and Russell’s as a shooter helped define the roles they’ve had ever since – Sawyer at the point, Russell at the shooting guard..

“We really gelled together,” Russell said. “We’d run a press and we’d switch off. We loved playing both positions. We really worked together. We always have since the beginning of seventh grade, really.”

They clicked so well that they never lost in 28 middle school games. The confidence they gained from that success carried over to their sophomore year, when they were key reserves for a team that reached the Eastern Class A finals, and this year, when they had to fill much of the void left by five graduating starters.

“We knew coming in that we’d have to carry a lot of the weight,” Sawyer said. “But we also knew that we’d have to have a team around us that stepped up as well.”

“They’ve always been successful on the court. They have a winner’s mentality,” Bessey said. “They were motivated to show they could have success this year, even with the substantial losses we had.”

Sawyer, Bessey said, has a great feel for the game from the point and the confidence in his own abilities and those of his teammates that every point guard needs. He is ranked second in the KVAC in assists, but his 14.2 points per game also ranked him in the Top 10.

Russell is extremely competitive, has an extra gear to shift into when the game is on the line and isn’t afraid to take the big shot. His 18.1 ppg ranks him third in the conference, and his defensive savviness has his second in the KVAC in steals.

Their individual qualities are only amplified when they’re on the floor together. Sawyer’s confidence in Russell’s shooting ability makes his job as a point guard easier. Russell’s confidence that Sawyer knows where and when to get him the ball helps him find and stay in a shooting rhythm.

“We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses really well,” Sawyer said. “I can tell pretty much exactly where he’s going to be on the floor, and I’m sure it’s the same for him.”

One place on the floor Bessey loves to see them, especially late in the fourth quarter, is the free throw line. Both shoot at an 80-plus percent clip from the line, which is partially a product of the friendly competition between the two that started in rec league basketball and continues today in practice.

“He’ll try to put pressure on me when we’re shooting together, say stuff about girls or something to get me to miss. There’s always that joking going on,” Russell said.

“I like to kind of rattle him a little bit,” Sawyer admitted. “He never misses. I’ve got to do something.”

Opponents have learned that they’ve got to do something about Russell and Sawyer if they have any hope of beating Mt. Blue. Defenses are now geared to slow down if not stop the duo.

Unfortunately for the rest of the KVAC, other Cougars, such as senior Joe Gilbert, have picked up their game, and Sawyer and Russell are smart enough and unselfish enough to exploit the increased attention they’re getting.

“The last few games, especially the one up in Hampden, they really played tight defense on Jamie and me and helping off the other players. We’ve seen a lot of different defenses – a triangle-and-two, different zones to cover us.” Russell said. “That’s where Joe has really stepped up lately.”

Gilbert and the other Cougars will probably get some more opportunities to step up with Russell and Sawyer around.

“They were a secret early,” Bessey said. “They’re not a secret anymore, by the way.”