POLAND — Even though they’ve grown up a stone’s throw from Poland Regional High School and Bruce M. Whittier Middle School, school was almost an afterthought for twin brothers Greg and Kurtis Leighton until a little over a year ago.

“They’ve had an uphill walk at times throughout their life,” Poland basketball coach Tyler Tracy said. “Their freshman and sophomore year, they had to take care of some things outside of the school, so they weren’t always in school and they weren’t always academically eligible.”

Before their junior year, however, the brothers made the connection between their love for playing basketball and taking academics seriously. 

“It’s just made school so much easier having basketball in our life,” Kurtis said. 

“Basketball made me want to come to school and get things done,” Greg said. “We can focus so much better now knowing you have basketball at the end of the day.”

With basketball serving as the carrot, the Leightons have gained confidence not only academically and athletically, but in all aspects of life.The commitment they’ve made in the classroom and on the court has opened new doors for their futures, and made the Knights a better basketball team, too.

“They’re both very smart,” Tracy said. “They’re both very good basketball players and both great people. But I don’t think they really recognized just how much potential they have. Basketball has helped that because it has given them that confidence. People reach out to them now and talk to them and recognize their accomplishments. It’s just had that umbrella affect.”

Last year, for the first time since they started playing organized basketball as seventh graders, Greg and Kurtis started noticing the umbrella affect, on and off the court. 

Early in the basketball season, they played like timid newcomers, hesitant to use their outstanding athleticism and deferential to teammates.

“We didn’t look to shoot the ball much and we didn’t put the ball on the floor much. We just looked to pass it and get it in someone else’s hands that we thought could score,” Kurtis said. “Near the end of they year, we became more confident.”

As one might expect from identical twins, Greg and Kurtis brought virtually identical playing styles to the Knights. Both are 5-foot-11 guards with boundless energy and resolve, capable of knocking down outside shots or driving to and finishing at the rim. Both are outstanding defenders and ball-handlers.

“Early last year I had a hard time figuring out what the difference was between them as players,” Tracy said. “One game, one of them would be our best defender and the next game the other would be. One game one of them would knock down a few outside shots and then the next game the next one would do it. Their games are very similar.”

Tracy ultimately integrated their strengths into the team, and the twins took advantage of the structure the team provided by working hard to develop their skill and athleticism.

“It was great to be dedicated to a whole season and be at practice on time every day and gaining an incredible work ethic compared to years in the past,” Kurtis said. 

“At the end of the year, they were playing very well for us,” Tracy said. “We were playing very well at the end of last year, and they were a big part of that.”

The Knights lost in the quarterfinals to Lake Region, 64-50, giving the eventual Class B state champions as tough a test as any of their tournament foes.

The Leightons treasured their first experience playing tournament basketball in the Portland Expo and dedicated themselves to not only returning there but going deeper in the playoffs their senior year. 

“They both put in a lot of time this last year,” Tracy said. “They were in the weight room after school. They were always getting shots us. This summer, they were here every single day helping out with camps, getting shots up, playing three-on-three. Both of them had a big summer, and it was very obvious they were both going to be a big part of what we were going to do.”

Those plans suffered a serious blow, thought, when Greg tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during a Thanksgiving weekend tournament, sidelining him for the season.

“It was tough emotionally,” Greg said.

“I knew right away,” Kurtis said. “I don’t think anyone else thought it was super bad at first but he’s the strongest kid I know and when he yells loud, I know he’s actually hurt. I started tearing up and crying because the first thing I thought was an ACL tear.”

The shock of losing one of their top players hasn’t completely worn off, but the Knights are off to a 2-2 start after dropping a heartbreaking, last-second 55-53 to Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday.

Greg, who will have surgery to repair his knee soon, is staying involved in the team at practices and games and cheering the Knights and his brother on.

Spurred on by Greg, Kurtis continues to grow into one of the team’s leaders, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter to spearhead Poland’s comeback from 16 points down to OOB before losing at the buzzer.

“There’s a lot more motivation,” Kurtis said. “I feel like in practice I’m going harder than I ever have before. Because of him, I think I need to get better.”

Both Kurtis and Greg hope to continue their growth as basketball players and young men in college next fall, a victory that even winning a gold ball in two months couldn’t match.

“College wasn’t something I really thought about much through middle school and freshman and beginning of sophomore year,” Kurtis said. “I don’t think college was really in my vision.”

“It is now,” added Greg, “now that we know what we’re capable of.”