Ledyard - This is not going to degenerate into another story about identical twins who dress alike, sound alike, act alike and do everything together. What a cliché. Chevy and Kyle Perry don't even play the same sport in the spring.

Chevy plays lacrosse and Kyle plays baseball.

So there.

And now, so much for that theory.

Because the rest of it?

OK, so you try telling them apart.

One teacher at Ledyard High School, where the Perry twins attend and play football, tries to do it by the sneakers they're wearing. Visitors to theday.com will get their chance during the Saturday Morning Showdown, the latest rendition of the Ledyard-New London rivalry, later this week. The game coincides with The Day's foray into live video coverage on theday.com that will have the look, sound and feel of a network broadcast.

For the record: Chevy Perry says facial hair is the best way to tell them apart.

"Chin strap for Chevy," he said, alluding to a thin beard that extends from the hair line of one side of the face to the other, following the jaw line, but not covering the entire chin.

It's been helpful to the poor souls at the high school. Even coach Jim Buonocore.

"It took me about three and a half years to tell them apart," Buonocore said. "It wasn't until the midpoint of last year as they matured. Kyle kind of puffed out a little and Chevy kind of slimmed down with their facial features. I'd literally walk up to them and go, 'Perry! Which one are you?'"

It's nothing new. During the day of this interview, Chevy said he'd been called Kyle three times.

"For the most part, we do everything together," Chevy said. "At lunch we sit next to each other. Freshman year we had the same classes. But I think they smartened up and switched us because no one could tell us apart."

Kyle Perry said: "We've gotten a few teachers before. We even thought about switching jerseys for a football practice. But we definitely don't have the guts for that."

Guts, however, are what they bring to the Colonels, who are 6-2 and need a pair of wins to end the season to make the playoffs for the second straight season. Kyle Perry caught his first varsity touchdown pass last Friday.

"They bring some toughness, an attitude," Buonocore said. "Lunch pail kids."

The Perry twins came to Ledyard in the ninth grade from North Stonington. Chevy is short for "Cheven." Kyle is, well, Kyle.

"My dad wanted to make me Chevy after the truck," Chevy said. "But I don't think my mom liked it. But now everyone calls me Chevy anyway."

An inquiring mind asked Kyle Perry if he thought he was ever dangerously close to being named "Ford."

"I'd love that," he said. "I don't like Kyle."

The twins were part of an 11-win team last season that made the state championship game. How they'd love to return.

"Making it and coming up that short," Chevy said. "Dallas (Smith) actually stood up and said 'next year you guys better make it back for us and win.' That's what we're trying to do."

m.dimauro@theday.com