DOUBLE TROUBLE HEADS INTO TOURNAMENT; TWINS FORM HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS TO DO FLAG BATTLE.

Byline: Patrick Hipes Daily News Staff Writer

At the fifth annual NFL Air-It-Out beginning today at Balboa Park in Encino, things can get a little bit crazy, so it's best to pay close attention.

Sure, there's the number of people involved. Last season, the four-on-four flag football tournament drew 520 teams of five players each - ranging from armchair quarterbacks to semi-pro ones.

Then, of course, there are the rules. No touching allowed on the modified 60-yard field, and penalties are the equivalent of a basketball shooting foul.

Yet, some people have to go and make things even more difficult. It will be tough enough to keep track of who's playing who, where the game is and, sometimes even, what the score is.

Thanks to Simi Valley High School's version of the Doublemint twins - identical twins Ben and Julian Santiago - it will be a chore to decipher if one's watching quarterback Ben's Hail Yes team or wide receiver Julian's Night Trains squad.

``Our coaches call us The Blues Brothers because were always together,'' Julian said. ``Basically we just beat everybody. We're the Santiago Connection.''

The Santiagoes are a part of a trend unique to Air-It-Out, an idea created in 1992 by the NFL and local promoters to get regular fans involved in the game. Now, high school teams will put top returners on a team for the competition, the thinking being any time players can spend playing is beneficial in the long run.

The Highlanders are no exception, sending three separate teams to the event. Westlake, Moorpark, Calabasas have put together similar units.

``It helps me get used to the juniors,'' said Ben, who quarterbacked the Highlanders' undefeated freshman/sophomore team last season. ``It will help all of us get to know each other.''

In Ben's case, he has played with fellow Hail Yes receivers Mike Goldberg and Jeremy DePew during the high school regular season. But his other two teammates - Bill Rowerdink and Josh Verdugo - played on the varsity last fall. This weekend will give him a chance to see what he has to work with.

Ben will fight for the starting quarterback job in 1998 with incumbent Tim Bird, the varsity starter last year. Bird is captaining the Night Trains entry, where Julian is a receiver along with Calvin Bell, Kenny Davis and John Prova.

Julian had more than 1,000 receiving yards from his brother last season.

``I'll get to know my brother more and Tim,'' he said. ``I can learn from the guys on varsity.''

In some ways, the Santiagoes' venture into flag football - this will be the brothers' third year in the event - is the completion of a circle that began 12 years ago when the family lived in Carpinteria.

``They didn't have tackle football there, so we played flag for 12 years there,'' Julian said. ``The first year they put us both as linemen because we were both tall for our age. Defense was pretty fun but offense, we pretty much stood around and blocked.

``The second year, though, Ben played quarterback and I played wide receiver. That was much better.''

With their father commuting to L.A. each day, the family moved to Simi Valley in time for the twins' freshman year. That August was the first time either had put on pads.

And now, in their third year of playing tackle, they get to put on the flags again. But what if Ben and Julian's teams meet up at some point in the youth division competition?

This much is known - it will all aide the Simi Valley football team next fall.

``I think it will help,'' Julian said. ``I think we're going to be pretty good next year, and the bonding to get to know people is great.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO Twins Ben, left, and Julian Santiago will play on different teams during this weekend's NFL Air-It-Out.

Evan Yee / Daily News