It's a 310-mile drive from Sioux Falls, S.D., to Cedar Falls, Iowa, if you take the northern route from Interstate 90 to U.S. 63. You can cut 19 miles off the trip by taking the southern route, I-29 to U.S. 20.

Either way, the towns are worlds apart for Jesse and Jordan Cardenas. But this is the path the 18-year-old twins have chosen for the next phase of their lives.

After spending almost every waking moment together, the Lakeville North seniors will split up for college next fall, Jesse heading to Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and Jordan off to Augustana in Sioux Falls.

The Cardenas brothers are among seven Lakeville North football players who will sign scholarship offers Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

Jesse is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker; Jordan, two minutes older than his brother, is a 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back.

"Something definitely will be missing when we go our separate ways," Jordan said. "Whether it was our studies or playing defense, we always would bounce stuff off each other. I won't have (Jesse) around to ask questions and get solid answers."

Jesse was a three-year member of the varsity football team that made the state tournament each season. He finished his high school career with 303 tackles. Jordan, a two-year varsity player, played his entire senior season with a torn labrum. He finished his career with 92 tackles and five interceptions.

"They're different in how they carry themselves, but the same in how they prepare and execute on a football field," Lakeville North coach Brian Vossen said. "Those two are two of the best leaders as character examples for our younger classes. They literally do everything right. You can't find a fault with them."

At the beginning of the recruiting process, they hoped they would be signing together with Northern Iowa.

The Panthers offered Jesse a scholarship but asked Jordan to come as a preferred walk-on. Disappointed, Jordan visited other colleges, getting an offer from Augustana, which featured five other players from Lakeville on the 2014 roster.

"From Jordan's perspective, I can see where it might seem to be a little bit frustrating," Vossen said. "It might seem like Jesse is the older brother. He's bigger, got to start at the varsity level first and had all of the Division I offers. Outside of school, Jordan is often cast in Jesse's shadow.

"In reality, Jordan is upbeat and takes things in stride. Where Jesse wears his emotions out there, Jordan keeps things inside and is more cerebral. In Jordan's junior year, he played offense, defense and every special team for us. There was a three-week stretch when he didn't come off the field. Physically and mentally, he's one of the toughest players I've ever coached.''

And in the end, everything seems to have worked out just fine; Jordan is thrilled with Augustana.

"The atmosphere was unreal; the coaches were great," he said. "The whole thing felt really right."

"He's in a really great place for him," Jesse said of his brother. "I think I'm in the right spot, too. I think we're both in places where we'll succeed."

Follow Tim Leighton at twitter.com/Preps_Now.

Story first appeared in the Pioneer Press and can be found here