'Just a James Wood guy'

November 5, 2010

By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star       

At least, Bean thought his mind was made up. But the current James Wood High School junior linebacker hadn't factored in something he knew probably better than anyone:

If Mark Bean speaks, listen. If Mark Bean believes in you, believe in yourself. If you make a mistake or lose your focus, Mark Bean will get you back on track.

"He got me into it [in eighth grade], and I really wound up having a great time," said Christian of his fraternal twin, an inside linebacker and left guard on the Colonels. "He's helped me more than anybody else. On and off the field, he's always an inspiration, he always keeps me going.

"He's a leader for the football team, and everyone else looks up to him. It's kind of cool just being his twin brother."

Sure, Mark Bean's ability to flatten the opposition with his hits (a team-high 86 tackles and 13 for loss) plays a big role in the success of the Colonels' defense. (James Wood is giving up 229.2 yards and 11.7 points per game compared to 288 yards and 15.1 points in 2009).

But a bigger factor in the Colonels' improvement might be because the guy who makes the defensive calls in the huddle essentially treats everyone like a brother. "I try to push everybody on the team," Mark Bean said. "I'm trying to get everybody to come together. If somebody makes a good play, I'm going to go over and pat them on the back. If somebody's down, I'll pick them up and help them up."

James Wood coach Mike Bolin said he he couldn't ask anything more from Bean, who willingly accepted a move from fullback to guard on offense following an injury to starter Chase Tyler.

"There's not a much better team player than Mark Bean," Bolin said. "He'll do whatever it takes to win. He'll hold the extra point, he'll carry the equipment bag. It doesn't matter to him. He's just a James Wood guy - he loves being a Colonel. That's his passion."

Bean's height (5-feet-11) and weight (205 pounds) don't stand out, but he's been a force at inside linebacker ever since an injury created an opportunity for him to start the second game of the 2009 season. Bean ranked second on the team with 84 tackles that year, and he led the Colonels with 12 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

Bean said he owed much of his success in 2009 to the teachings of then-senior Devin Stonier, who showed him the finer points of the technique needed to play in James Wood's 4-4 defense.

As evidenced by his consistency in making tackles for loss, Bean has picked things up pretty quickly.

"Part of his job is to scrape over the top of the offense, find that seam and make that play, and he does a great job of doing that," Bolin said. "But he'll be the first to tell you that the reason he gets all those tackles is because our defensive front plays the way it's supposed to play. They're supposed to occupy the offensive line so Mark and Cote [Funkhouser] and Joel [McGreevy] can make plays.

"Mark's just so fundamentally sound at what he does, and it allows him to get into the backfield at the exact right time. He times it up perfectly."

Bean also learned from Stonier the leadership characteristics that have served James Wood so well. Bolin said he's done a tremendous job organizing the unit with his calls, and McGreevy said his encouragement has been just as vital.

"If our head isn't in the game, he gets us in the game," McGreevy said. "He pumps us up when we need to get pumped up."

Bean really got James Wood fired up when he agreed to move to left guard on offense.

Tyler was injured in a loss to Hedgesville (W.Va.) on Sept. 17, and after the Colonels were shut out by Warren County the following week, it was clear James Wood needed a spark.

At that point, Bean said Bolin asked him if he could play guard, a question that he answered without hesitation.

"I said, 'Yes sir, whatever will help the team,'" recalled Bean, who played guard in seventh grade but had been in the backfield since.

The team's results since he became a starter certainly show he's contributing. The offense is averaging 43 yards and 11 points more per game since.

"If we didn't have him there, we wouldn't be where we are now," said McGreevy, one of several running backs who have taken advantage of his blocks.

Bean wasn't successful immediately - Bolin said the Sherando game was a "rude awakening" for him - but now Bolin considers Bean one of the team's better linemen.

"You're blocking in a space that's seven to eight square feet, whereas as a fullback, you're getting a five- to eight-yard start before slamming into somebody," Bolin said of Bean's adjustment to the new position.

Bean, a two-time state qualifier in wrestling, said his experiences on the mat have played a role in making his transition to the line easier. Just like in wrestling, Bean has to turn his body based on how his opponent is attacking him, and he finds his hip flexibility helps with that.

Despite being smaller in stature than most of his opponents, the muscular Bean's strength plays a big role, too. He benches 275 pounds and squats 440.

All that strength and flexibility couldn't keep the doubts out of his head when he first took over, but his mindset has changed immensely since.

"I was kind of nervous [in my first game], because I didn't want mess up by jumping offsides or missing my block," Bean said. "But I ended up getting my blocks right, and I've been pretty successful with it."

Bolin said he's been more than that.

"That's a difficult position to play, especially with only [six] weeks of experience," Bolin said. "He's done an outstanding job, and he really understands what we're trying to do."

Mainly, that means bringing out the best in his brothers on the football team so James Wood can be its best. The way Bean sees it, the more confidence his teammates have, the better.

"It's a big role for me to take on more leadership, but we're all being leaders on the team," Bean said. "We're coming together as a team and fighting like a team. That's what you need to be successful."

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