COLONELS’ BEARER BRINGS ENERGY, LEADERSHIP

August 20, 2012
By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI       

WINCHESTER — On the first Saturday of practice this August, James Wood coach Mike Bolin could feel his body dragging, and the hope was that the coffee he was drinking would perk it up.

Senior two-way lineman Erik Bearer was having no such energy problems though, which is why Bolin remarked, “Man, you’re awfully chipper for 8 o’clock in the morning.”

In Bearer’s case, you don’t need the Daily Grind when you’re excited as he is about grinding opponents into the ground.

“‘Coach, I couldn’t sleep all night because I knew we were doing Tennessee Drill,’” said Bolin, recalling what Bearer said the first day football players were allowed to hit each other this season. “His love for the game is unbelievable.

“If he woke up tomorrow and football disappeared, he’d be the most depressed person in the world. He just really loves the game.”

During his sophomore year, football really did disappear for Bearer. But ever since his unbelievably untimely injury that year, Bearer’s been, well, a standard-bearer for James Wood football.

“The kids respect him, and that’s rare in high school,” said Bolin, who’s been a James Wood varsity coach since 2005 and the Colonels’ head coach since 2008. “Sometimes there’s that one guy who’s a good football player, and they resent him a little. But these guys don’t resent Erik. They know he’s legit.

“He’s sincere, and there isn’t a person in this program who doesn’t have a ton of respect for what he’s done.”

In Bolin’s eyes, the 5-foot-11, 282-pound Bearer, a center, has become one of the two best offensive linemen he’s ever coached.

Bolin said Bearer might not have the height many colleges look for in an offensive lineman, but he feels his play is comparable to any lineman’s in the Northwestern District. That’s pretty high praise when you consider that Millbrook features senior A.J. Bolden, who recently gave a verbal commitment to play on scholarship for the University of Buffalo next year.

No matter who you are, college football is at least a year away for area high schoolers. All that matters to Bearer right now is getting the most out of himself and his teammates over the next three months.

“I try to be a leader by example first because if they don’t think you’re working hard, they’re not going to listen to you,” said Bearer, a second team All-Northwestern District center last year and the one player on James Wood’s defense with significant starting experience. “You’ve got to work hard, be an example, and then you can be vocal.”

It’s that attitude that has carried Bearer a long way as he approaches his second year as a starting offensive lineman. It’s helped him make up for lost time.

Following a loss to Hedgesville (W.Va.) and with injuries piling up in 2010, Bolin and his staff decided two days later on Sunday, Sept. 19, to not only promote Bearer from the JV team, but also move over former Colonel R.J. Miller to guard so Bearer could start at center in the team’s next game.

Not wanting to leave the JV in the lurch though, James Wood decided to let Bearer play in the JV’s game against Warren County that night.

Bolin didn’t go to the game. But when he saw he was getting an incoming call at 9:30 p.m. from one his program’s coaches, he just sensed it was about Bearer. He picked up and asked, “What happened to him?”

Bearer had broken the femur in his leg after being rolled on, putting him out of commission for the season. He would not be cleared for full physical activity for eight months.

“It wasn’t fun,” Bearer said. “Not being able to walk, it sucks.”

For a long time, Bearer couldn’t lift either. But Bolin said he would still sit in the weight room and encourage the guys who could.

Not surprisingly, Bearer said he was itching to get back on the field for the 2011 season, literally counting the days until practice started while he pushed through his rehabilitation. Once it did, Bearer didn’t waste time.

“I knew our offense well, so I knew what we wanted to do,” Bearer said. “I knew if a defensive tackle stunted in, I’d be able to pick him up. I just knew the schemes well, knew I’d be able to angle to get to spots, and I had good footwork.”

The result was an all-district season on offense and promotion to the starting defense halfway through the season. Bearer made 21 tackles on that side of the ball and also had a huge interception in Fauquier’s end zone in a 38-23 win over the Falcons.

Bolin said Bearer’s come in even better this year thanks in large part to his stint on James Wood’s wrestling team last year, which improved his footwork.

“He’s gotten stronger and he’s got better technique now,” said 6-4, 290-pound senior Chris Alaniz, a three-year starter on the offensive line. “We tend to get into it on offense and defense, going through drills and stuff just to see who’s better. It’s usually a stalemate.”

Alaniz can hold his own against Bearer, but most can’t. Probably one of the reasons why Bearer likes the Tennessee Drill, which involves blockers and defenders going one-on-one as the blocker tries to keep the defender from getting to the running back, is because he can flatten people like no other on the Colonels.

“If he gets inside hand control on you, you’re done and you’re going to get planted on your back,” Bolin said. “There was probably seven or eight times in the scrimmage [with Park View] where he got somebody.”

“I always take pride in big hits,” Bearer said. “Getting a pancake out here, or just blocking well. You always take pride in that stuff.”

And if he can lift his teammates to a district title, that would give him the most pride of all.

“Erik is probably the biggest leader on our team,” Alaniz said. “He keeps everybody’s tempo up, everybody’s spirits up, and pushes everybody.”

— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.