Football: Cool Beans! McKelvey is at Center of Briar Woods' 17-Game Winning Streak

Briar Woods center Brian McKelvey helps make winning a snap for Falcons

By George Khalsa

Special to Viva Loudoun

Ashburn (Sept. 13, 2012) - In football you notice the center just long enough for him to get the ball to the quarterback. Then he is swallowed up by the scrum in the middle of the field only to be spotted, for an instant, as the next play unfolds. 

But look a little closer at the center position when the Briar Woods High School Falcons run an offensive play against Dominion Friday night. You will see senior center Brian McKelvey pointing this way and that: he is barking out blocking assignments to the other four interior linemen. 

A Division II All American at center in his playing days at Shepherd University, Briar Woods head coach Charlie Pierce spends a lot of time teaching the center how to manage the other linemen. 

“This was how I was taught to play the center position,” he said. “The center is extremely important in the system I teach.” 

That system has been pretty successful, as the 2010 and 2011 VHSL Division 4 state champions carry a 17 game winning streak after shutting out Park View 43-0 Friday night. McKelvey has been the starting center for all 17 games. 

Quarterback Trace McSorley calls him, “The best center I’ve played with or seen.” 

For his part McKelvey is proud of the faith coach Pierce has in his abilities: “He knows I know what to do and he lets me do it.” 

Pierce’s assessment: “Beans is the best I’ve been around as far as understanding all the responsibilities of every position and communicating assignments. I consider him to be the quarterback of the offensive line.” 

Beans!?!    

The Falcon center is known as “Beans” on and off the field. Asked him how he got the nickname and he says it comes from a kids’ TV show called “Even Steven.” In his freshman year a classmate observed that he resembled a character in the show called “Beans.” The name stuck. 

At team meetings whenever the coaches say aloud the name “Brian McKelvey,” a chorus of “Beeeeans,” coming from every player in the room inevitably follows. 

 At 5-9, 230 pounds, McKelvey is a big, strong-looking young man. But in the world of college football, he’s considered to be too small to play the line and has no plans to continue his football career after high school. 

Pierce says, “He may be shorter than most linemen, but quick feet, and great instincts makes him very effective.” 

Nevertheless, McKelvey will pick his college based on what they have to offer academically. As a sophomore playing JV, McKelvey was on the sidelines when the Falcons won their first state championship in 2010. 

That just whetted his appetite “to get back to that game” as a starter. After tasting championship victory in 2011 he is perhaps even more committed to winning a second championship in 2012 and finishing his football playing career on the highest note a player can finish on.