Published: October 30, 2009 12:04 am      

Bluefield faces test from James Monroe

BLUEFIELD — The Bluefield Beavers’ road to the playoffs includes a major climb tonight. The 7-1 James Monroe Mavericks visit Mitchell Stadium and they bring what many experts believe is one of the best teams in the area.

“I agree with that,” said Bluefield head coach Fred Simon. “I think their players are well-coached. Coach (Don) Jackson and his staff always do a great job and they always have.

“I think their players play hard. They’re fundamentally good and that’s definitely going to be a good opponent for us to play and hopefully they’re going to be up to the challenge.”

The single-wing may be gone, but the power in the Mavericks’ offense is still there. Seniors Tanner Beasley and Braxton Thompson key an offense that led James Monroe to a 49-0 rout of Mount View last Friday.

“They’ve always been predicated on power,” Simon said. “They like to run the power game, but also they are throwing a little bit more, too and really a lot more and I think they’ve done a nice job passing the football when they’ve had to too.

“(John) Ballengee, the quarterback, does a good job. I think all those guys are the key, plus I think the rest of their players, they play very hard.”

The Mavericks’ defense will run a base five-man line with the powerful offensive linemen playing similar roles on defense.

“They’re like us. They play their best athletes both ways if they have to and they do,” Simon said. “They play hard, they’re aggressive and they hustle to the ball. They’re fundamentally a team that wins. They do a lot of things right.”

The Beavers enter this game on a three-game winning streak, including a 53-20 drubbing of Oak Hill last Friday. They have won those games by a combined score of 157-28, but those opponents have a combined record of 5-19.

Facing James Monroe is a different proposition.

“We’d better be ready to play this team because I know what they’re capable of,” Simon said. “They play hard and I just want our players to do the same and we’ll see what happens.”

Simon has not had to inform his club of this game’s ramifications.

“I don’t usually talk about teams. I just want our players to take care of themselves,” Simon said. “Players know who can play and who can’t. We want to take care of our business and see what happens on the other side.”

The Beavers may be good, but Simon wants his team to improve on one thing — everything.

“It never ends,” Simon said. “Our special teams, our offense, our defense, blocking, tackling, it’s a constant. But I don’t think there’s ever been a game that any coach has ever coached that their players were perfect every play. We work towards that, but it’s just a constant battle.”

For the Beavers to triumph in their battle with the Mavericks, Simon expects a total team performance.

“Put ‘team’ in there and I think that’s the key,” Simon said. “On all levels, whatever we’re doing, play well as a team. Nothing’s guaranteed. I’d like to tell you that we’ll go out there and play our best game and we’ve definitely got it, but that’s not guaranteed. We play as a team and we’ll have a chance.”