ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME : THE KILLER B’s : Beech to Use Bulk on Both Sides of Line

For someone who once found his size was detrimental to playing youth football, Mike Beech, Newport Harbor High School tackle, is now a big man in the sport.

Beech was unable to participate in the Newport Beach Jr. All-American youth football program because he was too big. He had never played contact football until he entered Newport Harbor High as a 6-foot 4-inch freshman.

Yet, Mike Giddings, Sailor football coach, was well aware of Beech’s presence before he walked on campus.

“He lives two blocks away from me here at Newport Shores,” Giddings said. “I can remember seeing him down at the beach when he was in junior high and hoping he was going to Newport Harbor.”

Giddings got his wish. Beech blossomed into a 6-7, 265-pound tackle who started for three seasons on the Sailors’ varsity team. On Friday night, Beech is expected to start on both the offensive and defensive lines for the South team that will participate in the Orange County All-Star football game at Eddie West Field.

Beech has been slowed after stretching ligaments in his left knee last Saturday in a contact drill and has practiced sparingly this week. He is one of three South captains, along with Saddleback quarterback John Cook and Fountain Valley tackle Brad Leggett.

“I was making a block in the middle of the line and somebody hit my knee,” Beech said. “I went to see Dr. (Glen) Almquist, and he told me it wasn’t anything serious, but not to participate in contact drills this week.

“He told me if I could cut to the right and do my agility work by the end of the week, I could play. I’m honored to be selected to play and in the game, and I hope I can play.”

So does South Coach Jerry Witte of Saddleback. He is counting on Beech, his biggest player, to anchor both lines.

“Mike always impressed me as an offensive tackle,” Witte said. “He’s a great pass blocker. But I’ve been equally impressed with his play on defense. He certainly has the respect of the other players here.”

Beech, who signed a national letter of intent to play at UCLA in the fall, was the most sought-after player in the county. He made recruiting trips to the University of Washington, USC and UCLA before ultimately choosing the Bruins.

“I knew no matter which of those schools I chose, I couldn’t lose . . . I couldn’t make a bad choice,” he said. “I thought about making all five trips and had one scheduled to Southern Methodist that I canceled.

“I got tired of the trips. It was interesting to see the different schools, but you never had any time for yourself on those trips. Everything was planned for you.”

Beech said he chose UCLA for several reasons. The Bruins didn’t pursue the big lineman until after his season ended.

“I’ve lived in Southern California all my life, and I wanted to go to a school in the area,” he said. “That was a factor, but I was also looking for a school that had good coaching, good teams and good academics.”

Beech’s future will be as an offensive lineman, but he says he enjoys playing on the other side of the line, too.

“I’m a better offensive lineman, but I enjoy playing on defense more,” Beech said. “Defensive play is more exciting. There’s the contact and the opportunities to make a tackle or sack a quarterback that appeals to me.”

Beech, considered the best pass blocker in the county last season, says there is no real secret to becoming a successful offensive lineman. The physical requirements include upper-body strength, long arms and quick feet.

“Long arms help to keep a defender away from you,” he said. “Quick feet are important or a defensive lineman will try to grab you and get you off balance. Your mental approach is also important. You have to be 100% in the game and ready to play.”

Giddings, who formed Pro Scout Inc. to analyze and rate every player in the National Football League, was asked to rate Beech.

“Mike’s obvious strength is his size, and when you combine that with his quick feet, you have a unique athlete,” Giddings said. “We run an agility drill at Newport Harbor where we place three cones five feet apart, and Mike’s time is very close to (running back) Fritz Howser’s.

“Now, Mike doesn’t run a 40 like Fritz, but his agility is very similar. He’s an outstanding pass blocker. I think the single most difficult skill to teach in football on any level is pass protection. Mike excels here. In three years, I can’t remember Mike getting beat on a pass block.”

Beech credits his participation in youth swimming programs and his four years in Newport Harbor’s basketball program for his unusual quickness.

“When I couldn’t play football as a kid, I decided to swim, and that kept me in good shape for seven or eight years,” he said. “Basketball was a great sport for keeping in shape. Basketball is a game that requires bursts of speed, and it definitely helped me with my quickness and coordination.”

Beech, who was always been the biggest kid in his class, can’t figure out how he grew so big. His father, an electrical engineer, stands only 6-0. His mother, the general manager of The Cannery restaurant, is 5-10. His older brother is 6-0.

“I understand I had a great, great grandmother who was 6-3,” Beech said. “Maybe that’s where I got the genes from.”

Giddings said that Beech combined his size with aggressiveness to become a complete player at Newport Harbor.

“A lot of big guys are late to develop and don’t have that aggressiveness,” Giddings said. “Mike is darn aggressive for his size. He’s a winner who hates to lose.”

Giddings is also impressed with Beech off the football field.

“Mike is pretty much his own man,” Giddings said. “His parents did a whale of a job raising him. They gave him a certain amount of independence and let him grow as a person. He’s not your typical high school kid on or off the field.”