C-M teammates, friends achieve same goal of playing at the next level
After narrowing his decision to four schools, RJ Bell decided to play for Geneva College.
Britton Beachy committed to Lancaster Bible College after scoring more than 1,000 points in his Canon-McMillan career.
Separating father from coach was a task Canon-McMillan basketball coach Rick Bell was always able to do effectively.
It was a promise he and his son, RJ, agreed to many years back that the moment they into a gym – for practice or a game – the elder Bell would no longer be deemed dad.
“I knew it was going to be a challenge, especially in this day and age,” Rick Bell said. “The moment we stepped out of the car I was either Coach Bell or Mr. Bell. I’ve had great mentors that I’ve observed and watched how they did it. I told myself if I ever had the opportunity to coach or teach, then I would take those qualities I observed from those folks.”
He thought he would only have to handle one son, but after coaching Britton Beachy in conjunction with RJ, it felt like two sons.
“It was amazing,” Beachy said of having Bell as a coach on a fourth-grade travel team. “I couldn’t ask for a better guy on and off the court. He helped teach me how to be a better man, how to be a better teammate and how to be a better leader.”
One of the biggest – and quite possibly most important – pieces of advice he gave to Beachy and his son might have only came a few months ago.
“You want to go where you’re wanted. There’s a lot to be said for that,” he told the longtime teammates.
That message resonated when the two were deciding where to play basketball for the next four years, with RJ Bell eventually committing to Geneva College and Beachy choosing Lancaster Bible College.
“As a coach, and a dad, you are proud and happy for them,” Rick Bell said. “I know how hard they’ve worked. I know how many hours they put in the gym. That was the greatest feeling because they both love the game of basketball. Some kids love to play basketball but don’t love to work at basketball. To see their efforts come to fruition by playing at the next level is just great.”
In Beachy’s senior season, where he eclipsed 1,000-point mark at C-M, he finished with 13.9 points, 3.2 assists and nearly six rebounds a game for the Big Macs. However, it wasn’t about numbers for Beachy, who rarely saw the ball again after bringing it across half court in the Big Macs’ up-and-down style offense.
“It was different on the offensive end because we had some many good scorers on the team that could light it up from anywhere,” Beachy said about his role that transformed from scorer to facilitator. “What mattered most is who got the win at the end of the day. I didn’t care what the stat sheet said.”
He’s hoping to find his way on the stat sheet early at Lancaster, a NCAA Division III school and members of the North Eastern Athletic Conference, after it finished tied for second place in the south division after a 14-14 record. Beachy choose Lancaster over Waynesburg and Geneva.
Geneva, a member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, went 10-16 last season in Jeff Santarsiero’s 21st season as head coach.
Bell, who had his list narrowed to Waynesburg, Saint Vincent and a late push from Edinboro, averaged 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for C-M.
“I’ve watched them play a few times last year,” RJ Bell said about the Golden Tornadoes. “They like to shoot a lot of threes. They needed some more three-point shooters and that’s where I’m comfortable. They also want to work on getting me stronger to help on the glass.”
Rick Bell said both could be productive players at the next level with his son still with upside and only turning 18 in April, while Beachy’s ability to serve as a dual threat at both guard spots makes him a valuable commodity.
“I think it’s a dream come true,” Rick Bell said. “I know that it was a good for both of them. Both of those institutions wanted those guys. Geneva came to about 14 games and Lancaster came to four games this past year. For those coaches to drive all the way across the state that many times speaks volumes. It’s not a case where they are going to school and will try out for basketball. They made it clear that RJ and Britton were guys that they wanted.”