‘Pride in our legacy’: Final trio of Beard brothers looking to leave a lasting impact on Central Valley wrestling program

It’s not too difficult to pick out the trio of Beard brothers from a Central Valley wrestling lineup.

For starters, the matching cutoff sweatpants and synchronized bouncing in anticipation is a solid clue. But the real giveaway is the matching facial hair older brothers Blaine and Bayden Beard sport.

And with a last name like Beard, it only makes sense that the two are growing out mustaches.

“We’ve been saying for state that we have to have a mustache, and if we could grow full beards I’m sure we would, but the beard isn’t coming in as fast,” Blaine said.

But the most stubborn stubble of them all belongs to the baby-faced younger brother, Braxton Beard.

“I’m probably going to have to draw one on with a Sharpie so I can fit in before districts,” Braxton added.

Mustache or no mustache, the final tell that a Beard brother is on the mat for the Bears is usually a victory on the scoreboard. A trend that dates back to the eldest brother Brady at Ephrata, who was followed by Brenton at Riverside and finally Blake, Bryson, Bridger, Bennett – and sister Brielle on the basketball court at CV.

Ron and Cindy Beard’s 10 children have produced 17 state wrestling medals, five of which were state championships – three for Blake and two for Bryson – and a girls basketball title in 2020. Blaine, a senior at CV, credits not only his parents’ athletic abilities but seeing the drive of his siblings growing up.

“I know mom played softball and a bunch of other sports, and dad played football and wrestled a bit in high school,” Blaine said. “So, we got the bug a bit from them. But then with all of the older brothers we’ve just always been around it, and sports are something that have been in us our whole life.

“My mom would always tell us that we don’t have to wrestle, but we’ve always felt like we had to for ourselves since it’s something everyone has done.”

Blaine lays claim to two of the family’s state medals with a fourth-place finish last year and a seventh-place finish in 2022. Bayden earned seventh last year in the Tacoma Dome.

Bayden also points to his older siblings as inspiration for sticking with the sport and always wanting to improve.

“Growing up watching our brothers wrestle, it just made us like it that much more and seeing two of them win state was pretty sweet and really drove us as well,” Bayden said.

But before the brothers have any hopes of more state accolades, they must pass the grueling test that is two weekends of district and regional qualifying tournaments – which begin Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Convention Center for all 4A, 3A and 2A Greater Spokane League teams, along with area 2B/1B boys and 2B/1B/2A/1A girls.

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Blaine Beard admits he can be a bit tough on his brothers from time to time. But living on the edge of nature and nurture is in his DNA.

During a Jan. 18 dual against 4A foe Gonzaga Prep, Bayden – who is a junior – was locked in a tough match against G-Prep’s William Jackson. In the end, Jackson prevailed 4-1. As Bayden was walking off the mat, Blaine was letting him know his thoughts on the match loud and clear.

“I feel like I am wrestling when either of them are out on the mat. Sometimes I need to go in a back room and run or something because I get so nervous for them and I’ll just start yelling out things,” Blaine said. “And if they do lose a match, I’m going to be in their ear and let them know what went wrong.”

But what makes the Beard’s relationship different than that of most teammates is how Bayden – and freshman Braxton – respond to the critique.

“In the moment, I want him out of my face, but I always remember how important it is that I have someone who cares that much and truly wants to make me a better wrestler.”

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With the departure from the Central Valley wrestling program nearing for Blaine, the brothers have put extra emphasis on making this year count. Even though Bayden and Braxton will be back for the Bears next season, they know that it won’t be the same without a third brother in the room.

“From the very start of this year, I’ve tried to appreciate how special this opportunity is for us and that we need to embrace it since it’s the last time we’ll be all on the same mats together,” Braxton said.

The impact of losing Blaine will mean even more to Bayden, who despite being around 50 pounds heavier, spends most of his time training with his older brother.

“I wrestle quite a bit different than other guys my size do because of my training with Blaine,” Bayden said. “Through the way we train, I find that my conditioning is better than most anyone else in my class, especially when we get to a third round. I always feel like I have the advantage.”

“We let each other know who won the day and sometimes I tell him that it’s not fair because he’s way bigger and stronger than me, and then there are days where he understands that he won’t wrestle anyone as fast as me at his size,” Blaine added. “So, it’s nice that every day we are kicking each other’s butts, and it only makes us better when we get to guys our own size.”

Blaine is ranked No. 3 in 4A at 132 pounds. Braxton is seventh at 136 and Bayden fifth at 175. The Bears are the highest-ranked GSL team in 4A at No. 11.

The three brothers hope that those rankings and key wins throughout the season can propel them again to postseason success, culminating at Mat Classic XXXV on Feb. 16-17 in Tacoma.

“It would mean a lot for all of us to make it over to Tacoma, but it would mean even more if we were all up on the podium,” Bayden said. “It’s so fun to have all the family come over too and getting the chance to wrestle in front of them is really special.”

“We’re all gonna make it, and we’re all walking out of there with medals,” Blaine said. “We’re not expecting anything else.

“We’re in this wrestling room every day with the huge wall of state placers and champions. And you just see Beards up there all over and think, ‘I want to have my name up there as much as possible, too.’ I want to come back and be able to show my kids the wall with me and all their uncles’ names. We take a lot of pride in our legacy.”

• District tournament information: This weekend’s district tournaments at the Spokane Convention Center are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Friday for 3A and 2A boys, followed by a 10 a.m. start Saturday for all other classes. All finals will take place Saturday afternoon. Tickets are available in one-day ($15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors) and two-day ($25/$15) options. Children 5 and under are free. Convention Center parking is $10 per day.

The 1A district tournament will take place Saturday at Medical Lake High School. The 4A/3A girls tournament will take place Friday at Hanford High School in Richland.