Heald continues to be rock solid for Bedford football

The Bedford High School football coaching staff wasted no time throwing Bobby Heald into the fire.

Heald opened his sophomore year on the fringe of the varsity team, but when the Bulldogs opened the season at home against Pinkerton - in Bedford's first Division I game - it didn't take long for the lineman to hear his name called.

"As a sophomore, the first game we had was Pinkerton, and it was a huge game," Heald said. "All of a sudden (a coach) goes 'Heald, run out there.' It was terrifying, but it was my first time out there in front of a full crowd. I got a feel for what it's like out there and how much different it is from freshmen football. It really helped me."

That experience led to Heald starting at defensive tackle for the rest of his sophomore season, while backing up center Trent Fortune on offense. The next year, as a junior, Heald stepped in as a starter at both spots, and has continued that role as a senior.

The progression is one that first-year coach Derek Stank, who has also served as the line coach, has gotten to watch firsthand.

"He was the guy who had a lot of work to do," Stank said. "Last year, going into it, he really stepped up, and I think that's when he became the Bobby Heald that we all know. This year, he's continued to get bigger and stronger. I don't think he's lost any of his speed even though he's added strength and size. He's continued to play football the way we've expected him to."

While Heald has proven to be valuable on both sides of the ball, and his personal preference is on defense, Stank sees his senior captain as being irreplaceable on offense.

"I'd put that to anyone who was in that dual role," the coach said. "If you're going to have success as an offense, you're going to have to have a line that's cohesive. They have to understand everything, they have to be smart and know how to work together efficiently as one unit.

"As the center, he's in the middle of that. He has to make the most calls, he has to recognize everything. To have a guy who has been doing it for two years now, and he's extremely good at it, he's most valuable to use on offense."

Heald attributes a lot of his success on offense on being able to watch and learn from Fortune during that sophomore season, when he was the second-team center.

"Being able to take reps for him on the second team during practice, that's what really helped me go both ways the next year," he said. "I put in a lot of work. Everyone does here at Bedford, which is such a great thing."

Heald, who was also a state champion wrestler last year, hopes to continue playing in college, but with the playoffs around the corner, he takes the time to appreciate another chance at winning a title in football.

"Not everyone has a chance to play for a good team their senior year, but this is a really great opportunity," he said. "I'm excited."

Bedford opens the Division I playoffs against Bishop Guertin on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Stellos Stadium.