Cranston Herald – Oct. 4, 2012
William Geoghegan, Sports Editor
Marven Beauvais has always liked having a football in his hands so when he went out for youth football with the Edgewood Eagles in sixth grade, he said he wanted to be a running back. His coaches took one look at him and laughed.
“They said, ‘You’re too tall. Go play receiver,’” Beauvais said.
It’s been a perfect fit, and these days, the football is still in his hands a lot – usually with big results.
Beauvais, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior, burst onto the scene for the Cranston East football team last season and has continued to emerge this season as one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the state. Though he’s only caught eight passes as the ’Bolts haven’t had to throw much in four wins, five of the catches have gone for touchdowns, and he’s averaging more than 20 yards per reception.
“He’s an impressive player,” said East head coach Tom Centore. “He’s just a threat. He’s not just tall. He can catch the football, and when he gets in the open field, he can run. At any time, he can score.”
Before coming to East, Beauvais had played only two years of football, and in his first year, he was relegated to tight end because the freshman team doesn’t typically throw the ball much.
But even then, the potential was there.
“I think he was a little frustrated, but I remember that summer, he said, ‘I’m playing wide receiver,’” Centore said. “I saw a kid that could do something. You could see something special. And he improved very, very quickly.”
That was evident last year, when Beauvais made an immediate impact. In the first game of the season, he caught two passes, both for touchdowns. He finished the year as East’s top receiver, with 27 catches for 604 yards and eight touchdowns.
“I just wanted to be able to get a chance to show what I could do,” Beauvais said. “Sophomores don’t tend to play varsity. Me getting the opportunity just boosted my confidence. I just wanted to try my best when I was on the field.”
This year, Beauvais hasn’t had a ton of opportunities. East has posted blowout wins in three of four games, but he’s still made the most of his chances.
“He’s not a selfish player,” Centore said. “He could be selfish, wanting everything thrown to him. But when he gets the ball, he makes the most of it.”
Beauvais is also a known commodity now. Several teams have been double-covering him on every play. It’s to the point now where, if he’s not double-covered, look out.
“I look at the quarterback, give him the sign,” Beauvais said. “He knows – throw the ball, and I’ll get it.”
For an East team with a full arsenal of weapons, his presence further opens the field, and it has helped set the stage for the program’s best start since moving to Division I. East is 2-0 in league play, 4-0 overall and ranked third in the Rhode Island Sports Media High School Football Poll.
“You have to pick your poison,” Centore said. “You can’t double everybody. If you’re going to play him solo, you’ve got a problem. Then if you’re going to bring a safety over the top, you’ve got another problem because you’ve got Marquem [Monroe] and Nick [Ferry] and all those guys on the other side. It’s helped out the run game a lot too.”
And it’s making for a fun year.
“We were pretty confident,” Beauvais said. “Last year, we didn’t have such a great season. We lost a lot of seniors, but we discovered new talent. We went to some passing leagues. We saw everybody’s work ethic. Coming into the season, we had a good outlook. It was just a matter of putting it together.”
The ’Bolts certainly seem to be on the right track, and in addition to his success on the field, Beauvais has helped set the tone.
“He’s been a good leader,” Centore said. “He has never missed a practice. He never misses school. He’s just a kid who gets it.”
The future looks bright for Beauvais. He won’t turn 17 until February and Centore thinks he’ll grow another inch or two.
“I think he could go to any I-AA school and play, and that’s the minimum,” Centore said. “He’s got a great ceiling. He’s only going to get better.”
Beauvais has set a goal of playing in college and beyond, but he isn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I’ve just got to take it day-by-day,” he said.
And he’s got a lot of football to worry about now. After a non-league game last week, the ’Bolts return to D-I action this week and will soon be in the thick of their schedule. They’re hoping this is the year they can prove they belong.
“It feels good to have a good start to the season,” Beauvais said. “It makes you feel like, if you start off good, you might as well just finish it off. Last year, we didn’t have this opportunity, so we’re basically just trying to take it game-by-game, make it to the playoffs, and see what we can do from there.”