Bey brothers personify BCC's family atmosphere as Bearcats head to playoffs

Senior twins Keegan and Kenyon Bey and younger sibling, Kalifornia. Three brothers on the Battle Creek Central football team who personify what the Bearcats are all about – a family, a brotherhood, all in it together during a special season.

The Battle Creek Central football family is getting at least one extra week together after the Bearcats qualified for the playoffs. BCC (7-2) will host East Lansing (6-3) in a Division 2 first-round game at 7 p.m. Friday at C.W. Post Field.

"This is unique, because we have never had three brothers on the same team before," BCC coach Lorin Granger said. "We have had sets of brothers before, but never had had three on one team."

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In fact, BCC has another set of brothers getting major playing time in Kaijehl and Angelo Williams. According to Granger, it all feeds into team's personality. He says lot of the Bearcats' success this year has taken hold because of the brotherly bond among all the players, taking a cue from the Bey trio.

"This team talks about brotherhood all the time, they call each other brothers all the time," Granger said. "Those three Bey brothers are brothers for real, but they don't treat each other, or get treated any different than the rest of the team. They see the rest of the team the same way they see each other, as brothers.

"They all treat each other the same, treat each other well, have expectations for each other, and to me, that's what brotherhood is. I think that's part of what has made this team special this year, a bond that you can only have as brothers."

While that bond is real for the Beys brothers, there are some pros and cons when it comes to being on the same team.

"We argue all the time, we fight all the time on and off the field," Kenyon said. "But there is some chemistry when we are playing. There is a bond there."

The twins talk about their special relationship and how they've enjoyed playing football together throughout their careers – which they hope gets extended beyond Friday night.

"It's been great this year, our senior year," Keegan said. "... For us, it's our last chance playing together. We want to keep it going as long as possible."

Kalifornia is the stereotypical little brother, as a sophomore, having followed his older siblings around. He said he couldn't wait to get up on the same field with them.

"It's great that we are all together this year," he said. "It seems like whenever something good is happening on the field, you are hearing the Bey name on the loud speaker because we are three out of 11 out there a lot of times. Next year will be a bit different, with them gone, but next year I will look to keep up the Bey legacy."

A team captain, Keegan is a key part of the Bearcats' offensive and defensive lines. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he has been a force as BCC has reached the playoffs for just the third time since 2008. Kalifornia has had a breakout season as the 6-1, 190-pound linebacker is among the team leaders in tackles. Kenyon is used as a key rotation piece on the offensive line.

When all three are out there, there can be a buzz in the stands, especially around the area where their parents are sitting.

"It's been great," Keegan said. "You look around and you see your brother playing next to you. Our parents have been really excited. They can't stop talking about having all three boys on the field at the same time."

However the brotherly bond isn't noticeable when the Beys are out of uniform – at least not from their physical appearance. All three have different builds, look and sound different, including the twins, who are fraternal.

"You can't really tell they are brothers, because they don't treat each other special, they treat everyone on the team as their brother," Granger said. "Plus, heck, they don't look alike. I suppose their mom might think they look alike, but beyond that I'm not sure anyone else would say that. So when I look at those three, how they have a bond they share with each other, and at the same time, share with the rest of the guys out here, I see that brotherhood as kind of a microcosm of the whole team."

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Bey brothers personify BC Central football's family atmosphere