High School Football: Bear Meng settles in as Abilene Wylie QB despite frequent moves

When your dad is a football coach, it can be difficult to put down roots somewhere. Just ask Bryant “Bear” Meng.

Wylie is Meng’s third school in seven years and fourth this decade. His dad, Jason Meng, is the offensive line coach for the Bulldogs, after spending two years at La Grange and four years at Burkburnett before that.

The younger Meng, a junior quarterback, might wake up from time to time wondering where he is — Burkburnett, La Grange or Abilene?

Fortunately, the teams at two of his stops — Burkburnett and Wylie — are Bulldogs. La Grange is the Leopards.

Bear Meng, though, had little trouble making the transition, after his dad took the Wylie job in April.

“It was different — a bigger town, newer faces,” Bear Meng said. “But we’ve been around. Being a coach's kid, you have new schools pretty often. So, it’s nothing I’m not used to.”

The younger Meng said it didn’t take him long to feel comfortable either.

“Once you find some friends and make that adjustment, it all feels normal pretty quick,” he said.

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Dad's view

Jason Meng has marveled at his son’s ability not only to adapt to a new school but thrive as well.

“He’s a lot like my wife,” the older Meng said. “Wherever you plant him, he blooms and fits in. He’s just part of the crew.

“The years we were in Burkburnett, he was one of those kids that other kids were drawn to. Being a coach's kid and being involved in football, basketball, baseball and track — all the athletic events — it just kind of lends itself to a kid who can make friends pretty easily.”

Not that dad doesn’t worry each time they move on.

“It’s always a nerve-wracking deal when you’re switching jobs or going to different towns,” said Meng, who has two other sons — Hayden, 20, and Landry, 11. “He’s handled that adversity well and done an outstanding job adapting to his environment. We’re really pleased with it.”

Catching on fast

Bear Meng has handled the change well. He’s thrown for 1,608 yards and 18 TDs — all while throwing four interceptions — in leading the Bulldogs (7-3) to a second-place finish in District 2-5A Division II and their second straight playoff berth. It's only Wylie's third playoff berth since making the jump to Class 5A in 2018.

Wylie opens the playoffs against El Paso Andress (4-6) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.

Meng also is second on the team in rushing (90-328, 5 TDs) behind Malachi Daniels (160-773, 5 TDs).

“He’s just done a great job,” Wylie coach Clay Martin said. “Bear came in the spring and really went to work. He’s a student of the game, and someone who really caught on fast, especially the basics of the offense. He put himself in position to have success, and he’s just gotten better and better as the season went along.”

Meng began the year battling Keegan Anderson for the starting quarterback job. Anderson, however, was injured early in the season, opening the door for Meng to solidify his role as the starter.

Not that he minded competing with the junior Anderson.

“Competition only makes you better,” Bear Meng said. “Whoever came out (as the starter) was going to be a good fit for the team, and we would cheer each other on and help with the offense.”

Strong supporting cast

Bear Meng has benefitted from a deep receiving corps that includes standouts Derrick Evans and Braden Regala — two guys with different skill sets.

Evans, the team’s leading receiver (30-690, 9 TDs) is a tall, big-play receiver, while Regala, the team’s No. 2 receiver (41-462 4 TDs) is a speedster who can turn a short pass into a big gain.

“Derrick, he’s a funny guy to be around,” Bear Meng said. “He’s a cool guy. He makes amazing plays, athletic. He’s just overall enjoyable to be around.”

Then there’s Regala.

“He’s a great kid overall,” Bear Meng said. “He’s a great friend, a great team leader. Always there. He leads us with really good, positive reinforcement for the whole team.”

La Grange days

This is Meng’s first full year as a varsity quarterback. He played nine games as a sophomore at La Grange in 2022 — his first season playing varsity football.

He didn’t play until the third game of the season and finished the season completing 71-of-137 passes for 832 yards and 10 TDs with three interceptions for the Leopards (5-6). He also ran for 111 yards and a TD on 31 carries.

Madisonville beat the Leopards 41-21 in the first round of the Class 4A Division II playoffs.

The following spring, the Meng clan picked up and moved to Abilene.

Regala, a captain and senior receiver, said Bear Meng fit in right away when he transferred to Wylie in the spring.

“We all got along great with him and found out that he had a lot in common with us,” Regala said.

It took a little while for the offense to gel, especially after Regala missed three games early in the season with an injury.

Yet after losses to Brownwood and Lubbock Monterey to start the season, the Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games.

They actually won their first game when Regala missed his first game in Week 3.

“At first I was worried it was going to take some time to build some chemistry on the field, since I missed a couple of games from an injury, but it didn’t take long for us to connect on some big plays,” Regala said.

“I think he is a very dynamic QB. He can open up the field by establishing the passing game and then run for the first down if you give him too much space. He’s been a great addition to our team.”

Hold the line

As the offensive line coach, Jason Meng has the task of building a line that can protect his son. Think there’s some pressure there?

“Oh goodness yes,” Jason Meng said. “I get the questions at home, ‘Are you making sure he’s protected?’ Not only there, but then grandma wants to make sure her grandson is protected as well.”

The elder Meng, though, said he would take the same approach as a coach whether it was his son taking the snaps at QB or another.

“You always want to make sure you take care of that kid because his eyes and attention are downfield,” he said. “You never want them to be blindsided.

“But at the same time, you can’t shy away from a situation where you might put a kid in harm’s way with different formations and play selections, whether he’s a running quarterback or whatever.”

And his son is an adept runner.

“He’s made some huge plays for us with his legs when plays have broken down,” Martin said. “He has the knack for that and the ability to make those plays in big situations.”

Uncertain future

The elder Meng, who was the head coach at Burkburnett, knows there’s no guarantees the family, Bear included, will stick around a second year at Wylie. He could be lured away for another head coaching job elsewhere or be asked to move on — both pretty standard in the business.

“That’s always been a conversation we’ve had since he’s been playing football,” Jason Meng said. “At a moment’s notice there could be a different position open up (somewhere else) or a change in scenery due to other factors. We don’t worry about it. We’re going to focus on the here and now and work on getting better and enjoying the experience and having fun.”

That's been Bear Meng's approach thus far.

“I’ve loved it — all six months or so since I’ve been here," he said about Wylie and Abilene. "I’ve fit in real nice and getting to know people and loving the area. I’m focused on the playoffs and going deep and making a run.”

Yet thinking ahead, Bear Meng said he wouldn’t mind sticking around and graduating from Wylie.

“I’d love to win games with these guys for the rest of my high school career and build a better team chemistry and better friendship with these guys in our last two years,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Bear Meng adapts as well-traveled football coach's son at Abilene Wylie