BELLAIRE — “Bee Bee” Marinacci is an early riser. Always has been.

This time of year, that penchant for “getting up with the chickens” serves him well.

It’s high school football season, and it’s a safe bet Marinacci can be found at one of his favorite haunts — the Bellaire Fieldhouse.

There, he might be doing a myriad of things. He could be fixing a helmet, tinkering with a facemask, or using one of his own methods to get a shoulder pad together like all the king’s men tried to do with Humpty Dumpty.

That’s exactly what he was doing on a sunny, summer morning as the Big Reds football team prepared for its first scrimmage of the season at Southern. With trusty tool box in tow, the Bellaire High graduate was doing all he could to make sure every piece of equipment was in tip top shape for the trip north.

“I take care of all the clothing,” Marinacci said, referencing how he fits in with equipment manager Forrest Merryman. “Rickie (Parker) takes care of the water. He’s the hydration expert. Forrest takes care of the shoulder pads and helmets. We work together.”

While looking for that right piece of hardware that’ll fix that shoulder pad, a washer and dryer whirls away on the other side of the room. The sun might be just coming up, but Bellaire’s uniforms are almost as clean as whistle.

“I’ll put a load of clothes in at 5 (a.m.) and get them washed then go over to McDonald’s,” he explains. “I’ll hang them up then make a trip down to Gulla’s and then put in another load.

“So, at 8, I have three loads of clothes done already.”

It’s a plan that’s worked for Marinacci for years. Although he’s helping the football program in a volunteer role these days, he once had Merryman’s job — for years.

Marinacci was a mainstay on the staff of former head coach John Magistro and is one of the last remaining links to the legendary Big Reds coach that guided the Big Reds to back-to-back state finals appearances in the 90s.

When Jose Davis stepped away from the Bellaire program a few years ago, so did Marinacci. But after a few seasons away, the itch to return in some type of role was one he had to scratch.

“It’s tough to stay away,” he opined. “It’s like coaching. If Forrest wasn’t here and Rickie wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be able to do this. But, I do what I do.”

So, Marinacci is back, this time with Mark Spigarelli, who guided the Big Reds to the second round of the playoffs last fall.

It’s a good bet that anyone who attends a Bellaire home game knows Marinacci. He’s hard to miss as he’s usually the one whizzing around the track in his trusty golf cart, making sure everything is ready to go on game days.

Nelson Field has been a special place for him. He played there in high school and, in addition to his equipment duties, Marinacci now runs the clock for JV and junior high games.

“And I still drive a bus,” he noted.

It’s true.

Marinacci has a daily route on the Bellaire Schools schedule and also transports many of its sports teams, including the football team.

“It’s been 35 years since I started driving, with a couple of breaks in between,” he smiled.

Marinacci worked as a custodian with the district for a quarter-century and, while doing that, served as Bellaire High’s softball coach, winning four OVAC titles.

If that’s not enough, Marinacci served the village for nearly three decades as a member of council, including 15 years as its president.

“I’ve also ran the clock at basketball games and announced — boys and girls,” he added.

Through it all, the students and athletes Marinacci has worked with have become like family. In fact, as he sits in the fieldhouse, he sometimes marvels at the names above the lockers as many of today’s players are sons of ones he once washed unis for.

“I’m also driving bus for grandkids of ones that I drove for,” he said laughing.

“But, we’re very fortunate (on the football team) to have kids that are coming in now that are members of families that have been here before.

“They’re learning what it means (to be a Bellaire player) and how hard they have to work.”

Marinacci is old school. He cherishes the Big Reds tradition and hopes, in some small way, his being around the team just a little bit will allow them to catch some of what made the program successful in years past.

“I’m just a volunteer,” he said. “But, I enjoy it.”

If you know of someone in sports in the Ohio Valley whom I could feature as an Ohio Valley Unsung Hero, drop me a line at rthorp@timesleaderonline.com or via Twitter @RickThorp1