By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Ever been so hungry, with the stomach growling and the mouth drooling in anticipation? That’s Bedford North Lawrence senior Brayden Baker right now, preparing to chew up competition. And it’s only June football, just a snack for the main course in August. Feed ‘em, Seymour, feed ‘em as the Stars start preparing what they hope will be an opponent’s shop of horrors.
That’s the mindset BNL coach Derrick Barker, about to enter his third season, wants to see. BNL is coming off a solid 6-5 season that included a share of the Hoosier Hills Conference crown and a first-round sectional victory. He wants that to be an appetizer for future success.
BNL capped the month with a scrimmage workout against Scottsburg on Thursday afternoon. Shoulder pads and helmets (and those new silver hats look sharp with the red uniforms, for all the fashion conscious) only, minimal contact during 7-on-7 passing drills and 11-on-11 work. That’s just a glimpse, because real football happens when the contact is hard and the yards are tough. “Those days are coming,” Barker said. “They’ll be here soon enough.”
Yes, they will. But for the moment, the scrimmage had to suffice. It’s been a long offseason of practice sessions, team camps, weights and drills. That’s necessary but tedious. Those lack the lumens of Friday night lights. The workout with the Warriors was illuminating because it showed the Stars what works, what doesn’t, who’s ready, who’s not.
“Summer is figuring out what our foundation will be, our formula as a team,” Barker said. “Getting players in the right positions, figuring out who is good at what skill set. We start narrowing down, making sure we get them in the right spots and utilize them the best way possible.
“That’s the mindset. The job is not going to be won in June, it won’t be lost in June. But we have to see some competition. There’s still ground to make up, to still understand that just because they’re a senior or even started last year, it doesn’t mean they’re entitled to it. We have to have everyone pushing.”
BNL lost 20 seniors from a year ago, and some projected starters were absent because of their participation in other sports. Senior defensive back Trace Rynders even played multiple snaps on the turf then raced (surely obeying the posted speed limits) away to join his basketball teammates for the completion of a basketball scrimmage in Orleans, which is another level of dedication. On the road, keep it to 55. On the field, 100 is fine. Preferred, even.
“We’re not playing to the pull potential, because it’s early, but we’re looking to see effort out of everybody,” Baker explained. “If we’re not doing things right, that’s OK as long as we’re doing it 110 percent.
“People want to keep the energy going. We know people will be coming for us, people know who we are, so we have to keep the energy and keep going.”
Most 7-on-7 scrimmages are unrealistic because most high school football offenses are not pass crazy. However, BNL will feature a three-year veteran quarterback in Memphis Louden. What the Stars need to discover are skill personnel, the receivers to catch the Louden bullets, the running backs to scamper out of the read-option sets. So the scrimmage was a key test.
“With someone like Memphis, you can do a little more, being the leader out there,” Barker said. “But from a skills standpoint, we have some holes. So this is a great opportunity to see who will step up, who’s ready to play at a varsity level.”
Summer, while the calendar indicates it just started, is almost over in football terms. After the IHSAA’s mandatory “dead week” of no activity during the first week of July, BNL will have two more weeks of work. Then it’s a final week off before the first official practice on July 31, the first day of school on Aug. 2, and the countdown to the season opener at Martinsville on Aug. 18.
“I’ve been so excited,” Baker said. “Looking forward to this. As long as we go hard, that’s what we want to see.”
BNL’s Brayson Short elevates to make a catch in defensive traffic.
