By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – If there’s a football team that needs an intravenous line – literally and metaphorically – it’s Bedford North Lawrence. Drained of physical fluids and mental juice after two heart-wrenching losses, the Stars need a victory injected straight into a vein.
Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties. Seven keys (confidence, competence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control) are listed to successfully harnessing that ability. BNL will test its limits as it finally makes its home debut.
The Stars will begin defense of their co-Hoosier Hills Conference title when they welcome struggling Jeffersonville on Friday night. The Red Devils are also 0-2, thanks to a starting schedule that equals BNL’s in toughness. The difference is Jeffersonville has surrendered 94 points thus far, while BNL has won every quarter but the fourth against two ranked opponents.
Perhaps that’s the silver lining in the cloud, but that’s also reality. The Stars have been ultra-competitive against 4A No.14 Martinsville and 5A No.9 Bloomington North, surrendering two touchdowns in both final quarters to come up agonizingly short as heat and humidity exacted a toll.
“You don’t want to be satisfied, just being close, by any means,” BNL coach Derrick Barker said. “That’s definitely not now we feel. But we don’t want to be ready to fold in for the season. I think they know, when they play to their potential, we’ve seen what we’re capable of. Now we have to do it for four quarters.
“It’s been good to see the complamentary football we’ve played. We’ve done a good job with mental toughness. When the defense is tired and the offense needs to go on a drive, they’ve done that. When the offense turns the ball over, the defense makes a big stop, for the most part. So there are things we like, and things to build on.”
In order to reach the finish line, BNL has proven it needs key personnel on the field. That was the issue last week at Bloomington North, particularly when quarterback Memphis Louden suffered extreme body cramps (thanks to the heat index and dehydration) early in the third quarter and could not return. BNL hung on until the final seconds, when a late North touchdown secured a 21-14 comeback win. Louden, running back Cal Gate (back spasms) and others who suffered in the blast-furnace conditions are back this week. Conditioning has become a priority.
Can the Red Devils bring their own heat? So far, they’ve suffered a 52-20 loss to defending 5A state runner-up Whiteland and a 42-7 loss to Seymour (the other defending co-champion in the HHC), and both were at home. Now they’re on the road to face an opponent that’s a little angry.
“If anybody can say they’ve played as tough, or tougher, of a schedule as us, it’s Jeffersonville,” Barker said. “They’ve definitely been put to the test. They’re always going to be dangerous. We saw it last year in the first half. They’re extremely talented. When they get hot, they get really hot.“
Let’s review last year’s epic. The Devils exploded to an 18-0 halftime lead, and BNL looked dead on arrival. Then in the second half, Louden directed a miraculous comeback, firing two touchdown passes and capping the 19-18 win with a 24-yard strike to Trace Rynders with 15 seconds left.
BNL can’t afford to wait too long this time. Jeff quarterback Nik Schindler has thrown for 389 yards and four touchdowns already this year, and he was 11 of 14 for 166 yards (and two scores) against the Stars a year ago. He runs an effective run-pass option offense.
“He presents a lot of challenges,” Barker said. “They have receivers capable of beating you one-on-one, and they’re big on the offensive line. We can’t get worn done.”
Of course, the Devils have issues to fix, starting with the scoring differential. That can be traced to youth and inexperience.
“Of course you’ll be concerned when you’re giving up 47 points a game,” Jeff coach Isaac Parker said. “We have played some good opponents. We have a young team, we’re playing some young kids in some tough spots, and some of the seniors are in their first year to start.
“The best part of this team is we have a really good group of kids. They exceed in every area. We’re just waiting for that to translate to the field.”
Parker’s scouting report starts with Louden, who ran for 92 yards in one half against North. He’s also concerned about BNL’s physicality, and the Stars forced four turnovers last week against the Cougars.
“What I wonder, if the quarterback doesn’t come out in the third quarter, do they win?” Parker said. “He’s a big, strong kid who runs hard. He’s a defensive nightmare.
“It’s BNL, they are always big and physical. They’ve played two tough opponents, and it makes it hard to get a read. But it’s also the best against the best. They’re always going to be disciplined, they’re going to execute precisely. They’ll be strong. They run the ball well and they’re physical on defense.“
Last year’s amazing rally against the Devils was the springboard to a historic season as BNL won a share of its first HHC title since 2006. Winning this home opener would solve a lot of woes and revive confidence.
“The first two weeks are certainly meaningful, but they’re kind of the preseason when you look at it,” Barker said. “Now we’re in the conference season, and that’s when we need to play our best football.”
JEFFERSONVILLE at BNL
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Records: Jeffersonville 0-2 (0-1 in HHC); BNL 0-2 (0-0 in HHC)
Coaches: Isaac Parker, 8-23 in fourth season with Jeffersonville; Derrick Barker, 10-13 in third season with BNL
Sagarin ratings: Jeffersonville 37.67; BNL 62.87
Series: Jeffersonville leads 31-17
Last meeting: Last year at Jeffersonville, the Stars rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half to stop the Red Devils 19-18. Trace Rynders caught the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds left.
Previous game story: Miracle in River City! Stars rise from the dead
Game notes: BNL is the defending HHC co-champion. The Stars are seeking to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2014. Jeffersonville has suffered through seven straight losing seasons.
