By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – “Dressed to the nines” is an old-time saying, referring to someone’s snappy, snazzy clothes. Modern slang would be voguish or hip. On that 1-9 scale, Bedford North Lawrence’s wardrobe choice for the final home match rated a zero.
Nobody on the team would take credit, or blame, but the Stars chose to dress down for the final nine holes at Otis Park this season. Crazy attire has become a BNL tradition on Senior Night (even though this roster has no seniors). Golfers are usually known for their pressed, sharp look. This was the anti-golf style – cut-off plaid shirts with the farmer’s tans glaring, jean shorts and ball caps, evidence why critics refer to the game as “cow pasture pool.”
They wore it well. If that’s the look, you better win. And BNL did, posting a solid score on the front nine while conquering Mitchell and West Washington on Thursday.
Paced by Tyler Bellush’s 1-over 38, the Stars carded a team total of 161, cruising past the Senators (189) and Bluejackets (236) in their regular-season finale.
While they looked ready for farm chores – “We’re all a little dumb to pick that,” BNL’s Coleson Stiles admitted with a guilty grin – the Stars were actually close to postseason ready. Stiles fired a 40, matched by Drew McKee, and Carson Root completed the team scoring with 43. Now BNL will have 11 days to prepare for the IHSAA sectional.
“We played well,” BNL coach Trey Turner said. “They were hitting the ball well. We need to shore up some of the scores that will be playing in the sectional, but we have a week to get ready. That’s a good thing. It’s good to practice a little, feel out what we need to work on.”
Bellush will focus on putting over the break, lamenting the ones he missed during his round. He birdied the par-5 fifth hole, set up by a soft pitch from the front bank, to offset bogeys on the eighth and first holes.
“Overall I’m pretty happy,” he said. “I left some putts out there where I could have shot under par, but I’m pretty satisfied.”
Stiles’ highlight also came on the fifth, where he rocketed a drive to 165 yards, fired an 8-iron to the middle of the green and two-putted for birdie. He will focus on keeping his driver in top form.
“I didn’t miss a fairway until the sixth or seventh hole,” Stiles said. “So giving myself a chance to hit the green was key.
“I think the break will help. It will give us time to figure stuff out, we can take advantage of the practice time and be good for the sectional.”
BNL, Mitchell and West Washington will all compete in the sectional at Cascades in Bloomington on June 3. The top three teams will qualify for the regional.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Bellush said. “We need to play some practice rounds. But if we play well we can make it out.”
BNL 161, West Washington 189, Mitchell 236
BNL – Tyler Bellush 38, Drew McKee 40, Dillon Lewis 46, Parker Foddrill 50, Coleson Stiles 40, Carson Root 43, Quincy Pickett 48, Kurt Sullivan 47, Cash Clark 54, Trevor Cummings 53, Carter Sollman 62
Mitchell – Ayden Stiles 49, Braxton Jones 61, Kolton Kendall 62, Jackson Drake 64, Landon Terrell 64
West Washington – Jackson Wiseman 44, Connor Gates 48, Silas Batt 52, Carson Mollet 49, Landon Hollway 48, Jaxson Cameron 52
