By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The Boys of Summer usually wear baseball caps, not high-tech, space-age football helmets. Somewhere, on a dusty diamond under the broiling sun, kids still play pitch-and-catch, still chatter at the opposing batter. But this is the offseason, if there really is such a thing these days, at Bedford North Lawrence, and Christmas in July is football on the turf, playing pitch-and-catch and chattering a little too much.
The Stars completed their summer scrimmage sessions on Tuesday evening, competing with Washington in a not-total-pads, allegedly no-contact, full-team workout. Playing this sport without hitting someone on the opposite side of the line is like stopping at Jiffy Treat and not eating ice cream. Not happening. Testosterone pumps, adrenaline flows, tempers flare, and pretty soon somebody is getting a turf burn.
BNL did its best not to bury any Hatchets, and vice versa, during the 90-minute practice session. Its value was watching the new-look future and determining a possible path to progress when official workouts for the 2024 campaign begin in earnest.
First impression of this summer finale? The Stars will be painfully young. They lost a huge and talented senior class from 2023, then lost more talent with unfortunate defections (to neighboring schools), decisions (to focus on a singular sport) and life choices.
Second impression? BNL has a solid nucleus, even with a small senior class of six.
Final impression? Patience will be required as the Stars navigate ahead with a tough schedule on the horizon.
“We have a pretty young group that’s been putting in a lot of work,” BNL coach Derrick Barker said. “It’s starting back on a lot of fundamentals, working on basic things. We’ve reduced the playbook. When you lose a group like we did, you have to change some things.
“But I’ve been proud of the kids that have been here. We’ve had kids that have gone another direction, decided to do other things. We’re focused on the ones that are here. They are working their butts off. We’re a different group. We have a lot of energy when we gets things rolling. We’ll have some bumps and bruises, some learning experiences, but the kids love football and aren’t afraid of hard work. That’s promising.“
BNL has enjoyed success this summer during multiple scrimmages and 7-on-7 competition. This workout was one with more bumps than smoothness. With so many new faces still feeling their way around, the offense sputtered, the Hatchets were able to move the ball more consistently (although they had to give up on a snap count higher than one). BNL’s best athletes will be on defense.
There will be growing pains in August, and beyond.
“We lost a lot but I think we can make up for it,” junior Gibson Crane said. “We have a lot of new young kids. This summer was a lot of hard work, trying to get better, learn our playbook. It’s getting us ready.”
Then he added, and spoke like a true linebacker: “We will need to work on more contact in practice.”
When official practice sessions begin on Aug. 5, BNL will be an interesting work in progress. New faces at many offensive positions (Dayson Kirby at quarterback, Brody Horton at running back, new starters on the offensive line) will require some introductions as the season unfolds. They will have to absorb lessons quickly, and that includes when to grit teeth and play harder, rather than crow a lot about a little. It’s the quiet ones that worry everyone.
Young and sassy, BNL has potential. But success will be earned, not just talked about. The Stars have made strides each season under Barker, they went 7-4 after an 0-2 start a year ago, they’ve won sectional games in back-to-back campaigns.
The motto? “Keep trying, play hard,” junior Brady Byers said. “Our goal is to try to win the sectional, have a winning season. Have fun.”
“We have the same expectations,” Barker said. “We’re going to compete and work hard. Our standard will always be our standard, we will never lower that. We will do things the right way in the classroom, the community and the field. We will play our butts off.”
BNL will scrimmage against Brownstown on Aug. 16, then begin the regular season against Martinsville on Aug, 23.
