By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – If veteran Brownstown coach Reed May was granted complete power to implement improvements as a high school football czar, he would probably add a 10th game to the regular-season schedule and do away with these IHSAA-sanctioned scrimmages. If the pads are donned and there’s an enemy on the opposite side, it should count for something.
Not that May lacks wins. He’s totaled 300 (the fifth most among active coaches in Indiana) with 13 sectional titles as he prepares for his 32nd season on the sideline. Never had a losing season during his Hall of Fame career. But he’s also never beaten Bedford North Lawrence – because the two programs have never clashed.
That will change on Friday night, when BNL and Brownstown will finish preseason work with a first-time meeting. This scrimmage, still a glorified practice and thus not counted as a recorded result, will carry the weight of the real deal for the Stars, a team with so many new faces and questions, one that needs a baptismal test against outside competition. The Braves, replacing Mitchell as BNL’s scrimmage foe, should be perfect prep partners.
BNL went 7-4 and lost most of its lineup from a year ago. Brownstown went 9-2 and returns 13 starters. If Fan Duel offered a betting line on this scrimmage, the Braves would likely be favored. So this is a great opportunity for the Stars to come of age in a hurry.
“It’s definitely much more important, much more valuable this year, because we’re looking at pretty much the whole team – both offense and defense – is new starters and guys who haven’t played a lot of varsity football,” BNL coach Derrick Barker said. “It’s huge for them, to see the speed of the game and the physicality of the game.
“The biggest thing is the level of physicality and execution. Brownstown has been extremely physical, extremely disciplined for a long time. They don’t make mistakes and beat themselves. So I’m excited about the chance to compete against that. They will be aggressive and attacking, which is what we need to see. It will only be good for us.”
BNL will unveil multiple new faces in key spots, starting with junior quarterback Dayson Kirby and sophomore Brody Horton in the backfield. The offensive line, anchored by junior Brady Byers, will have four new starters. The projected receiving corps (featuring Gavin Pedersen and Dax Short as the main targets) combined for only seven catches last season. Nobody scouts for a scrimmage, and it wouldn’t do any good to do that for the Stars, because there could be playing-time adjustments before the season opener.
“There are still a few spots we’re looking for guys to step in and take,” Barker said. “On the offensive line, we have guys we like, we’re just seeing who the best five are and who fits at what position. Skill wise, depth is a big thing. We have good athletes, we need to see where they fit the best. We’ll have guys playing both ways, which we typically do, so we need some depth.
“Somebody will look good, will make a play and earn themselves a little more time.”
BNL will have some measurable experience on the defensive side, with ends Gibson Crane and Byers as the catalysts. They are two of the five (plus Jimmy Farmer, Short and Driven Axsom) that are slated to start both ways. They will face the vaunted Brownstown single-wing shotgun attack, as unique as a flip phone in today’s modern world. It still works, quite well, demanding disciple to slow down.
“I want to see the speed we play and execute with,” Barker said. “With young guys, I don’t want to see us thinking and being timid, being slow. Good football is fast football. We know we will make mistakes, but we want to see guys play fast and with confidence. Go out and show us who our core players are, show the development.”
Brownstown will feature junior quarterback Micah Sheffer, junior running back Preston Garrison (476 yards last season) and senior Greg Hutcheson (396 rushing yards a year ago) in a veteran backfield, while linebacker Owen Wischmeier will be one of the main defensive leaders.
In past years, the Braves faced Jennings County in this final dress rehearsal. Both teams see this new preseason meeting as a possible upgrade, in terms of preparation.
“Any time we play a bigger school, it helps us at tournament time,” May said. “We like scrimmages. Hopefully we will be competitive. We want to see our kids compete against somebody else, it’s the chance to go against someone and evaluate when we are competing for spots and positions.”
Action at BNL will begin at 7 p.m. The Stars will host Martinsville in the regular-season debut on Aug. 23, while Brownstown will open Week 1 at Corydon.
