By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – If losing is a poison, winning is the antidote. Bedford North Lawrence got a huge injection of that remedy with its first victory.
The Stars blasted out some toxins with a 41-14 triumph in the damp drizzle at Jennings County last week. After five weeks of suffering, they discovered the simple cure: play better than the opponent. BNL did that in every phase, with big-play offensive execution, with four interceptions (including a sensational pick-six), and field-position dominance on special teams. Now the Stars must do it again, with an angry and much tougher challenge ahead.
BNL (1-5, 1-3 in the Hoosier Hills Conference) will tangle with Floyd Central on Friday night. The Highlanders (3-2, 2-1 in the league) are coming off an emotional letdown loss to Columbus East in a battle for the HHC lead. They will be in a bad mood.
On the flip side, the Stars got a boost in morale and energy with the first win.
“It was definitely something that was needed,” BNL coach Derrick Barker said. “The kids needed a game like that, where things went their way. They were able to make plays, have some success. A lot of hard work had been put in to get a little bit of a reward for it.
“The offensive line played well, we were able to open some holes for backs to run through. We hit a couple of big plays in the pass game. And when you get four takeaways and score on defense, that’s huge. At the end of the day, we won the explosive plays, we won the field position, and we won the turnover battle. If you do those things, at any level of football, you have a pretty good chance to win.”
Floyd is a much different, more dangerous animal than the declawed Panthers. They feature an All-State receiver in Isaac Kaiser (24 catches, 370 yards and 5 touchdowns), a capable new quarterback in Jack Mull (787 yards, 12 TDs) and a tough running game with Sebastian Robertson (662 yards, 5 TDs).
“They can do everything,” Barker said. “They can run the ball, throw the ball. They have an All-State receiver, and they run the ball really hard. It’s hard to get a tab on them and see what is coming. And I’m sure we will get a ticked-off team.”
Floyd’s record is a little misleading, because a winnable game with Terre Haute South (1-4) was cancelled in Week 2. The question mark with the Highlanders is a defense that’s allowed 31.0 points per game. BNL’s offense had more points last week at Jennings (41) than the first five game combined.
Last year’s clash was a classic epic. Floyd battled to a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Stars came rushing back with two scores, including a touchdown with 47 seconds left. Barker gambled and went for a two-point conversion, with the likely HHC title at stake, but the Stars botched the play as the Highlanders escaped with a 28-27 victory and went on to win the league championship. Memphis Louden was the BNL hero that night with three touchdown passes and a rushing score.
The Stars will have to duplicate their execution and energy from last week.
“The energy and vibes are higher, maybe some confidence, which is needed as we get to a pretty tough stretch of the schedule,” Barker said. “It would be good to build on that. It makes you feel better and a little more eager to work harder.
“We have to take care of the ball, put drives together. We have to finish with touchdowns. We have to tackle well. They will break tackles, so we have to get guys there to make the tackle. We can’t give up the big play.”
FLOYD CENTRAL at BNL
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: Floyd Central 3-2 (2-1 in HHC); BNL 1-5 (1-3 in HHC)
Coaches: James Bragg, 40-28 in seventh season at Floyd Central; Derrick Barker, 18-20 in fourth season at BNL
Sagarin rating: Floyd Central 60.48; BNL 32.06
Series: Floyd Central leads 31-24
Last meeting: Last year at Floyd, the Highlanders edged the Stars 28-27 en route to the HHC title. BNL rallied from a two-touchdown deficit and went for two points to take the lead with 47 seconds left, but fumbled on the play. Memphis Louden threw three TD passes and scored the other for the Stars. Mitch Bernardi ran for 118 yards for the Highlanders.
Previous game story: Gambling Stars roll snakes eyes on final play
Game notes: Columbus East leads the HHC after beating Floyd 34-14 last week. Floyd Central is allowing 31 points per game. BNL scored more points last week at Jennings (41) than the previous five games this season.
