By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Doctors might struggle to pinpoint the root source of growing pains, the aching and throbbing in the legs, but coaches know the exact cause. When exuberant, unprepared youth collides with toughened, wiser elders, there’s going to be discomfort and soreness.
Bedford North Lawrence had all the expected symptoms in 2024. Multiple new, fresh faces in the starting lineup, very few seniors on the roster, tough tests against a schedule that would ultimately feature four sectional finalists. The final result – two wins, against the same opponent – should not have been surprising.
That doesn’t make it less painful or disappointing. The Stars (2-9) had been on the rise, posting a higher number of wins during each of Derrick Barker’s first three seasons as head coach. The step backward, in terms of competitiveness with five mercy-rule setbacks, was obvious.
There were moments of promise among those losses. There were breakdowns in fundamentals that became teaching tools. There was a lot to learn.
“It was definitely disappointing and tough in stretches,” Barker said. “We knew it would be a growing year, we would come in with a young team that was undersized, under strength, without a lot of experience. There were some tough moments.
“What stuck with me, more than anything, is our kids never gave up. We had good practices, they showed up and worked hard. It’s not a successful season from the standpoint of wins and losses that we want. Nobody is happy with how it went, nobody is content with anyone’s performance. But it showed some things to learn from and grow from. That’s all we can do.”
The two wins came against winless Jennings County, a 41-14 road victory during the regular season and a 38-6 triumph in the first round of Class 4A’s Sectional 23. That win marked the first time BNL won a postseason game in three consecutive seasons. The Stars were competitive against Jeffersonville and New Albany, played with Floyd Central and Madison for a half before faltering.
“We’ve got a lot of ground to make up,” Barker said. “There were moments we played pretty well. It showed we had the ability and potential, the talent to compete. Now we have to put the work in to do it for four quarters. Not worry about the end result, but what we can control in each step of the process.
“We played a lot of young kids, got them some experience. In the long run, that will pay off. That’s just crucial for a young group.”
BNL will return a lot of starters, most notably in the skill positions on offense. Dayson Kirby threw for 1,385 yards and 12 touchdowns, spreading the wealth among his receiving corps of Jaden Gilbert (39 for 501 yards and 7 TDs), Dax Short (31 for 348), Driven Axsom (27 for 356) and Parker Kern (22 for 163). Gilbert was also the leading rusher with 345 yards.
Defensively, Brady Byers (10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss) and Gibson Crane (8 sacks, 18 tackles for loss) were disruptive forces, while Cutler Chastain had three interceptions.
“We were able to throw the ball successfully, and there were games we had to rely on that,” Barker said. “Defensively, we were good at making negative plays. We just weren’t able to do it for a whole game. But there were promising moments.”
What must be fixed? That’s a long list. First is the running game. BNL managed only 659 rushing yards (60 yards per game, only 2.4 yards per carry). That points to the offensive line. Second is the defense that allowed 36.9 points per game. That points to a unit that surrendered over 2,000 rushing yards, capped by the 345 yards and five touchdowns by Greenwood’s Gunner Ruppert in the sectional semifinal.
“Tough teams run the ball, stop the run, and cover kicks,” Barker said. “Those are three areas we struggled. It starts with strength and conditioning, being older and stronger, being faster. It’s pretty apparent that teams that don’t tackle well, and don’t stop the run, it’s because they’re not strong enough. So that’s the top priority for us.
“There are things we need to change on both sides of the ball. Running the ball helps you control the game. Passing the ball is the explosive plays that lead to touchdowns, so you have to have both.”
BNL must devote more time to the weight room, put team concerns above individual statistics, and use this season as a motivation to improve.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Barker said. “We lose a really good group of seniors, we will miss them from the leadership and experience we had. But it’s exciting to see we bring back eight or nine starters on both sides of the ball. There’s a lot to build on. It’s exciting to think about this group cashing in on their experience.
“There should be motivation to lift, run, to get better as an athlete. To be better people and better athletes.”
BNL FINAL STATISTICS (2-9)
Bedford NL 30 80 28 41 – 179 (16.3)
Opp. 83 125 89 109 – 406 (36.9)
Team statistics
BNL – First downs 104 (41 by run, 53 by pass, 10 by penalties); Rushing 273-659 (10 TDs, 2.4 per carry); Passing 139-277-14-1,696 (16 TDs); Total yards 2,355 (214.1 per game); Fumbles 23 (lost 7); Penalties 74-580
Opp. – First downs 137 (87 by run, 39 by pass, 11 by penalties); Rushing 374-2,014 (26 TDs, 5.6 per carry); Passing 107-168-8-1,476 (17 TDs); Total yards 3,490 (317.3 per game); Fumbles 12 (lost 6); Penalties 73-643
Individual statistics
Rushing – Kirby 54 -(-77), 1 TD; Horton 99-248 (6 TDs), Gilbert 48-345 (2 TDs); Engleking 14-15, Byers 1-(-1), Lanham 1-21, Hildum 11-30, Beeson 1-(-12), Axsom 6-20, Ira 30-38, Allender 5-22, Free 1-(-2), Crane 1-4, Kern 1-6
Passing – Kirby 112-202-10-1,385 (12 TDs), Ira 24-67-4-286 (3 TDs), Allender 3-8-0-25 (1 TD)
Receiving – Pedersen 7-116 (1 TD), Short 31-348 (2 TDs), Kern 22-163 (2 TDs), Gilbert 39-501 (7 TDs), Axsom 27-356 (2 TDs), Horton 8-68 (1 TD), Jones 1-7, Crane 2-6, Conner 2-14 (1 TD), Hildum 1-11
