By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Remember Sesame Street? Of course you do. One of the trademark segments of the classic, timeless children’s series is the song “One of These Things is not Like the Others.” That song will now be stuck in your head for a while.
Here’s today’s list of four: Bedford North Lawrence, Orleans, Southridge and South Ripley. Which is the odd team out, the one not like the others? Here’s a hint – three of them are undefeated and ranked in the latest polls.
The Stars, the answer to the tricky question, will be the peculiar anomalies when they compete in the top-heavy Southridge Tournament on Saturday. BNL (3-3) will clash with Southridge (6-0 and ranked No.5 in Class 3A) in the opening game at 10 a.m. Orleans (5-0, ranked No.1 in Class A) will face South Ripley (8-0, No.13 in 2A) in the second game. The first-round losers will collide in the consolation game at 6 p.m., the final between the winners will follow that night.
BNL is no stranger to this level of competition. Southridge will be the fourth straight unbeaten opponent for the Stars, who have lost two straight. During all three losses, BNL has gone through a scoring drought that ultimately proved costly. That’s the margin of error between good and great.
“Our schedule has challenged us,” BNL coach Kurt Godlevske said. “We’re fortunate to be 3-3, but we’ve played everyone so well that we could very well be 6-0. These are the types of games that make teams better, especially around sectional time. It forces you to figure things out, and we’ve grown a bunch.
“We have to take it one more step offensively, to relieve some pressure of scoring. Right now, there’s always that stretch of trying to score. We’re figuring out how to play together. We struggled with that this summer, inserting three new starters into the lineup has taken us some time to figure out how to be efficient offensively. We’re right where we need to be on defense, we’re challenging teams and making things difficult.“
BNL is averaging only 51.2 points per game, currently down five points from a year ago. Patric Matson, as expected, is the scoring leader at 17.8, while Logan Miracle (9.8) and Quincy Pickett (9.0) have been solid contributors. The Stars have been an unorthodox collection with the lack of prototype point guard, with a bench that has been used sparingly.
“Not having someone who has been a true point guard in the past is part of it,” Godlevske said. “Patric has been doing a good job of initiating, getting us into the offense. We have to get better at making the extra pass, learn how to get open and get other people open.
“Dax (Short) has made some big strides, he’s kind of our X factor. We kind of go how he goes. He’s that type of player, always moving on to the next play. We need him to do his part, along with everybody else. They’re making us try to play to our weaknesses. That’s where we have to continue to grow and understand that.”
If there’s a team to exploit BNL’s offensive formula, it’s Southridge. The Raiders rank second in the state in points allowed, surrendering only 29.8 points per game. No opponent has yet reached 40.
On the other end, Southridge will feature guard Tate Whitehead, who torched Jasper for 25 points (out of his team’s 39) and added 21 during a recent victory over Perry Central. He recently set the school record for career treys with 167.
“They’re athletic, strong kids,” Godlevske said. “They will play a fast pace. That’s an area where we have to make them work and pay for what they’re giving us.”
BNL will make its first appearance in Huntingburg’s historic Memorial Gymnasium. The Stars and Raiders last collided in the regional semifinal in 1980.
Orleans vs. South Ripley: The Bulldogs are the two-time defending champions in this tournament, and they are the newly-minted team atop the Class A poll. They wear the target, even after losing eight seniors to graduation from a year ago.
“The poll doesn’t mean anything to us, obviously, but the kids look at it and have a little pride,” Orleans coach Tom Bradley said. “We’re a long way from being a No.1 team, that’s for sure.
“Our defense is pretty good. We’ve played good defense the last few years. We thought there might be a little drop in that, but there hasn’t been at all. That’s been a good thing. We’ve had some guys step up. We’re got some experience from last year.”
Orleans is led by junior forward Alex DeWitt (16.2 points. 7.6 rebounds), senior Rylan Crocker (15.4 points) and senior Bryce Jones (11.8 points, 4.6 assists).
South Ripley will feature the high-scoring duo of 6-7 senior Cole Henry (21.2) and senior guard Blaine Ward (20.2). Both have gone over 1,000 career points.
“This will be a tough one,” Bradley said. “This will be as loaded of a tournament as it has been. It will be a tough one to win.”
There’s a family connection between the programs. South Ripley coach Seve Beach served as the best man for the wedding of Bradley’s daughter, and he’s the grandson of former Orleans coaching legend Charles Denbo.
SOUTHRIDGE TOURNAMENT
BNL at SOUTHRIDGE
When: Saturday, 10 a.m.
Records: BNL 3-3; Southridge 6-0, ranked No.5 in Class 3A
Sagarin ratings: BNL 78.44; Southridge 85.42
Series: BNL leads 2-0
Last meeting: BNL prevailed 56-43 in the first game of the 1980 regional.
Game notes: Southridge ranks second in the state in scoring defense, allowing only 29.8 points per game. No opponent has reached 40 points against the Raiders this season. Both BNL victories over Southridge have come during the postseason (regional semifinals in 1976, 1980).
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Dax Short 6-1 Jr.
F – Isaiah Sasser 6-0 Sr.
C – Logan Miracle 6-5 Sr.
G – Patric Matson 6-5 Sr.
G – Quincy Pickett 6-3 Sr.
Southridge Raiders
F – Brock Thacker 6-3 Sr.
F – Davis Schwartz 6-3 Sr.
G – Justin Leathers 6-2 Jr.
G – Tate Whitehead 5-10 Sr.
G – Cam Haywood 6-1 Jr.
ORLEANS vs. SOUTH RIPLEY
When: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
Records: Orleans 5-0, ranked No.1 in Class A; South Ripley 8-0, ranked No.13 in Class 2A
Sagarin ratings: Orleans 79.16; South Ripley 78.69
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the teams.
Game notes: Orleans coach Tom Bradley ranks 18th on the current coaching list with 405 career wins. Orleans ranks third in the state in scoring defense, allowing only 35.8 points per game. South Ripley ranks sixth in the state in winning margin at 28.4. Orleans is the tournament’s two-time defending champion.
Starting lineups
Orleans Bulldogs
F – Nolan Robbins 6-2 Jr.
F – Alex DeWitt 6-3 Jr.
F – Nate Brown 6-3 Jr.
G – Rylan Crocker 6-1 Sr.
G – Bryce Jones 6-1 Sr.
South Ripley Raiders
F – Cole Henry 6-7 Sr.
G – Bryson Sipples 6-0 Jr.
G – Drew Volz 5-9 So.
G – Blaine Ward 6-1 Sr.
G – Chancie Volz 5-10 Sr.
