By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Rivalries can be difficult to predict. When the adrenaline flows at maximum levels, when the passion peaks, nothing is sweeter than victory. Those circumstances can create the most unlikely of heroes.
And then there’s the county rivalry between Bedford North Lawrence and Mitchell. Neighbors separated by approximately 14 miles (from school to school), communities linked by history, geography and family. Neither side of White River likes to admit it, but there’s an everlasting bond, and the most common ground is the love of the game.
That’s also been the most predictable of outcomes. For 38 straight meetings, for 49 out of the 50 battles since BNL was formed, picking BNL has been a safe bet. If BNL-Mitchell was available on FanDuel, it would be the greatest of odds, in favor of the Stars, just based on history.
The Stars and Bluejackets will renew their one-sided rivalry on Friday night when Mitchell invades BNL Fieldhouse. And there’s a different vibe this time, as first-year coach Clint Roesler has the Bluejackets on course for a winning season, off to a solid 8-4 start. Mitchell has had this many wins at this point only three times since 2000. Mitchell should always be taken seriously, doubly so with the Jackets enjoying success.
“They’re off to a really good start,” BNL coach Kurt Godlevske said. “When you’re playing like that, and winning, that’s half the battle.”
Roesler will get his introduction to the intensity surrounding this annual collision. It’s part of the fabric of Hoosier Hysteria, the bragging rights that come with winning.
“Rivalries are always fun,” he said. “It plays to how special Indiana basketball is. It’s a new one for me and I don’t know what to expect. The kids just have a little extra juice, there’s a lot of passion. It makes basketball fun.
“Our guys know them very well, our guys are friends with BNL kids. So we hear about them and talk about them. I know it’s an important game, but we attack it the same way we do any tough opponent. We’ll be as ready as we can.”
Mitchell started this season with three straight wins, then won four in a row while claiming the championship of its own holiday tournament. That streak ended with Wednesday’s loss at Class A No.3 Orleans, but that momentum still exists.
“It’s been a really good start,” Roesler said. “We’re in a tougher part of our schedule, so we’re excited to have games that are big challenges for us. We had a really good showing in our tournament, which was nice. Everyone works really hard, that makes practices really fun.
“When I took over, I knew it was a team that always had athletes. I wanted to really key in on defense, make defense a cornerstone of the program, that we knew and understood how to defend. Then use our athleticism to our advantage. We play at a high pace, and we like to take advantage of different guys to play to their strengths. And of course, winning cures all things.”
Gavin Robinson has been the offensive catalyst for Mitchell, averaging 16 points per game. The other weapons include senior Austin Mosier (13.5) and 6-7 senior Nate Robertson (11.0), along with veteran point guard Aiden Pridemore.
BNL will feature the explosive scoring of Patric Matson (21.0 after a three-game surge of 82 points, including the 26-point night at Martinsville on Wednesday), senior center Logan Miracle (10.7 and coming off a career-best 26 points against the Artesians) and perimeter sniper Quincy Pickett (9.3, with 23 of his 29 field goals coming from 3-point range).
“Matson is a heck of a talent,” Roesler said. “I watched the Orleans game, and they didn’t have an answer to stop him.”
BNL extended its iron-fisted hold on the series with last year’s 64-55 victory. Matson had 23 points and Noah Godlevske added 14. Mosier totaled 10 points for the Bluejackets. The pressure will be greater on the Stars to keep the run going.
Matson smiled and quoted former BNL center Jett Jones, who supplied bulletin-board material after the win in 2022, stating “People were saying this was Mitchell’s year. It wasn’t. It won’t ever be when I’m around.” Jones had a career-high 14 points that night. That’s the mindset, nobody wants to be on the BNL side when this streak finally ends.
“We just have to play our game,” Matson said.
“It’s all about composure and discipline, doing what you’re supposed to do,” Godlevske said. “I have a lot of faith in our kids. They get excited, the communities get excited because it represents some of the old days. It’s big because it’s exciting for both teams.”
MITCHELL at BNL
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 5-4; Mitchell 8-4
Sagarin ratings: BNL 79.20; Mitchell 64.52
Series: BNL leads 49-1
Last meeting: Last year at Mitchell, Patric Matson scored 23 points as the Stars extended their series streak with a 64-55 win. Noah Godlevske added 14 points for BNL. Austin Mosier and Bryson Shoults had 10 points each for the Bluejackets.
Previous game story: Stars silence the buzz
Game notes: BNL has won 38 straight games in the series since Mitchell’s lone win in 1986. Mitchell is on track for its first winning season since 2019.
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 Jr.
G – Quincy Pickett 6-3 Sr.
Mitchell Bluejackets
F – Carl Chenault 6-2 Sr.
F – Nate Robertson 6-7 Sr.
G – Austin Mosier 6-2 Sr.
G – Gavin Robinson 6-0 Jr.
G – Aiden Pridemore 5-10 Sr.
