By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – For the first time in over a decade, the short month of February got shorter at Bedford North Lawrence. That Pennsylvania groundhog might not be reliable at weather forecasts, but the varmint could predict, with absolute certainty, more weeks of basketball for a program accustomed to deep state tournament journeys.
Over the last 13 years, the Stars on the hardwood were as constant in the postseason as the stars in the heavens. Team banners, trophies and glory were an annual event. When opponents saw BNL’s shadow, they usually scurried back into hiding. With all the remarkable success, with the abundant blessings of talent, expectations plumed into the stratosphere.
Could it last forever? Despite the unrealistic demands of the spoiled, and the dreams of the successors, it could not.
BNL’s dynastic run concluded with the sectional championship loss to Floyd Central, ending the longest sectional title streak in the state after 13 years. The Stars finished 7-16, an unceremonious and disappointing way for a program with the best record in the state for the previous 12 seasons to fall back to earth. BNL endured the first losing record since 2006 and posted its most losses ever.
Change often precedes such a paradigm shift. Rather than continue the unprecedented success, BNL went through a major reboot. The talent drain was significant, the coaching change signaled a new era. That doesn’t mean it was acceptable, but it was predictable.
“There was a lot of change, a lot of kids in new roles, a new coach being a big one,” said first-year coach Greg Burton, charged with continuing the tradition. “And we had lost a lot. We lost a Hall of Fame coach (Jeff Allen), a Miss Basketball (Chloe Spreen), and Madisyn Bailey was absolutely an All-Star. That’s a lot. Obviously we want to win more games. We want to win the conference, win the sectional. So that hurt.
“The big thing is culture, and that starts with me.”
BNL had bright moments: three Hoosier Hills Conference wins, a Senior Day victory over Class A power Orleans, and a first-round sectional win over New Albany that extended the sectional streak to 40 games. The Stars were competitive in the final with powerful favorite Floyd Central until the fourth quarter. There were also bumps in the road, off-the-court noise, and lessons learned.
“My expectations were to get better, to progress as the season went along,” Burton said. “It was tough, because the schedule was back-end loaded with difficult games. So you don’t see the progress in the win-loss columns. But I was happy with the progress. I’m a coach, so I will never say I did well at something. But the kids worked hard.
“The toughest part was I try to be positive with everyone. Kids get down, and you try to lift one kid up and another is bummed, whether it’s playing time or different things. That’s where I could be better at communicating. Knowing that, going forward, making sure everyone is clear on roles and things like that. You always think you’re doing a good job, and when a problem arises you might realize you’re not doing as good as you thought.”
BNL will bid farewell to a senior class, including two starters, that contributed to the 2023 state championship and played key roles as the Stars won the sectional title the next season. Tori Nikirk (6.3 points per game) and Makaya Jackson (4.2) will leave voids in the lineup, while Katie Godlevske (5.5 as the first player off the bench) are Trinity Schmeichel played reserve roles.
“Just walking down the hallways, you see the leadership that Tori and Katie bring, just the vibrant energy,” Burton said. “They’re just positive kids. That goes a long way. Makaya and Trinity were more soft spoken, but they busted their tails. So there’s a lot of leadership that’s graduating. Those things will hurt. It’s a bummer when a season ends because you’re always going to lose contributions.”
The question now is what direction BNL will take. The season statistics pinpointed issues. The Stars shot 31 percent overall, and 46 percent of their shots came from the 3-point line. They averaged only 40.5 points per game (under 50 for only the second time since 2006) and also averaged 15.2 turnovers (including three games of 20-plus), and that’s not typical of BNL teams.
“We will play differently because of personnel,” Burton said. “Believe it or not, my style is not to run and gun, fire up threes. But I thought it was best suited for that group. Maybe I was wrong. I was trying to play to those strengths. Now it will be more structured, pull the reins in, going forward. You will see the threes go down.”
BNL will have an expected foundation to build on, starting with scoring leader Miley Sherrill (10.3), rebounding leader Trinidy Bailey (4.9 plus 5.2 points), and guard Jordynn Blann (4.1). Burton also anticipates players from the junior varsity – including Elise Williams, who claimed a spot in the seven-player rotation late in the year – to make an impact. That list includes Sammie Nusbaum, Elahdy Ray, Bella Warren and Carsyn Amburgey.
“I really, really like this team,” Burton said. “We have a lot of kids that just love basketball, and when you have that good things can happen. Trinidy Bailey is fantastic, Jordynn Blann is a really good guard. But we were playing without a true point guard. Trinidy is really good, she’s smart and knows what’s going on. She did a great job of taking that over as the season went along, she was trying to understand what we wanted.
“The future is bright. I like what we have coming back.”
BNL’s overall program record is now 907-272.
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