By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The best way to beat the heat? Bedford North Lawrence has figured that out. Now the Stars need to figure out how to cool off Bloomington North.
With the extreme and insufferable heat index forcing event postponements and caution, BNL discovered a simple solution for this week’s practice sessions – avoid the broiling afternoon sun, hit the field prior to sunrise. The Stars set early alarm clocks and convened before school to prepare for this week’s clash with the Class 5A No.9 Cougars.
Getting teens awake and brains functional at that unholy hour is quite remarkable. A victory over North – which has won 14 of the last 15 meetings in what has become a one-sided series – would be an equally sensational accomplishment.
The Cougars are already off to a hot start with a 34-29 home triumph over Mooresville last week. BNL (0-1) got some cold water of reality splashed on its face during a tough 23-19 road loss at 4A No.14 Martinsville, but the debut was promising. If the Stars can avoid melting in the fourth quarter, they could cramp North’s series streak.
How to do that? Three key areas.
First, handle the conditions. The start time will likely be pushed back, but it’s still going to be a sweat-box furnace on the turf, and cramping was an issue in the opener. Shifting the practice schedule did allow the Stars to conserve energy and fluids.
“This week has been a little different,” BNL coach Derrick Barker said. “The kids responded really well. Once they got awake, they really enjoyed it. That was a cool experience. We talk about focusing on the vision and not the circumstance, and we honed in on that. The circumstances weren’t great, we got out of our routine, but the kids put the work in.”
Second, the Stars have to get the defense off the field. Last week, Martinsville ran 76 plays (compared to BNL’s 43) and won the battle of attrition in the final quarter with two late touchdowns (the last a 99-yard march) to rally from a 19-9 deficit.
“It was just being able to force another turnover, or make a stop,” Barker said. “We weren’t able to do it.”
Third, BNL must prove able to sustain drives, thus allowing the defense to rest. BNL’s three touchdowns against Martinsville were the result of short field position (following an interception) and two electric plays covering 92 and 59 yards.
“We needed to get off to a fast start, be able to survive the first quarter,” Barker said. “First game of the year, it’s easy to make a lot of mistakes and dig yourself a hole. So I was glad to see us get a quick lead.
“We have the potential to be pretty strong on both sides of the ball. And be resilient. When the offense would get stalled, the defense made a stop. The explosive plays came at times when we needed to answer. So I was pleased with that. Obviously we wish we could have kept it up for another quarter. We have to be able to eat clock at opportune times.“
North will present a new set of challenges. The Cougars have multiple offensive weapons, starting with veteran quarterback Dash King. He threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, and his top targets included Cole Grupenhoff (six catches for 73 yards), Tate Bless (three for 52 yards) and Aidan Steinfeldt (three for 31). In addition, they have a solid ground game with Kijuan Hayes and Brayden Johnson.
“There’s not one guy to focus on,” Barker said. “They have two good running backs, the quarterback can run it, and he’s dangerous as a thrower. Then they have four receivers that are very big. So they’re multi-dimensional. It will be a challenge. It will be a good test to see where we are.”
North’s defense forced four turnovers and recorded three sacks against Mooresville.
“We started about as well as a team can,” North coach Scott Bless said. “Unfortunately, we let a good team come back to life – twice. I felt we played at a really good team speed and were physical throughout the game.”
Last year, King scorched the Stars for 203 passing yards and three TDs during a 35-14 win. North also tormented BNL quarterback Memphis Louden with constant pressure, allowing him to complete only 11 of 29 passes for 100 yards. Last week at Martinsville, Louden was a modest 5 of 12 for 172 yards (with 92 coming on the first-half TD pass to Ryker Hughes) while Cal Gates ran for 85 (with 59 on one scoring burst).
“Their quarterback and offensive line both really stand out on film,” Bless said. “They obviously have big-play ability. We have to control the ball, reduce our penalties, and try to contain BNL’s big-play guys.”
BNL at BLOOMINGTON NORTH
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: BNL 0-1; Bloomington North 1-0 (ranked No.9 in Class 5A)
Coaches: Derrick Barker, 10-12 in third season at BNL; Scott Bless, 84-110 in 19th season at North (100-139 in 24th season overall)
Sagarin ratings: BNL 58.50; Bloomington North 68.65
Series: Bloomington North leads 21-14
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, North quarterback Dash King threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars prevailed 35-14. Running back J.T. Storm had two touchdowns. BNL’s Memphis Louden threw for both BNL scores. The Stars were guilty of 10 penalties.
Previous game story: North storms to 35-14 flashflood victory
Game notes: North has won 14 of the last 15 games in the series. BNL’s only win in that span was a 55-38 shootout victory in 2018.
