By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Barring another mid-season sectional assignment shift from the IHSAA, Bedford North Lawrence will open the 2024 regular season with a preview look at the early postseason favorite in Sectional 23.
Following the success-factor promotion of two-time state champion East Central to Class 5A, Martinsville now inherits the badge (or target, depending on the viewpoint) that identifies the chosen successor to the vacated sectional crown. There’s plenty of reasons to pinpoint the Artesians, who bring back 17 starters to defend their share of the Mid-State Conference title. And there’s currently no reason to give the Stars a second glance. BNL, rebuilding following major personnel losses from a year ago, has yet to establish any identity.
That could change when the light switch is flicked for the season debut on Friday night. Reputation does not win games, execution does. The Stars will get their chance to shuffle the sectional pecking order when they meet Martinsville, hoping to end a six-year losing streak in openers (all to the Artesians) and cause a seismic shake across the state.
Want to be the best? Beat the best. BNL has that chance on its home turf.
“It’s an opportunity for us,” BNL coach Derrick Barker said. “Starting the year with a good challenge lets you know where you are. It’s certainly a challenge. Martinsville is a big, strong team. They’re geared up for their success. We’re not scared of them. If we want to win a sectional, that’s the team we’ll have to beat.“
Let’s tackle the easy questions first. Why Martinsville? That answer is obvious. The Artesians, coming off a 7-4 campaign that ended with a sectional semifinal loss to East Central, are loaded with veterans and talent. Fifth-year head coach Brian Dugger believes his offense could be the most explosive he’s had, which is a strong statement, and the defense could be the strength of the team.
The offensive optimism centers on returning quarterback A.J. Reynolds (1,736 passing yards and 14 TDs last year) and top receiving target Hunter Stroud (66 catches, 950 yards and 6 TDs). They make a dangerous duo.
“I really, really like this group,” Dugger said. “We have so much coming back and they all have put in a ton of time in the offseason. I expect this group to have a great year. They have done everything they have needed to make that happen. I’m very excited to watch this group grow even more this year.”
Martinsville’s unknown factor will be the running game. Brayden Shrake, a BNL killer, departed after blasting for 1,684 yards and 15 TDs as a senior, including a dominating 212 yards and a game-winning score against the Stars last season.
“Brayden was very vital to our success last year, but what he allowed was all those skill guys (who are all back) to grow up slowly, especially early in the year, by touting the rock a ton and taking the pressure off them,” Dugger said. “We won’t be able to replace Brayden with one guy, but we really like the guys who are going to step in. Austin Pryor will be our primary guy, and he has had a great summer and is really learning the ins and outs of the position.”
On the flip side, Martinsville will feature linebackers Lucas Dewey and Mason Szymczak. And if that last name is hard to pronounce, it rhymes with smack. The Artesians will do a lot of that.
“I think a lot of people are going to talk about our offense and all the weapons we have back,” Dugger said. “I think a lot of people are going to overlook our defense. Man, do they fly around and hit people. I’ve hated going against our defense all summer. They play fast and mean.”
Now the tougher question. Why BNL? Or perhaps, who is BNL? The Stars are the polar opposite of Martinsville, with few returning starters, with new faces across the board, with at least six starters slated to play both ways. That starts in the offensive backfield with new quarterback Dayson Kirby and running back Brody Horton, with receivers Gavin Pedersen and Dax Short, with a revamped line.
“I think we’re a little different than years past, a little more of a pass-first offensive team,” Barker said. “That’s where our depth is. We have a lot of athletic kids, if we can get the ball to them in space, we feel good about our options.
“Defensively, it starts with our line, with Gibson Crane and Brady Byers, two guys coming back that have worked hard. We have a couple of guys on the back end, with Luke Morris and Garrett McDuffee, that have experience. We need to generate pressure with those linemen and play fundamentally sound.”
“They lost a lot from a very good team last year, but Coach Barker does a great job,” Dugger said. “I know his kids will be fundamentally sound and will play hard. They always do a great job of game planning us and making things difficult on both sides of the ball.
“On the defensive side, I think Crane and Byers are really good football players up front. We will have to play really well up front and do a great job of neutralizing those two guys. They can cause problems if you don’t do that.”
Last year, BNL slugged it out with the Artesians on equal footing. BNL powered to a 19-9 lead in the fourth quarter before tiring. Shrake was the focal point of a 99-yard drive to take the lead with three minutes left, and Martinsville escaped with a 23-19 triumph. Memphis Louden threw for 172 yards, including a 92-yard TD bomb to Ryker Hughes, and Cal Gates ran for 85 yards, including a 59-yard scoring burst. All those guys are gone.
BNL hasn’t won in this series since 1992. Ending that skid will require the Stars to mature immediately and eliminate mistakes and issues that were exposed during the scrimmage with Brownstown last week.
“We have to take care of the ball,” Barker said. “They’re very aggressive, they play very fast, they play downhill. We can’t give up negative plays and turnovers, and we have to finish drives. We have to eliminate the big play on defense, we have to hold up and tackle.”
MARTINSVILLE at BNL
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: Martinsville 0-0 (ranked No.13 in Class 4A); BNL 0-0
Coaches: Brian Dugger, 27-20 in fifth season with Martinsville; Derrick Barker, 17-15 in fourth season with BNL
Series: Martinsville leads 22-3
Last meeting: Last year at Martinsville, the Artesians scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns while rallying for a tough 23-19 win. Brayden Shrake ran for 212 yards and two touchdowns for Martinsville. Memphis Louden threw for 172 yards, including a 92-yard TD pass to Ryker Hughes, for the Stars.
Previous game story: Shrake, rattle and roll! Artesians rally
Game notes: BNL’s last win in the series came in 1992. The other BNL wins were in 1988 and 1979. Both teams will compete in Class 4A Sectional 23 this season. BNL has lost six straight season openers.
