By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Think the summer streaked past like a race car on the backstretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Does life need a speed radar, with the flashing “slow down” warning (or perhaps it’s a mere suggestion to some drivers) that have become popular on local streets?
Try being a rookie football coach, with only three months from hire date to season opener. That time can be measured – to quote the classic movie Space Balls – in ludicrous speed. For Brayden Tidd, everything shifted into blur mode when he took over Bedford North Lawrence’s program and started the countdown toward the 2025 season opener.
Following a fast summer fling of workouts, scrimmages and introductions, Tidd welcomed his new team to the first official practice session for the 2025 campaign on Monday evening. Thunder bellowed in the distance and rain approached with steady, stalking inevitably, much like the regular season that looms ahead. There’s noise, and storms, on the way.
The Stars were in high gear for the debut, crackling with energy. Although the lightning cut short the outside work on the turf, it didn’t dampen the intensity. The short weeks since Tidd’s hire in mid-May were marked by a sense of urgency, to make up for lost time and the forgettable past. Tidd took over his alma mater with a lot of challenges in front of him.
“It felt really fast, trying to absorb all the knowledge, everything was flying by,” Tidd said. “It was learning on the fly. Ridiculously quick. I’ve been really proud of the way they’ve bought in, executing everything we want to do, how quickly they’ve learned.“
Changes were across the board, thus a smooth transition was crucial. Tidd assembled his staff (consisting of Heath Snider, Josh Gould, John McKinney, Drew Shoufler, Dan Bortner and Charlie Tidd, an eclectic mix of ages and experiences) and immediately went to work on winning hearts and minds. His team was the first focus.
”They’ve handled it well,” Tidd said. “We’re constantly asking for feedback. We want to do things that will help us, but we also want to know what they think, what’s helping them and what isn’t. I’ve gotten really good reviews from the kids, they like how the coaches are invested. I think you can see that, because the energy has been so high. Intensity is high. They’ve accepted all the changes.”
“I was a little nervous, but getting Coach Tidd calmed me down a lot,” BNL senior Gibson Crane said. “Coming back this season, it’s making up for last year, getting some wins.”
BNL is coming off a discouraging season. The Stars won two games (both against Jennings County) and suffered more blowouts losses (with a running clock being commonplace) than expected or accepted. Rather than sulk, rather than allow a collective depression following the late coaching change, they have returned with hunger and vigor. Kids are indeed resilient.
“I’m pumped. The intensity was up,” BNL senior Luke Morris said. “Every single one of the coaches are here for us. They’re excited to see us go out and do our thing.”
In order to be competitive again, BNL must become tougher in many aspects. The spotlight will be on the front lines, where the battle is fierce and fought every snap. Stopping the run and running the ball usually equals success. Tidd has simplified and revamped the offense. There are returning veterans on defense. The question will be depth and determination.
”Our big men look really good, they’re taking it to heart,” Tidd said. “The skill guys are catching on quickly. We’ve done a good job of learning, but now I want to see if we can be where we need to be with a lot of physicality. I want to make sure we’re the most physical team on the field, especially up front.”
That means the true tests begin on Wednesday, the first day of full-throttle contact allows by the IHSAA. That usually separates the contenders and pretenders.
“We have the group to be the physically dominant team – if we want to be,” Tidd said. “With full pads, that’s what I want to see the most. Can we be physical and keep that same level of play? Football is easy until you get hit. Then that’s when you figure out how much you want it.“
Two more big dates remain on the calendar. The first is the IHSAA-sanctioned scrimmage on Aug. 15 at Brownstown (which has replaced Mitchell as the preseason foe). Then comes the opener on Aug. 22 at Martinsville. The Stars will make their belated home debut on Sept. 5.
