By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – After weeks of playing everything close to the vest, wary of exposing anything to prying eyes and giving away hidden strength, Brayden Tidd will finally show his cards when Bedford North Lawrence’s first-year head coach unveils his new-look program.
His dealt hand has potential, but there’s no bluffing the opening opponent.
Tidd and the Stars will make their 2025 debut, seeking to end multiple dismal streaks with one all-in shove when they tackle Martinsville on Friday night. That’s like facing a pair of aces before the flop in Texas Hold’em. That’s strong, but they can be cracked. The Artesians, ranked No.6 in Class 4A in the preseason poll, could be the toughest test on the schedule. It’s time to read ‘em and not weep.
Martinsville, coming off a regional championship, has always been BNL’s nemesis. The Stars have won only three times in 26 previous meetings, and only once have they returned victorious (in 1979) from a rugged road trip to Morgan County. The Artesians also won last year’s clash in devastating fashion, pushing BNL into the obvious underdog role.
Tidd’s stance? Let’s see all the cards to decide the winner.
“I go into every game expecting to win,” he said. “I believe in what we’re doing. Winning would be huge, to get some confidence back and get them rolling. We played really well all summer, so we need to keep that rolling. If we can get the first one, the sky is the limit for this team.”
After all the shuffling, there’s reason for BNL optimism. The Stars have returning personnel at key positions. On offense, that starts with senior quarterback Dayson Kirby, who threw for 1,385 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. All his favorite targets from a year ago are back as well. Jaden Gilbert (39 catches, 501 yards, 7 TDs) leads a receiving corps that will also include Dax Short, Parker Kern and other members of the deepest part of the roster.
That’s all good, but if the Stars can’t run the ball, it won’t mean much. BNL averaged only 60 rushing yards per game and 2.4 yards per carry last season. The spotlight will be on the reworked offensive line.
On defense, BNL will feature defensive bookends Gibson Crane and Brady Byers, who combined for 18 sacks and 33 tackles for loss as juniors. The secondary will include Luke Morris, Driven Axsom (who is recovering from a lacerated ear during the scrimmage at Brownstown) and Cutler Chastain (the team leader in interceptions). But if the Stars can’t stop the run, it won’t mean much. BNL surrendered over 2,000 rushing yards (in 11 games) and 36.9 points per game last year. The focus will be on that unit.
”We’ve done a lot of best offense against best defense in practice,” Tidd said. “We went back to the drawing board to make sure we were ready. We’re going to come out fast.
“We have to read our keys. That’s really important, that’s what we’ve been stressing. It’s getting to the right spots. Just make sure we’re talking on both sides of the ball.”
There’s a lot to talk about with Martinsville.
The Artesians are coming off a spectacular 12-2 campaign, finally running into state power New Palestine in the semistate. They suffered significant gradation losses in quarterback A.J. Reynolds (3,105 passing yards with 38 TDs, plus 15 rushing scores), sensational receiver Hunter Stroud (now at Indiana after posting 106 catches for 1,418 yards and 16 TDs) and running back Austin Pryor.
They will reload with 6-6 quarterback Chase Davis (with only one game of varsity experience), receiver Jace LaFary (27 catches as a sophomore before missing last year with a knee injury) and running back Lucas Dewey (795 yards, 8 TDs after Pryor got hurt). “We truly feel those guys are capable of picking up the slack,” Martinsville coach Brian Dugger said.
Martinsville’s strength will be on defense, a unit that returns two top tacklers (Grady Gardner as an All-State safety and Levi Reuter) and pash rusher Landon Pottorff (4.5 sacks).
“Our defense has a lot of pieces back, and a lot of really good pieces,” Dugger said. “All those guys are going to be big-time players for us this year. We do expect our experience on defense to be a strength, they have a chance to be a very good unit.
“Obviously, last year’s team set the standard and we hope to continue that success, but reality is we are all about going 1-0 – every week, every day, and every rep. Last year’s team really bought into that and it showed on the field. This group has done all the things you’re supposed to do to be successful.”
Martinsville crushed BNL 50-7 last season. Pryor ran for 174 yards and Reynolds threw three touchdown passes. The Stars were limited (thanks to bad snaps and sacks) to minus-23 rushing yards. Hence the proven storyline about running the ball and stopping the run. Kirby was 15 of 22 for 198 yards, with Short snagging six passes for 49 yards. That didn’t stop the Artesians from triggering the running clock after the first series of the third quarter.
“They execute a lot of things well,” Tidd said. “They really fly to the ball on defense, they’re down hill pretty quickly in getting to the ball. They’re a fast, physical team.”
BNL’s advantage will be the unknown. With a brand new staff and systems in place, the Stars have yet to show all their weapons.
“There’s going to be a lot of unknowns,” Dugger said. “But it’s that way with any Game 1. The reality is Game 1 is more about yourself and your program than your opponent. The hope is we’ve coached them well enough that they aren’t surprised by anything thrown at them in the game. My take has always been that Bedford kids play tough and physical. We know we will have to play at a high level.”
Bet on this: there will be raw nerves on the BNL sideline.
”I’m sure the nerves will smack me right in the face when we walk out there,” Tidd said with a laugh.
BNL’s other wins in the series came in 1988 and 1992. The Stars have lost seven straight season openers.
BNL at MARTINSVILLE
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: BNL 0-0; Martinsville 0-0, ranked No.6 in Class 4A
Coaches: Brayden Tidd, 0-0 in first season with BNL; Brian Dugger, 39-22 in sixth season with Martinsville
Series: Martinsville leads 23-3
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, Austin Pryor ran for 174 yards and A.J. Reynolds threw three touchdown passes as the Artesians rumbled to a 50-7 victory. The Stars were held to minus-23 yards rushing. Dayson Kirby was 15 of 22 for 198 yards passing for BNL.
Previous game story: Grumpy Artesians run BNL off the lawn
Game notes: BNL’s only road victory in the series came in 1979. The Stars have lost seven consecutive season openers. Martinsville is the defending regional champion.
