By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Does the stairway to heaven lead to the stars? Bedford North Lawrence is poised on the second step of the three-tiered climb to football nirvana, a sectional championship. With respect to the iconic classic rock anthem that addresses destiny, passage on this climb must be earned, not bought.
The Stars can see the glittering gold from here, but it’s not yet within reach. That requires a semifinal victory over an unfamiliar opponent as BNL continues a journey toward possible history, when a new day could dawn for those who have stood for so long, wondering if a title was possible.
After bounding up the first step with little difficultly, BNL will seek to continue its ascent in the semifinal round of Class 4A Sectional 23, hosting Shelbyville on Friday night. The Golden Bears (5-5) will demand a higher price for progress, as they are hoping to write their own saga of unprecedented success. Shelbyville has never won a sectional crown, BNL (7-3) has only one in its program past. The winner will move closer to that grand prize. The piper calls.
The victor will visit either Charlestown (8-2) or defending champion Martinsville (4-6) in the finale. But looking ahead would court doom, sometimes thoughts are misgiven. BNL, even as a sectional favorite on the computer screens and websites, will have plenty of reasons – a dangerous opponent, unexpected adversity – to ignore the rings of smoke beyond the trees.
“We have to take it one game at a time, but this would be really big,” BNL coach Brayden Tidd said. “It’s about belief in themselves and their teammates. It’s showing them they can do this, they are good enough to do this.”
Shelbyville needs an introduction. The Golden Bears and Stars have clashed only once, during the opening round of the sectional in 2022. So Tidd and his staff have been busy scouring and scouting game films, looking for ways to attack. What they found was a team better than its deceiving record, with three losses against state-ranked competition (5A No.1 New Palestine plus 4A powers Pendleton Heights and Yorktown in a tough Hoosier Heritage Conference).
Start with the offense, which is a unique family affair under coach Scott Fitzgerald. His freshman son Layden was thrust into the fire at quarterback when starter Tyler Gwinnup suffered a knee injury in the season opener. His other son Grantland is the top receiving target. That makes dinner conversation very interesting.
“Some days they love it, and some days they might not like it quite as much,” Fitzgerald said. “It depends on how the day went. It’s special for me, it’s a blessing to have that opportunity, to enjoy something all three of us really love doing. Cherishing those moments is really cool.“
Shelbyville’s attack centers on running back Donavon Martin, who has pounded out 1,229 yards and 10 touchdowns. That power sets up play-action for the younger Fitzgerald, who has completed 98 of 182 passes for 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns. The elder Fitzgerald son has 37 catches for 522 yards and 7 TDs, and he’s also a running option with 427 yards and 7 more scores.
“It’s good for us to have that balance,” Fitzgerald said. “We want to be run first, then have things we can do off the run. If teams want to pack the box, we’re confident in our receivers to do other things. They’re playmakers.
“The plan was not for Layden to play, but we knew it might be a possibility. We got him some extra reps. He’s done a good job. He’s been around the game his whole life, the moment wasn’t too big for him. He will still make some freshman mistakes, but he’s done a good job.”
On the flip side, the Golden Bears allow 30.4 points per game, most of that damage done by the three state thugs on their schedule.
”They’re a balanced team,” Tidd said. “The running back is really good, they have some guys up front that can block. Defensively, they’re very fast, super aggressive to the ball. So it will be about doing our assignments. If we don’t, they’ll beat us to our spots. We don’t have common opponents, but you just dissect what they want to do, get the game plan together.”
BNL will look to exploit that side with its explosive passing game. Senior quarterback Dayson Kirby stands among the state leaders with 2,881 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. He has four receiving targets (Cam Gates, Malakai Goodman, Parker Kern and Jaden Gilbert) over 30 catches and 500 yards. Brody Horton has been a solid run-game complement with 697 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“He’s one of the top passers in the state, and they have quite a few guys to get the ball,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s going to hit the open guy. He does a good job when he’s scrambling, he’s able to find guys downfield, and his receivers do a fantastic job in open areas. If he can let those guys make things happen, that’s where he makes his money, so to speak. He gets the ball out quick. We will have to be on our A game.
“Sometimes, against a team like Bedford that’s explosive on offense, our defense might be our offense, if we can keep them off the field. We can’t allow the big plays. We have to keep everything in front of us. It’s OK if they catch the ball, if we’re tackling them as soon as they catch it. We need to win the time of possession, keep them off the field, move the ball. If we have opportunities to score, we have to make sure we get the ball in the end zone.”
BNL’s bad news came on the defensive side. Senior lineman Brady Byers, one of the dynamic disruptors with 27 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, will miss the game after suffering a severe hand injury. His status for the future is still undetermined. He’s also a key starter on the offensive line. So the Stars will need “next men up” to fill the double void.
“You can’t replace guys like him,” Tidd said. “That’s a testament to how good of a player Brady is. He’s such a talented dude. It will take a couple of guys, but we have some really good options. It will be by committee, that tells you how important Brady is to this team.”
BNL will count on more defensive production from Gibson Crane (29 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks), Driven Axsom (64 tackles plus three interceptions), lineman Dax Short, linebacker Noah Strauser and cornerback Jackson Jones (4 picks).
Both teams are coming off impressive wins. Shelbyville posted its first postseason win since 2015 with a 35-14 triumph over Connersville, while BNL cruised to a 50-0 mercy-rule win over Jennings County.
“That was huge for us,” Fitzgerald said. “It was getting over that hump, sometimes it’s a barrier you’re trying to get over. Our kids have been playing confidently all year long, so it was good for our kids mentally.”
”We’ve done that really well, after a disappointing loss we’ve bounced back well,” Tidd said. “That was probably our best all-around performance. And we did it at the right time. I feel like we’re in a really good spot.”
BNL won the lone meeting between the programs, posting a 42-21 victory. Cal Gates scored three touchdowns and Greg GIlbert returned a blocked punt for a score.
The Stars are seeking to advance to their fifth sectional final, following deep runs in 2006, 2011 (with a title win), 2015 and 2018. In the other half of the bracket, Martinsville pounded Charlestown 56-0 in last year’s tournament opener in their only previous meeting.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 23
Sectional semifinal
SHELBYVILLE at BNL
Kickoff: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Shelbyville 5-5; BNL 7-3
Coaches: Scott Fitzgerald, 9-21 in third year at Shelbyville; Brayden Tidd, 7-3 in first year at BNL
Sagarin ratings: Shelbyville 52.19; BNL 59.61
Series: BNL leads 1-0
Last meeting: In the 2022 sectional opener at Shelbyville, the Stars posted a 42-21 victory. Cal Gates scored three touchdowns for BNL. Axel Conover ran for 103 yards for the Golden Bears.
Previous game story: BNL leaves Shelbyville in the dust
Game notes: Shelbyville has never won a sectional title. The Golden Bears have played in seven sectional finals, the last in 2013. BNL has won one sectional crown in program history (2011), and the Stars have competed in a sectional final four times, the last in 2018. The winner will be on the road for the sectional championship.
