By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – When coaches dream, whether it’s a nightmare centered on a future opponent of the fantasy of championships, do their eyes bounce like basketballs in REM mode? Some get very little sleep and never reach that deep phase, worried about lack of success or tough challenges, others hit the pillow with a smile of satisfaction.
Terre Haute North’s Todd Woelfle doesn’t have dark circles under his eyes. Winning 10 straight games, with a talented roster of veterans that won a regional last season, eases the stress.
Are the Patriots (12-3 heading into a Friday clash with McCutcheon) a dream team? They have size, they have scoring balance, they defend, they’re three baskets from being undefeated and ranked No.14 in Class 4A. Life is good, sleep comes a little easier.
Bedford North Lawrence has been through a fitful, restless week. No school, no practice until midweek, not sure of the next obstacle, coming off a tough loss. The Stars (4-9) would rest a lot better with a quality win when the Patriots invade BNL Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
For BNL, the silver lining from the snowstorm clouds and shifting schedule has been extra time to study North. And there’s a lot to learn.
“I don’t think there’s been anything normal about it, with the amount of time we’ve been trapped at home and so many questions,” BNL coach Jackson Ryan said. “It’s been crazy.
“I’m sure, when Todd took over many years ago and dreamed up the ultimate group or lineup, something like this – with so many guys who can score, sharing the ball so well, getting after you defensively – this might be the best group he’s had.”
North’s best quality is balance. Four starters (seniors Gavin Woelfle, Cam Fennell and Brady Klopfenstein, plus junior Blake Hammond) average over 10 points per game, and the fifth (6-6 junior Tyler Renn) contributes 8.9. After three one-possession losses to Parke Heritage, North Central and Bloomington South, the Patriots have popped.
“We have some good players, and we’re balanced,” Woelfle said. “It took us a while to adjust with new roles and responsibilities. We’ve been playing pretty well lately. We started playing well in the holiday tournament. Our guys gained a lot of confidence, they became comfortable in their roles. And we started playing better defensively.”
North’s current streak started with four wins in the annual Wabash Valley tournament. The recent run includes a revenge win over Park Heritage (No.4 in 2A) and rivalry victory over Terre Haute South.
“There’s no lapse in them recently,” Ryan said. “That tournament is always when they turn it on. They have this momentum, and they’re just riding the wave. This is a group that has a lot of varsity experience. They’ve won some tough games, it’s a special group.”
BNL will counter with scoring leaders Dax Short (13.8) and Parker Kern (9.2).
“It’s the typical BNL team, very physical and fundamentally sound,” Woelfle said. “Winning at BNL is always a tremendous challenge.”
North won last year’s clash 54-42, a deceiving final because the Patriots owned a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter. Klopfenstein and Hammond had 13 points each, while Logan Miracle recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for BNL.
TERRE HAUTE NORTH at BNL
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: TH North 12-3, ranked No.14 in Class 4A (vs. McCutcheon on Friday); BNL 4-9
Sagarin ratings: TH North 90.61; BNL 64.05
Series: BNL leads 10-8
Last meeting: Last year at North, the Patriots posted a 54-42 win. Brady Klopfenstein and Blake Hammond had 13 points each for North. Logan Miracle had 11 points and 10 rebounds for BNL.
Previous game story: BNL runs out of gas
Game notes: BNL coach Jackson Ryan served as an assistant coach with the Patriots for two seasons.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Easton Moore 6-2 So.
F – Gibson Crane 6-3 Sr.
G – Dax Short 6-1 Sr.
G – Parker Kern 6-1 Jr.
G – Jace Nicholson 6-0 Jr.
Terre Haute North Patriots
F – Blake Hammond 6-5 Jr.
F – Brady Klopfenstein 6-6 Sr.
C – Tyler Renn 6-6 Jr.
G – Gavin Woelfle 5-10 Sr.
G – Cam Fennell 6-2 Sr.
