By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The hat was a gift from a running back who would enjoy following the slogan on the front of the cap: “Run the Ball.” That’s an old-school phrase for a coach who prefers the new-world approach of throwing the football until the laces unravel.
Bedford North Lawrence was an airborne attack last season, with Dayson Kirby firing on all cylinders while chucking it for 3,379 yards and 36 touchdowns, stats that ranked him among the state leaders. But Kirby graduated, and the quarterback position is one of the question marks as the Stars wing their way toward the 2026 regular season.
Was the hat an omen, a harbinger that foreshadows a drastic shift in philosophy? BNL gave its first public glimpse of the fast-approaching campaign during a scrimmage with Terre Haute North on Tuesday evening, and the running game was the highlight of the workout. Of course, what looks good in July could be misleading eye candy when the battles of August begin.
Let’s just say BNL coach Brayden Tidd looked good in that hat, and the Stars looked good on the ground against the Patriots.
Facing outside competition for the first time since the sectional final in November, the Stars started a busy month of four scrimmages (three at home), one 7-on-7 tournament, and 11 practice sessions with their work against North. While the scrimmage was basically a structured practice and an opportunity to see as many players on the turf as possible, it did reveal some interesting tidbits. First among them, running the ball and stopping the run will be a key (as it always is) for winning the games in 2026.
BNL should be ahead of the ground game. The Stars return four starting offensive lineman and top running back Brody Horton, who is faster and fearless. Even with four projected starters missing the session, BNL’s offense was closer to top form, in comparison to the defense, in terms of progress toward the season. Since the Stars lost seven defenders from last year, that’s not surprising.
“I thought the kids looked good,” Tidd said. “The run game looks night-and-day better than last year, and we eventually did a good job of getting the ball down field.”
On the offensive side, even in the sticky heat, some Stars separated themselves in this first look against a foreign enemy. Malakai Goodman will be an explosive force with the football, the line can open gaping holes, and the receiver corps will be deep. Beau Allender took most of the snaps at quarterback and showed potential.
“There’s a lot of things to work on, but up front we looked really good,” Horton said. “Our front five definitely moved some people and blocked really well. But we’re never satisfied, there’s always something to work on.”
That’s what July is all about. It’s a serious time for the serious player. Only the obsessed look forward to the work in the heat, to the sweat and grind as the countdown for the first official practice for the season clicks into a louder rhythm.
“It’s who shows up,” Horton said. “Some guys don’t know what they’re doing, missing plays and blocks. It’s big. We’re testing people at new positions, everyone is working hard to earn a spot.“
“Starting today, we have three scrimmages in a few days,” Tidd said. “We will find out who wants to be here and who wants to play, who can compete at this level. We have to keep working on our depth. All that stuff is nice to see on tape. That will tell us who fits where. We rotated a lot of guys.”
After so many weeks of intrasquad work, facing an unfamiliar opponent was a welcome respite.
“It’s always fun to get a different opponent, see a different jersey instead of going against your teammates every day,” junior lineman Riley Sons said. And it exposes the pretenders. “It separates who is here, who gets here on time, who knows what they’re doing. Just competing, in drills and being the first one on the field.”
BNL’s schedule will include a home scrimmage with Silver Creek (July 14), a road trip to Washington (July 16), the 7-on-7 passing game event at Evansville Reitz (July 18), and the final scrimmage with Edgewood and Vincennes Lincoln (July 30).
That’s a nonstop buildup to official practices (Aug. 3) and the season opener (Aug. 21 against Martinsville). That’s only six-plus weeks away.
”I’m looking forward to Week One,” Horton said. “I’m just ready to work.”
What about that hat? Will it be seen again? More importantly, will its promised slogan be followed?
“No promises,” Horton said. But he’s hoping.
