By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – At Bedford North Lawrence, the worn phrase “next man up” is not just coachspeak or cliche-laden jargon. It’s an unfortunate fact of football life. Injuries have plagued the program like Egyptian locust, medical walking boots are now standard issue with helmets and pads.
Another victim was added to the infirmary this week, with junior lineman Riley Sons temporarily joining the swelling ranks of the wounded with a bad ankle. That’s not a cry for sympathy or an excuse platform, it’s the reality of the challenge as the original starting lineup from the opening week now looks totally different heading into Week 4.
When the coaching staff scrambles to fill positions, they have to piece together, with spit and duct tape, the first unit from deeper on the roster. That usually means younger and less experienced. That’s why those practice reps for the underclassmen are really vital, not just sideline chatter time for the elders. “Next man up” could mean “right now.”
That was proven last week at Jeffersonville. The Stars sent a freshman out with the starting defense. All Cale Prince did was make tackles on the first three snaps, lead the team in total tackles, and make an impact as BNL won its Hoosier Hills Conference opener. Now he’s the shining example of “next man up” for all his teammates. Be ready to answer the call. Prince was no pauper.
“He was incredible,” BNL coach Brayden Tidd said. “From Day One, when he came in, we knew he would be our guy here – in a couple of years. But when you put him on the field, you realize he can play right now. That’s huge. That would have been big without guys going down. But with guys going down, we needed him to come in and play like that. Hats off to him for being ready, taking the mentality to heart.
”They tried to go at him right away, and they decided he was for real. He’s been the epitome of hard work and what we want these younger guys to be, ready when their number is called. They’re young, they will make mistakes. Just keep putting them back in and show that you trust them. We have them in there for a reason.“
One by one, as a veteran suffered damage, somebody was called into emergency action. Even Malakai Goodman’s shift to the backfield was an unforeseen adjustment. Brody Horton started the year as RB1 – for the first six quarters, All Goodman has done, in the next six quarters, is blast his way among the state leaders in rushing (fourth with 537 yards) and touchdowns (eighth with 9).
Somebody’s bad break could be another’s introduction. Prince was nervous but prepared.
“I got the word that I was going to be working with the older guys,” Prince said. “I just went out there and went to play ball with my guys. There were some nerves before the game, but once we got out there, it felt good.
His advice to others on the depth chart? “Always be ready. Just keep working, getting better, and getting some wins with the guys.”
Now the patchwork Stars (2-1 overall, 1-0 in the league) will go back on the road, with starting version 1.5, visiting New Albany (1-2, 0-0) on Friday night.
The Bulldogs started a this campaign with a new head coach. Marc Clark, with previous Kentucky experience at Hopkinsville and McCracken County (with a total record of 73-77 in 14 seasons) plus a stint as the offensive coordinator at Louisville Male, was hired to turn around a program that went 0-10 last season.
New Albany started with a bang, beating Providence 28-7 in the debut. But the last two weeks have been rough, with losses to Class 2A No.3 Indianapolis Lutheran (42-0) and 2A No.2 Brownstown (54-0). The Bulldogs were guilty of five turnovers against the Braves, who led 40-0 at the half and triggered the running clock for the duration.
”Their schedule is misleading as far as record goes, because they played two really good teams the last two weeks,” Tidd said. “You can tell there are things they are good at, that the score doesn’t indicate. They have a lot of weapons, they do a nice job of spreading the ball around. They have guys up front that can disrupt the run game and the game plan.”
New Albany will feature sophomore quarterback Grady Mayfield (10 of 14 passing against Brownstown) and running back Allen Ray (122 yards last week).
Last season, the Stars cruised to a 38-3 win over the Bulldogs. Dayson Kirk threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, Horton ran for 95 yards, and BNL’s defense was sensational, recording three sacks and two turnovers while allowing only 59 total yards and three first downs. New Albany avoided the shutout with a field goal on its final snap. The only negative for the Stars was 12 penalties.
Flags have not been an issue for BNL thus far. Fatigue in the heat has been. The Stars lost a three-score lead in the second half during the home loss to Bloomington North, and almost suffered a similar fate before topping Jeffersonville 42-35. Conditioning has been the focus. That’s not a fun practice, as many discovered, but it’s crucial.
”The North game, we didn’t finish,” said BNL senior cornerback Jackson Jones, who returned an interception for a score against the Red Devils. “But at Jeff we finished the game.”
BNL is also chasing the HHC title. The Stars have started the league 2-0 in four of the last six years, but they have won only a piece of one title (2022) since 2006.
“The HHC means a lot,” Jones said. “It’s a really tough conference, but our goal is to go 1-0 every week.“
BNL at NEW ALBANY
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: BNL 2-1 (1-0 in HHC); New Albany 1-2 (0-0 in HHC)
Coaches: Brayden Tidd, 10-5 in second year at BNL; Marc Clark, 1-2 in first year at New Albany (74-79 overall)
Sagarin ratings: BNL 58.91; New Albany 36.79
Series: BNL leads 26-22
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, the Stars cruised to a 38-3 win. Dayson Kirby threw for two touchdowns while Brody Horton ran for 95 yards. The Bulldogs were limited to 59 total yards. BNL overcame 12 penalties.
Previous game story: Stars give Bulldogs the run-around
Game notes: BNL has started 2-0 in the HHC four times in the last six years. The Bulldogs have been outscored 96-0 in their last two outings (Class 2A No.3 Indianapolis Lutheran and 2A No.2 Brownstown). New Albany has won only eight games in the last five seasons since winning a 5A regional in 2021.
