By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Starve distractions, feed your focus. That sounds like the old wives’ remedy of “feed a cold, starve a fever,” which has allegedly been debunked by modern science and artificial intelligence. But what does AI know when compared to an experienced wife?
The first phrase applies to Bedford North Lawrence. The Stars are in the midst of a dangerous week, the final contest of the regular season. All the outside synergy has been created by the IHSAA’s sectional pairings, which is a huge future distraction. All the alarms should be sounding as BNL prepares for a closing road trip to Columbus East on Friday night.
BNL (6-2) will finish the Hoosier Hills Conference slate with a chance – however unlikely it seems to be – to earn a share of the conference championship. That would require a win over the Olympians (4-4) and a stunning loss by league leader and heavily favored Floyd Central at New Albany. East, locked with BNL at 3-1 in the HHC, has the identical possibility in the conference race, and the Olympians will celebrate Senior Night. So far, that’s advantage East.
Other factors will favor the Stars. BNL has coined this season as its “Revenge Tour” after absorbing some embarrassing losses last season, and East administered one of those. The Stars also have a chance to post the most regular-season wins since 2018. The deciding component will be focus. BNL needs to feast on that, else East could douse BNL’s momentum for the postseason.
”Any time you have a chance to play against a tough opponent, and get yourself a chance to get more ready for the tournament, it’s a great opportunity,” BNL coach Brayden Tidd said. “They’re a conference opponent, and we’re trying to finish that ‘Revenge Tour’ – not that it’s about getting back at teams, but it’s about proving to ourselves that we can compete with all these teams that have been on top in the past.
”Winning would be nice, against a storied program like East, it would be huge for us. These guys have been so amped up about the tournament, so it’s making sure we stay in the moment and stay focused for everything. You can’t afford, this late in the season, to have one day of bad practice. It won’t do us any good.“
East demands complete attention. The Olympians feature veteran quarterback Kyson Villarreal, a three-year starter who has thrown for 1,054 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. His problem has been keeping healthy targets. His best, Keaton Lawson, went down within a broken collarbone after playing the first five games and scoring six touchdowns. In fact, East has lost three of its top four receivers in that span. East needed several “next man up.”
“Obviously losing a dynamic player like Keaton has been an adjustment and has definitely impacted the explosiveness of our offense we had early in the year,” East coach Eddie Vogel said. “That has made us change what we do to fit the new personnel we are playing.”
Villarreal is also a dangerous runner with 287 rushing yards and six TDs.
”He’s very good,” Tidd said. “You can tell he’s a veteran out there, when he walks up to the line, you can tell he knows what he’s doing. You have to contain him because he’s very quick, he knows where he wants to go with the ball. So it starts with slowing him down. They trust him to do a lot.”
East’s issue has been allowing points. The Olympians are surrendering 32.6 points per game, and that rockets to 48.0 in their four losses. BNL’s aerial attack averages 36.1 points per game, which ranks seventh in Class 4A.
“They are really explosive on offense,” Vogel said. “The quarterback (Dayson Kirby) throws darts, and the thing I’ve been most impressed with is the run after catch of the wide receivers. They are also really physical on defense and really get after you.”
Kirby ranks second in the state in passing yards (2,514) and second in touchdowns (27). He has distributed that wealth among four main receivers in Jaden Gilbert (37 for 578 yards, 5 TDs), Parker Kern (35 for 493 with 6 TDs), Malakai Goodman (27 for 532 yards) and Cam Gates (24, 450, 5). Brody Horton has added running balance of late with 496 yards and 7 touchdowns.
On the flip side, Gibson Crane and Brady Byers have been a front-line wrecking crew with 14 combined sacks and 42 tackles for loss. Driven Axsom has recorded 51 tackles, and the Stars have totaled 86 tackles for loss as a unit.
Last year, East did all the damage. Villarreal threw three touchdown passes and East pounded out 215 rushing yards during a 44-7 runaway win. Lawson had four catches for 124 yards and a score. The Stars managed only 34 rushing yards, and East triggered the running clock for the final seven minutes.
BNL at COLUMBUS EAST
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: BNL 6-2 (3-1 in HHC); Columbus East 4-4 (3-1 in HHC)
Coaches: Brayden Tidd, 6-2 in first year with BNL; Eddie Vogel, 21-27 in fifth year with East (32-50 in eighth year overall)
Sagarin rating: BNL 62.36; Columbus East 51.45
Series: Columbus East leads 41-13
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, the Olympians rolled to a 44-7 win to clinch the HHC title. Kyson Villarreal threw three touchdown passes and East ran for 215 yards while triggering the running clock for the final seven minutes.
Previous game story: Selfish Olympians win HHC title
Game notes: The winner of the BNL-East clash could claim a share of the HHC title if Floyd Central loses at New Albany. BNL ranks 7th in Class 4A in scoring, averaging 36.1 points per game.
