By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – No team has completely altered its personality, like a social chameleon that changes colors to match surroundings or company, quite like Bedford North Lawrence.
Last season, if the Stars had adopted a spirit animal, they were eagles, flying majestically, in the air more than planes above busy Atlanta International. The offense featured slinging quarterback Dayson Kirby and an arsenal of playmaking receivers. In 2026 thus far, these Stars are groundhogs, burrowing damaging holes through defenses, chewing up yards and turf.
There’s nothing grand about those huge rodents. But in football terms, they’re as beautiful as a soaring predator in the skies. BNL is averaging a robust 38.8 points per game, with three straight games of 40-plus, with the second-leading rusher in the state as the catalyst and highlight influencer. One way works just as well as the other, depending on the approach.
BNL (3-1) will unleash Malakai Goodman, a human projectile, and that ground-based attack when it faces Seymour (0-4) on Friday night, celebrating Homecoming while looking to continue its hot streak in the Hoosier Hills Conference.
What Goodman has done, in a short work window since moving into the backfield full time following the season-ending knee injury of Brody Horton, is amazing. In only 10 quarters as a starter at running back, after shifting from slot receiver, he has exploded for 818 yards (just a single yard of coincidence behind Mississinewa’s Levi Crandall) and 11 touchdowns behind a strong offensive line willing, and enjoying it more, to push forward to open lanes rather than retreat to protect a passer.
”You have to do what’s working, right?” BNL coach Brayden Tidd asked, knowing the answer. “We knew, going into the season, we wanted to establish the run. We aired it a lot last year, but you have to have a run game, and we were very aware of that. So that was the No.1 priority. It’s been crazy how much we’ve flip-flopped.”
Goodman’s last three game stats read like video game numbers: school record 289 yards and five touchdowns against Bloomington North, 203 yards against Jeffersonville, 268 yards and three TDs at New Albany. If the opponent can’t stop it, keep going to it
“When you have someone like that, you know he’s very capable,” Tidd said. “It’s a matter of getting him the right amount of touches in a game. As many times as we do give him the ball, there are times we could probably do it more. But it’s hard when you have other playmakers.”
BNL still has a passing game. Beau Allender has thrown five touchdowns in his two starts, and now former starter Cutler Chastain is expected to see action again at quarterback. That will give Tidd more options. That’s not good news for everyone else.
”BNL’s offense is difficult to defend on several fronts,” Seymour coach David Papenhaus said. “Goodman is a fantastic player. It seems like he is breaking long run after long run on film. They have a capable passing game with athletic receivers. The passing game is good enough to keep you from loading the box to take away the run.”
Papenhaus, the former head coach at Silver Creek for seven years, took over a program in transition following a 2-8 campaign in Tyson Moore’s final season. The Owls have struggled on offense, averaging only 10.3 points overall and totaling only 21 points in three HHC losses.
“Our offense has to be able to sustain drives, and give us a chance to get our defense off of the field,” Papenhaus said. “We also need to get points off of our drives. We haven’t been very good at finishing off nice drives with points. We have to improve this area of our offense.
“We have great kids, and they are doing everything that we ask of them. There have been the typical difficulties of learning new systems, schemes, etc. But they have handled everything well. While the results haven’t shown themselves on the scoreboard, I feel like we are in a much better place as a team than we were four weeks ago.”
The Owls will feature veteran quarterback Max Coates (255 passing yards, 1 TD) and running back Jake Dowell (139 yards, with Everett Jackson totaling 185 yards in two early games). Jackson Fox is the leading receiver with seven catches for 189 yards.
BNL wants to make sure the Owls are put away before the second half, a time period that has not been kind to the Stars. In the last three weeks, BNL has allowed 79 points in those second halves, including 49 in the fourth quarters, attempting to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more than once.
“We have to stay on it for four quarters,” Tidd said. “The defense has made so many leaps from the first couple of weeks, they’ve pitched first-half shutouts two weeks in a row (not including Jeffersonville’s interception return for a score). Now it’s about bringing it to the second half.
“Seymour has played good teams, and they will play hard. Even in the fourth quarter, they had guys going 1,000 miles an hour. It doesn’t matter what the score is. Those teams are the hardest to beat, because they come at you for four quarters.”
BNL, chasing its third straight HHC win, cannot take the Owls lightly. The road team has won the last seven games in their turbulent series. Last year, Kirby threw three touchdown passes and Jaden Gilbert scored twice, while BNL’s defense recorded four sacks. The Stars scored 20 straight points in the second half.
The Stars are in position to contend for the HHC crown, an achievement the program has accomplished only once since 2006.
”We have a good group of seniors, a good group of leaders willing to do whatever it takes,” Tidd said. “They’ve adjusted and not complained at all. They just want to win ballgames.”
SEYMOUR at BNL
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m.
Records: Seymour 0-4 (0-3 in HHC); BNL 3-1 (2-0 in HHC)
Coaches: David Papenhaus, 0-4 in first season at Seymour (41-34 in eighth season overall); Brayden Tidd, 11-5 in second season at BNL
Sagarin ratings: Seymour 38.49; BNL 57.74
Series: Seymour leads 27-24
Last meeting: Last year at Seymour, Dayson Kirby threw three touchdown passes and Jaden Gilbert scored twice as the Stars rolled to a 34-13 victory. Traysean Hawkins had two TDs for the Owls.
Previous game story: No style, just defensive substance for Stars
Game notes: The road team has won seven straight games in the series. BNL ranks 50th in the state in scoring at 38.8 points per game. Seymour has scored only 21 points in its three HHC games, losing the last two by the mercy rule with a running clock.
