By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
NORTH VERNON – The pose is iconic, with the stiff-arm extended, football tucked away, knee raised – even though the actual trophy depicts a runner with both feet on the ground. Made famous by former Michigan receiver Desmond Howard in 1991, now copied by every college star who covets that grand prize.
The Heisman, the ultimate in awards and end-zone celebrations. Ed Smith, a player for New York University, had no idea what he was starting when he modeled for the statue (with sculptor Frank Eliscu doing the work) in 1934.
Malakai Goodman, with a little prodding and planning help from injured teammate Parker Kern, joined the lengthy list of those who have frozen for the pose after scoring. Considering the incredible season Goodman has already chiseled out, including his body of work on Friday night at Jennings County, perhaps he’s due some indulgence.
Goodman was not only good, man, he was Heisman great, exploding for 266 rushing yards and five touchdowns – in only one half of action – as Bedford North Lawrence hammered Jennings County 48-14. The Stars extended their program-record streak to five straight games of 40-plus points, crushed the Panthers for the 12th straight time in the series, and triggered the mercy-rule running clock for the entire second half.
That’s the scary part. BNL coach Brayden Tidd could have chosen whatever score, and Goodman statistics, he desired. But he pulled his starters after halftime, with the Stars already in front 48-0, signaling respect for an overmatched opponent. Every talking point on the pre-game chalk board had already been checked off. There was nothing else to prove.
Goodman did all that damage with only 12 carries. Once he got the ball in the backfield, with the entire Jennings defense in pursuit, he would wait for his linemen to create a wide lane, or cut back against the flow and win the race to the exterior. He was really tackled only once or twice. Most of the time, either the sideline or the end zone stopped his inevitable progress.
“I just take what the line gives me,” Goodman said. “It’s what I have to do. It’s a running back’s job, looking for that cutback. I know the defenses like to flow with me, so I look for the cutback.”
The Stars (5-1 with four straight wins) scored the first seven times they touched it in the first half. First series, Goodman from 20 yards. Second, Goodman from six yards (after his punt return for a score was erased by a penalty), then third, Goodman from four yards out after his 37-yard jaunt set up the close-range touchdown.
BNL followed with two one-play possessions. Cutler Chastain connected with Jaden Gilbert for a 61-yard bomb to end the first quarter, and Goodman exploded for an 87-yard breakaway to begin the second. His fifth touchdown was a 27-yarder with 3:40 left in the half. And that’s the last time he got his hands on the ball. Chase Rynders was moved to the backfield following a Jennings mishap on a punt snap, and Rynders barreled home from 8 yards to cap the blowout.
Since taking over for injured starter Brody Horton at halftime of Week Two, Goodman has already totaled 1,219 yards in 16 total quarters. He averaging 11.3 yards per carry, he’s scored 17 touchdowns. So a little Heisman action seems appropriate.
”It’s what I have to do,” Goodman said. “I have a job to do, especially since my running back got hurt. I have to produce.”
“He’s making it work,” Tidd said. “Nothing surprises us. And shout out to the big boys up front (on the offensive line), they were really good again. He’s very patient, that’s a good part of his game that he has developed. He’s so much better because he knows guys will over-pursue.“
BNL’s defense, overshadowed by the Goodman show, was equally impressive. Jennings (2-4) managed only 10 total yards in the first half. With BNL’s reserve unit on the turf, the Panthers scored two second-half touchdowns to salvage respectability during their Homecoming celebration. With the running clock eating away the time, BNL’s offense ran only four plays after intermission, with a goal-line fumble stopping another touchdown.
Brady Franks accounted for both JC touchdowns, capping a nine-play, 71-yard drive in the third quarter and breaking a tackle for a 46-yard screen pass TD late in the fourth. BNL forced two turnovers, including an interception by Cam Gates.
BNL could have been guilty of looking ahead to next week’s Hoosier Hills Conference collision with Floyd Central. The Stars were focused on the bodies in front of them, not the shadows ahead.
“We came to play,” Goodman said. “The real opponent is next week. We had to get this out of the way.”
“It was coming out here, not taking our opponents lightly,” BNL linebacker Nate Hildum said. “We’ve been talking about Floyd, but we couldn’t forget what we had this week.”
“You take care of business,” Tidd added.
Floyd Central, ranked No.5 in Class 5A, moved to 6-0 overall and matched BNL at 3-0 atop the HHC with a 41-21 victory over Columbus East.
Bedford NL 27 21 0 0 – 48
Jennings Co. 0 0 8 6 – 14
First quarter
BNL – Malakai Goodman 20 run (kick failed), 10:47; BNL – Goodman, 6 run (Aiden Dralle kick), 7:23; BNL – Goodman, 4 run (Dralle kick), 3:40); BNL – Jaden Gilbert, 61 pass from Cutler Chastain (Cam Gates kick), 1:25
Second quarter
BNL – Goodman, 87 run (Gates kick), 9:33; BNL – Goodman, 27 run (Gates kick), 3:40; BNL – Chase Rynders, 8 run (Gates kick), 1:30
Third quarter
JC – Brady Franks, 2 run (Franks run), 6:03
Fourth quarter
JC – Franks, 46 pass from Kyle Byrum (pass failed), 1:44
Team statistics
BNL – First downs 7 (7 by run); Rushing 22-343; Passing 2-4-0-69; Total yards 432; Fumbles 1 (lost 1); Penalties 2-30
JC – First downs 11 (7 by run, 4 by pass); Rushing 33-65; Passing 11-20-1-130; Total yards 195; Fumbles 6 (lost 1); Penalties 8-61
Individual statistics
Rushing – (BNL) Chastain 1-0, Goodman 12-266, Gilbert 1-6, Rynders 3-14, Smith 2-9, Kurtz 2-50, Secreto 1-(-2); (JC) Franks 13-58, Maschino 5-7, Booher 10-35, Byrum 4-(-35), Sutton 1-0
Passing – (BNL) Chastain 2-4-0-69; (JC) Byrum 11-20-1-130
Receiving – (BNL) Gilbert 1-61, Gates 1-8; (JC) Beineke 3-28, Ernstes 4-25, Franks 3-54, Booher 1-23
