By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – If not for bad luck, Bedford North Lawrence would have none at all.
Heading into the first round of the Class 4A tournament, armed with a favorable draw for Sectional 24, the Stars have absorbed another bad break – literally and figuratively – as they prepare for a dangerous road trip to the pocket of past suffering. There’s no time for gloom, despair and agony, no place for deep, dark depression and excessive misery.
BNL, with another starter sidelined for the season because of an unfortunate injury, will board the bus (or the ambulance, it seems) for a long journey to battle Evansville Central in the first round on Friday night. The Stars (6-3) have been plagued by tough-luck circumstances since the first week, so they’re used to the next-man-up mentality. They’re just about out of bodies. But expect no sympathy or tears from the Bears (1-8), who have new life for the postseason.
Senior do-everything Cam Gates suffered a broken right thumb during last week’s clash with Columbus East. That cost BNL a receiver, punter, defensive back, kickoff returner, holder for kicks and popcorn vendor (not really). So it’s not next man, it’s next men to fill that void. The Stars still have weapons and talent, but it’s getting spread thin. That’s now five (all defensive starters, including two-way contributors) key athletes who went down early.
”You just hope the next guy up can be half as good,” BNL coach Brayden Tidd said. “Cam does so many things, it’s hard to replace guys that can play every single position. We will miss him a ton. Hopefully, the next man up is ready or the challenge.”
The Bears will be enough of a problem. Don’t be fooled by the tarnished record. Central will throw the ball all over the turf – almost ignoring the run, with only 410 rushing yards total this season. Senior quarterback Hunter Broshears has chucked it for 1,317 yards and 16 touchdowns, and his top targets have quality stats. Senior Kemani Doyle has caught 40 for 583 yards and seven TDs, while sophomore Easton Vetter has added 35 catches for 549 yards and seven scores.
”They will throw it a lot, and they’re pretty good at it,” Tidd said. “They have two receivers that are probably the two best we’ll see all year, they will be a handful. We have to be ready to defend the ball when it’s up in the air, they’re dangerous. And the quarterback does a nice job of putting the ball where it needs to go.”
“Our passing game is fueled by getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers and allowing them to make plays in space,” Central coach Brandon Artis said. “We have some talented athletes who can stretch the field vertically and turn short completions into explosive plays. We definitely look to our passing game to create those big opportunities, but it all starts with protection up front and good decision-making from our quarterback. When we’re executing and playing with confidence, we feel like we can be dangerous through the air.”
Centra’s deceiving record is marked by losses to 5A No.10 Castle, 5A No.13 Evansville North, 4A No.8 Evansville Reitz, 3A No.1 Evansville Memorial and 3A No.7 Evansville Mater Dei. BNL will not scare the Bears. They’re already seen it all.
”You look at their schedule, it’s brutal,” Tidd said. “That’s a gauntlet. And they’re scored early and often in those games. We have to come out ready to stop them from the get-go.”
“We’ve faced adversity throughout this season, but I’ve continued to tell our guys that our record doesn’t define who we are or what we’re capable of accomplishing,” Artis said. “The postseason gives everyone a fresh start, and that’s something our players are excited about.
“Everything we’ve gone through has been preparing us for this opportunity. Our message is simple: we’re 0-0, everyone has the same opportunity, and it’s about who executes when it matters most. We want to play our best football right now. This is an opportunity to write a different ending to our story.”
There’s one stat that jumps off the page. Central is allowing 52.2 points per game. The Stars have the firepower to do damage, with running back Malakai Goodman ranking fourth in the state with 1,671 yards and fifth in the state with 22 rushing touchdowns. Senior quarterback Cutler Chastain has thrown for 1,052 yards and 10 TDs, while wideout Jaden GIlbert is closing on the school’s career receiving yards record while snagging 31 for 473 yards this year.
“Bedford North Lawrence is a physical football team that wants to establish the run and control the tempo of the game,” Artis said. “Our biggest concern is making sure we’re disciplined with our assignments, tackling well, and not allowing explosive runs. We have to win the battle up front and force them into situations where they’re uncomfortable.”
”That’s the plan,” Tidd said. “With another weapon going down, we will try to rely on the run game a little more. We will see what that brings.”
There’s very little history in this series, none of it recent. Central has won the two meetings, the last in the 1994 sectional. That long-ago night, the Central star was Eric Tasa, who ran for 189 yards and two touchdowns. BNL, led by the late Randy Johnson on the sideline, featured the backfield of Gary Ray, Billy Grogan and Brandon Buck. The Bears scored a late touchdown for a 27-20 victory, and they also conquered the Stars 26-12 during the 1988 sectional.
BNL has had little success in Evansville, winning only once (in the 2023 sectional at Harrison) during the road trips to the southwest corner of the state in program history. Central was a state finalist in 2018 and went 12-1 in 2020, but the Bears have won only five games since that title season.
The winner will face either Evansville Harrison (3-6) or Boonville (6-3) in the semifinal. In the other half of the bracket, Reitz (8-1) will tangle with Evansville Bosse (0-9) while Jasper (5-4) will host Heritage Hills (7-2).
“The message is ‘No tomorrows,’” Tidd said. “There’s been tomorrows the last nine weeks, but there is none from here on out. You’re getting everyone’s best shot.”
IHSAA CLASS 4A
SECTIONAL 24
First round
BNL at EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
Kickoff: Friday, 8 p.m.
Records: BNL 6-3; Evansville Central 1-8
Coaches: Brayden Tidd, 14-7 in second year at BNL; Brandon Artis, 3-36 in fourth year at Central
Sagarin ratings: BNL 55.27; Evansville Central 31.29
Series: Evansville Central leads 2-0
Last meeting: In the first round of the 1994 sectional, the Bears prevailed 27-20. Eric Tasa ran for 189 yards and two touchdowns for Central, while Brandon Buck and Billy Grogan scored touchdowns for BNL, which finished that season at 4-5.
Game notes: BNL has won a first-round sectional game in four straight seasons. BNL’s only win in Evansville came at Harrison in the 2023 sectional. Central also won the 1988 sectional meeting 26-12. The winner will meet either Evansville Harrison or Boonville in the sectional semifinal on Oct. 30.
