Championship Notes: Soden's return to football big boost for Bedford

Luke Soden is back and so is the Bedford High School football team.

The senior wide receiver, who skipped his junior year of high school football to focus on basketball with his AAU program, has been on the receiving end of 25 passes this fall for 500 yards and eight touchdowns - including four receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns in Bedford’s 28-0 semifinal victory over Portsmouth-Oyster River.

Soden missed his chance at a football title last year. He wasn’t about to pass up on the opportunity again before graduating.

“I did miss playing football,” said Soden, a highly-recruited guard on Bedford’s Division I champion basketball team. “But junior year is a big year in recruiting circles and I wanted to put my focus on basketball to be seen as much as possible. So I made a tough decision and opted to start playing with my new AAU program last fall.”

The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder was with his Bulldogs teammates all summer in preparation for the fall of 2022 on the gridiron before Soden broke the news to his peers and coaches that he was going to focus on the hardwood instead. Coach Zach Matthews was surprised by the decision.

“That was a tough conversation,” Matthews said. “As a coach, you need to approach those with a parent mindset. I have a daughter, who is the same age and is friends with these kids, so I understand what they’re dealing with.

"Did I want him to choose basketball over football? No. But I understood everything he was saying regarding how big junior year is in the recruiting game and that basketball is the sport he’ll be playing at that next level."

One thing Matthews stressed to Soden was that his door and the door to rejoining the football team was always open.

The Bulldogs went on to win the 2022 D1 football championship without Soden, who would use his fall playing with the Middlesex Magic out of Belmont, Mass., to prepare for a championship run of his own in the winter with the Bedford basketball team.

Although he hasn’t decided which offer to accept, he’s narrowed things down to a handful of colleges and is still waiting to hear back from a couple more.

With his basketball recruiting journey solidified, Soden knocked on Matthew’s door.

“He was excited, I was excited,” Soden said of conversation with Matthews regarding a return to football for his senior year. “A lot of my friends play football. I’ve always loved the sport. I wanted to get back out there and win a championship with them this fall.”

Saturday afternoon at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter, he has that very chance as third-seeded Bedford squares off with fourth-seeded Londonderry at 1 p.m.

“He’s been huge for us,” Matthews said. “We had a lot of other talented pieces in place already, but when he came back it just added one more level to making it hard for opposing defenses to fixate on one or two players.

“He’s so good in one-on-one battles. His leaping ability from basketball helps in that. He demands two people over him, which then frees up other guys in the passing game. That’s a tremendous boost for our offense.”

That was on full display in the semis, when Soden scored twice on offense and recorded a pair of interceptions on the defensive side as well.

Now it’s on to the final and Soden has that chance to hoist a football title with his friends and teammates. That was one of the biggest reasons for his return.

He wanted to help Bedford football repeat, and win a title with his friends. It just so happens that one of his best friends is the one throwing him the ball.

“It would be a great way to finish our high school careers together,” Soden said of Bulldogs quarterback Danny Black. “He’s a great quarterback and we have a great chemistry on the field.

“I’m excited and focused on this. To be able to win a title with Danny, who I’ve been friends with for so long, and the rest of these guys, is a dream I want to come true.”

No Sophomore Slump

Bedford’s Brody Helton has solidified himself as one of the best running backs statewide.

Oh, by the way, he’s only a sophomore. That fact is not lost on Londonderry coach Jimmy Lauzon.

“That kid is good,” said Lauzon of Helton. “He’s made it hard on everyone they’ve matched up with this season. We know he won’t take it easy on us.”

Helton’s ability was on full display in his first ever tournament start.

Helton scored four touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 49-6 quarterfinal win over Salem. He carried the ball 13 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and scored two more times via the air on his only two receptions that covered 71 yards.

“He’s added a lot to our offense,” Matthews said. “He’s come up big in the run and pass game. Brody got a taste of things as a freshman and has just emerged as one of the best in the state this year.”

Londonderry No Pushover

Soden isn’t expecting an easy time of it in the final.

Bedford’s Division I final opponent lost just one game this season, and Londonderry avenged that loss in a semifinal 42-7 blowout win over top-seeded Pinkerton Academy.

“They are aggressive and physical on defense,” Soden said. “They play well in space. But their physicality really stands out when watching film.”

Matthews agrees.

“I think it’s fair to say that the defensive line is the best unit for both of our teams,” Matthews said. “They’re bigger and more physical and we’re smaller but quicker.”

It’s not just the Lancers defense that is physical.

“They are more of a power running team this year,” Matthews said of his final opponent. “The formula they use to win is pretty clear. They want to establish the run and beat you down.“

In the end, the game’s outcome will come down to which unit wins in the trenches.

“It’s going to be a battle for control at the line of scrimmage,” Matthews said. “I expect a pretty close game. Who will get penetration and disrupt things in the backfield is the key to this game.”