New Palestine High School

The New Palestine football team heads east for another ranked matchup with East Central in the regional. #1/1 NEW PALESTINE DRAGONS (11-0, 7-0 Hoosier Heritage) at #7/8 EAST CENTRAL TROJANS (9-2, 3-0 EIAC-Large School) Time: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 Location: Trojan Stadium, St. Leon (directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/M52fvwYQJzwgfJny6) Tickets: $10, https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=157697 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: IHSAAtv.org (produced by outside party) SETTING THE SCENE For the fifth consecutive year and 16th time in school history, the Dragons are in the regional, traveling to St. Leon to face East Central. The Dragons are 9-6 all-time in regional games, and 7-2 under coach Kyle Ralph. NP is seeking its third straight regional championship. This game matches up the last three Class 4A state champs - East Central won the title in 2022 and 2023, New Palestine in 2024. Both are playing in Class 5A due to the IHSAA Tournament Success Factor. This is the second meeting between the Dragons and Trojans. East Central won a 49-0 decision in the 2023 semistate. NP is back in Class 5A after spending three seasons in Class 4A, due to the Tournament Success Factor. The Dragons were previously in 5A from 2015-21, during which time they won four sectional titles, three regional and semistate titles, and the state championships in 2018 and 2019. NP is 82-38 all-time in the IHSAA tournament, and 43-8 under coach Kyle Ralph. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons enter this week with back-to-back ranked wins, after beating No. 2 Cathedral 20-15 last week to clinch their first-ever sectional five-peat. The sectional title has come on the heels of the Dragons’ second straight unbeaten regular season and the 14th in school history. It’s their 10th unbeaten regular season in 13 years under coach Kyle Ralph. In doing so, they won the 25th conference title in program history, including the 15th Hoosier Heritage Conference championship. The Red Rage held Cathedral’s powerful running game to 71 yards on 26 carries last week. When the Irish threw, they found Andrew Davis, who intercepted three passes - one in the end zone to thwart a potential score, and two in the fourth quarter to help seal the game. Davis’ three INTs last week tied a school record set by Garrett Kuhn against Mt. Vernon in 2014. QB Jacob Davis threw for 148 yards last week, completing 8-of-12 passes. Of those yards, 79 came on two completions to Garrett Ranes on the same drive, setting up the first of Davis’ two touchdown runs. Junior Ryder Gardner ran the opening kickoff back 96 yards for a touchdown against Cathedral. It was the Dragons’ third touchdown return of the opening kickoff - joining Caden Jacobia at Decatur Central and Kade Stephens at Delta. The Dragons have scored on the first possession of every game this season. The Dragons have 14 return touchdowns this year - eight on special teams and six on defense. The special teams scores include three kickoff returns, a punt return, three blocked punt returns and a blocked field goal return. Senior QB Jacob Davis has 1,634 passing yards this season and 4,548 his career. He also has 6,002 yards of total offense in his career. He is currently third on the NPHS all-time passing list, needing 27 yards to catch second-place Justin Plummer. SCOUTING THE TROJANS East Central is 9-2 on the season, and won its sectional last week with an emphatic 35-0 victory at Whiteland. Junior RB Colton Bellman has run for 1,480 yards this season, with 128 yards and three touchdowns against Whiteland. QB Nolan Maple has thrown for 1,133 yards, completing 50.4% of his passes. LOOKING AHEAD The winner of today’s game faces either No. 3/3 Bloomington South or No. 9/9 Floyd Central in the semistate. If the Dragons win, the semistate will be at Kelso Stadium. FOLLOW US All New Palestine games are broadcast free-to-listen at NewPalRadio.com. NPHS Athletics is on Facebook and Instagram (@NewPalestineDragons), Twitter (@NPHSDragons) and online (NewPalestineAthletics.com). All home games are also video streamed at IHSAAtv.org on a pay-per-view basis.