NEW PALESTINE — Kyle Ralph didn’t panic, but the New Palestine head football coach was immediately concerned.
On March 12, as news spread about schools shutting down statewide due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, the question on every coach’s mind, including Ralph, was how long is this going to last?
Even more so, Ralph had no clue what the next step was or could be for his defending Class 5A state champion Dragons, who were already deeply invested with offseason training.
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“I remember thinking, I have to have some answers for these guys. What we’re going to do and how we’re going to do this, and what the plan is going to be? Really, being worried about how I’m going to convey that stuff to them,” Ralph said. “Obviously, as a head coach, they’re all looking to you.”
Adding to the urgency of an already stressful situation, the Dragons weight room was set for renovations over spring break.
Originally, having two weeks from March 12 to move all of the weight equipment, the time frame was trimmed down to the next morning. With the scenario appearing insurmountable, the Dragons leadership council didn’t flinch. They reacted and charted for the unknown future.
“The next morning, I just remember Lincoln (Roth), right out of the gate, told me, coach, don’t worry about it. We’ve got it taken care of already. We’ve already talked as a leadership council and as a team,” Ralph said. “They essentially already had the whole thing planned out for themselves. His quote was, we know what you expect, and we promise you we’re not going to let you down.”
Roth, a member of the team’s 15-man leadership council, burnt up his cellphone minutes and data the night prior. The starting quarterback and the New Palestine seniors launched a group chat to iron out a makeshift agenda.
The Dragons’ leadership council, which consists of players who are nominated and voted into the select group by their peers, is designed to provide guidance and set an example for the football team on and off the field.
They exceeded expectations during a unique time when leadership wasn’t just a luxury, it was necessary.
In a little less than two hours, the group cleared the Dragons’ weight room the morning of March 13 and initiated an offsite workout routine until school resumed.
“At first, everyone thought, we’re going to do this for a week. We’re going to put our weekly program together, and we’re going to be fine for a week without coach, go on spring break and come back, but the situation started to progress and people started to understand how serious it was,” Roth said. “Not only the leadership guys, but everyone, knew we were going to have to put together a long-term plan for what’s going to happen, and more than just lifting.”
The first plan of attack started simple. Lift at home on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays with team-building drills and running on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Sugar Creek Township Park in New Palestine.
Then, the school shutdowns extended into April and later into May. Social distancing became the new norm, while some players had limited access to weight equipment to maintain their 12-week offseason weight-training program.
“We just adapt to adversity like teams that came before us, and we know no matter what, we have to find a way to get it done,” Roth said. “There’s really no excuses. Our opponents are going to do the same thing, and we’re just trying to stay ahead of the game.”
For years, the Dragons have been ahead of everything, leading to back-to-back state titles in 2018 and 2019, three championships overall since 2014 and consecutive 14-0 seasons with only four losses since Ralph arrived in 2013.
The pandemic was merely another hurdle, and the players continue to find a way. The Spegal family has invited players into their home where they have a weight room and an indoor basketball court.
Juniors Ethan Sturgeon, Blake Austin, Tucker Keevers and Austin Cory have shared their weight equipment with teammates in limited groups of 3-4 at a time.
Being responsible with social distancing as the pandemic has grown worse, the Dragons are directing themselves with coach Ralph unable to assist while schools are closed. As long as the schools are shutdown Ralph can offer zero instruction to his players as all athletic functions have ceased.
Every day, however, Ralph’s phone buzzes.
The text messages, photos and videos from his players relaying their workouts gives the coach solace.
“How can you not be proud of that? I get videos and pictures every day from these guys with different groups doing different things and the workouts they’re continuing to do, and they’re sticking along with their programs,” Ralph said. “They’re finding tons of different ways to make sure our standards are upheld.
“It’s got to be one of the prouder moments in my coaching career so far. I’m not allowed to be around these guys at all, and it’s really hard on me as a coach, who cares about these kids and cares about our program. But, I really daily have been uplifted by their continual activity and sticking to it, working hard.”
The players are doing the same for each other to the best to their abilities.
On the first day of group runs in mid-March, nearly 40 players showed up to voluntarily participate. Even as some parents have opted to keep their sons at home in quarantine, the Dragons are staying connected through text messaging, phone calls and FaceTime.
“The hard part is we typically workout as a team after school. There is a time and you know you have to be there. Now, you always have the option to do nothing,” Austin said. “But we all know what we want, and that’s a state championship, and we know we’re not going to get it by sitting around. We all push each other.”
Austin, a wide receiver, and Roth workout together and are team leaders during skilled-position drills at the park. Like at practice, the players often break into position groups during their brief small, group meetings.
For those that can’t attend, like the underclassman and incoming freshmen, the seniors communicate workarounds for lifting and plays to familiarize themselves with in preparation for the fall.
“A lot of guys have been trying to find ways to lift at their house or in groups of two or three will have them lifting at someone’s house. We even had one guy build his own squat rack out of wood,” Roth said. “It’s been really cool to see how everyone is adapting, but I definitely think everyone knows they are accountable for doing their part of the work as a team, just finding ways to get your work in, finding a way as a team to get the job done.”
Junior lineman Noah Mack has taken adaptability to another level. Quarantined in his home without any weights, the 6-foot, 235-pound lineman is overcoming the setback with anything he can get his hands on.
“The most creative thing I’ve seen so far, it’s Noah Mack. He’s been using broomsticks as a bar and putting bricks and paint cans on the side of them to workout,” Austin said. “He pushes his car around the neighborhood.”
The Dragons took a week off during spring break (March 23-April 3), but the team has already jumped right back into their improvised routine.
“Coach told us all offseason, we have two choices no matter what. We can choose to prove people right or to prove them wrong,” Roth said. “I definitely think, right now, a lot of the guys are proving people wrong.”
For the Dragons there’s only one way, and it’s having their words match their actions.
“They’re the ones lifting me up, which is normally the opposite in the high school coaching relationship. Usually, you have to be the one there for them and pick them up, but it’s nice to see the culture has provided this unique experience,” Ralph said.
“I don’t know how good we’re going to be, but there’s no question in my mind that if these kids are willing to do what they’re doing now, there’s going to be no one who can out-effort us or out-care or out-heart us, and that will take us a lot further than talent will alone.”
