NEW PALESTINE — Things started about as perfectly as New Palestine could have hoped for.
Electing to receive the opening kickoff, the Dragons marched straight down the field, converting a 4th and 8 along the way during a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive capped off by a Charlie Spegal touchdown run from 2 yards out.
That’s one way to start a game against one of the toughest regular-season opponents New Palestine has faced in school history.
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Right from the start, the Dragons let the Center Grove Trojans know they weren’t intimidated by their first-ever game against a Class 6A team.
New Palestine meant business. The Trojans had trouble responding and couldn’t keep it close.
The Dragons jumped out to a 17-6 halftime lead behind the strength of its own offense, forced turnovers and big special teams plays, and pushed the lead further in the second half en route to a 31-9 victory against the Class 6A No. 9 Trojans.
“If we can get at least a good first drive that ends in points in some way, our kids are going to believe that this can get done,” New Palestine coach Kyle Ralph said of the mindset heading into the game. “It was more than a good opening drive.”
Center Grove tried to respond. Its opening drive went eight plays and got close to New Palestine’s red zone, but a Carson Steele fumble gave the Dragons the ball back.
New Palestine converted another fourth down on its second drive on the way to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
“The wing-T stuff is really hard to stop, but playing run defense is what our guys do well,” Ralph said. “They’re strong, they’re physical, they are very explosive. They came out the first series tonight and said, ’Coach, we can hold these guys at the line of scrimmage and stalemate them up front.’”
New Palestine did just that, controlling the first quarter, running 25 plays to Center Grove’s eight. The Dragons outgained the Trojans 143 to 22 in the opening quarter.
Center Grove got on the board in the second quarter with a 10-play, 59-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run by Steele. The snap on the extra point was mishandled, leaving New Palestine with a 10-6 lead.
That was as close as the Trojans would get.
The teams traded 3-and-outs in the second quarter, the first time the Dragons punted this season. Ryker Large and Maxen Hook made big deflections on passes from Center Grove’s Jackson Moore, then the Dragons tackled the punter before the Trojans could get a kick away, giving them the ball at the Center Grove 22.
It took New Palestine just three plays to extend the lead, as Spegal punched the ball in from 6 yards out to put the hosts up 17-6.
Center Grove looked like it got the boost it needed to start the second half, returning the kickoff all the way to the New Palestine 35. Then, the Dragons defense, and Center Grove mistakes, slammed the door shut.
A holding penalty derailed the Trojans, pushing them back to 2nd and goal from the 18. Two penalties on third down were both declined, giving Center Grove a 4th and goal from the 11.
Needing points, the Trojans sent out the field goal unit. Luke Eckert nailed the 28-yard field goal, pulling the Trojans to within 17-9 early in the second half.
“Shutting them out to a field goal, especially on that return that they had, great job by our defense,” New Palestine quarterback Zach Neligh said. “Great all-around effort.”
New Palestine put the Trojans on their heels immediately, going to a hurry-up offense and running the ball straight down the field, leading to a Neligh 5-yard TD run.
“We knew that tempo was going to be big this week,” Neligh said. “They like controlling it, keeping it short and simple, and they do a great job at it. But once you start getting that tempo going, it puts the pressure on them.”
The Dragons defense carried the way from there. They forced a turnover on downs when a 4th and 6 play was ended with Matt Brown crushing Moore and forcing an incompletion.
Center Grove stopped the Dragons in the 4th quarter and had a chance to try to get back in the game, only to wave for a fair catch on a punt and mishandle it, giving the Dragons the ball back in great field position.
Hook, a junior safety, was all over the field for the Dragons, deflecting passes and making tackle after tackle.
“This defense was kind of designed for our safeties to come up and make plays,” Hook said. “I was supposed to make tackles. I just did my job tonight, and it worked.”
Luke Canfield had a big deflection on a deep bomb to an open receiver early in the fourth quarter, forcing a fourth down. Kyle King had a sack.
Across the field, the Dragons stepped up. Neligh had 18 runs for 110 yards and was 10 of 13 for 99 yards in the air. Spegal ran 22 times for 99 yards.
It was a statement win for the Dragons, their 47th straight regular-season victory. It was their first win against a Class 6A school.
It continues a hot start for New Palestine, who has outscored Kokomo and Center Grove, two strong programs in their own right, 108-9.
“Having them withstand the punishment of that the entire night and do so well, playing pretty mistake free for the most part, that’s what it’s all about, watching those kids go out there and execute and get the job done,” Ralph said. “By god, am I proud of those guys.”
“That might be one of the greatest high school environments I’ve ever been a part of honestly,” he added. “Expectation wise, caliber wise, that may be one of the most special games I think I’ve been a part of.”