NEW PALESTINE — The New Palestine Dragons aren’t satisfied with one Class 5A state championship.
They want another. They know that in order to win back-to-back state titles, they will have to work even harder than a season ago.
That’s a high bar to clear, but they are ready to do just that.
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“I think we’ve got to push ourselves twice as hard as we did last year,” senior lineman Kyle King said. “We already got one of the main goals that everybody is striving for. Just to get there again is going to be extremely hard. You’ve gotta keep everybody up to par. You don’t want anyone settling just for a regional championship. You’ve got to push all the way through and get that next state ring.”
The Dragons simply steamrolled their way to a perfect 14-0 record and a Class 5A state championship a season ago, outscoring their opponents 789 to 132. They topped their class in scoring (56.4 points per game), defense (9.4 ppg allowed) and victory margin (47).
They won their sixth straight Hoosier Heritage Conference title, extending their win streak in HHC games to 41. They maintained their perfect regular-season record in coach Kyle Ralph’s tenure, now sitting at 54 straight regular-season wins.
None of that matters now. The schedule is the same, and everybody is 0-0. New Palestine is poised to continue right where it left off in 2018, though.
The Dragons return seven starters from the state championship game on each side of the ball, including four all-state players. Three returning Dragons led the state in their respective categories, led by senior running back Charlie Spegal, who led the state in yards (3,356), touchdowns (70), rushing touchdowns (68) and scoring (422). He led the nation in scoring.
Michigan State commit Kyle King is back on the offensive and defensive line, a year after leading the state with 18 sacks. Alex Kropp is back as kicker, after leading the state in kick scoring with 101 PATs and six field goals in 2018, missing only four kicks total in 111 attempts.
They have plenty of experience, which will help with handling any pressure following a championship season.
“I’m not really sure if pressure is really the right word,” Ralph said. “I know that everyone understands the expectations around here, just because of who we’ve been the last couple of years and how successful the program has been the last six years. The kids are probably hardest on themselves, to be honest. I think our kids do a tremendous job of just focusing on who they are and who we are, and try to make that the best we possibly can every day.”
Two Dragons are current D1 commits — King and Maxen Hook, who is heading to Toledo — while Spegal has several D1 offers. Those three made all-state and will be joined by the fourth returning all-state player, Aven Jones, a senior linebacker of whom Ralph has big expectations.
“Everyone looks to the guys that have the scholarship offers, but Aven is one of the best football players on our team, period,” Ralph said. “I think he is really talented, just outstanding. He’s been great this summer, knows our defense inside and out, plays physical, has gotten bigger and stronger. I’m really looking for something special out of him this year.”
Jones will be an integral part of the defense this year as the only returning linebacker for the Red Rage. He’ll lead the defense from his middle linebacker position and will be surrounded by younger, less-experienced players.
Ralph will be looking to Jones to lead that group and continue the high level of play from last year’s linebacker group. He’ll be joined in the starting lineup by juniors Richard Clevenger and Hunter Burks for Friday’s opener against Kokomo.
“It’s definitely different,” Jones said. “I remember the older guys kind of coaching me through the games, like Luke (Ely), and CJ (Faubion) and Jacob (Hockett). It definitely does help, so I’m more than happy to help these guys in games, in practice, any time, really.”
King and Matt Brown are both back on the defensive line, joined by Will Olive at nose guard. The back end of the defense may be the Dragons’ biggest strength, as all five members of the starting secondary from last year’s championship team are back.
The entire secondary — Hook, Brody Luker, Ryker Large, Kade Large and Luke Canfield — are seniors, and they’ve all been playing together for years.
“We’ve played together for so long, all of our lives, really,” Luker said. “Having all five of us together is just so comforting. I know that he’s going to do his job, and I’m going to do mine. When we’re all together, it just feels right.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Dragons will still run through Spegal. He’ll have a new quarterback handing him the ball in junior Lincoln Roth, who won the starting job for Friday’s opener over senior Eric Roudebush.
The Dragons are comfortable with both Roth and Roudebush, and Ralph said both did such a great job that it was making the decision difficult. He said the quarterback situation is the “best one-two scenario we’ve had since I’ve been here,” and he is confident that either could play winning football.
It helps having a likely Mr. Football candidate to hand the ball off to, and it also helps to have what Ralph said is possibly the most talented receiver group he’s ever had.
Almost all of last year’s receivers and tight ends are back, and they had an intense competition for starting spots heading into Week 1. Three members of the secondary — Luker, Hook and Kade Large — are slated to start in the opener as receivers, as is junior Blake Austin.
Having a strong receiving corps doesn’t mean the Dragons are going to shy away from their identity as a running football team, but it ensures teams can’t stack the box all game to stop Spegal.
“If you can’t stop our run, we’re not going to stop running the football,” Ralph said. “If you do, you’ve probably sacrificed something on the perimeter and we’re capable at any of the receiver positions to definitely hurt you out there. I think everybody is going to want to stop the big guy in the backfield, but the great part about it is we have two quarterbacks that are mature and can handle it, and we’ve got a lot of talented receivers that can really do some damage on the perimeter.”
Perhaps the biggest hole the Dragons have in the lineup this year comes at a position of power from 2018, the offensive line. Gone are Austin Keele and Alex Cotterman, who both were instrumental in the team’s success a season ago.
Sliding into Keele’s spot at center will be junior Noah Mack, who started last year at guard. Helping fill the leadership void will be the returning starting tackles, King and senior Jacob Brittsan. Ethan Sturgeon and Tucker Keevers, both juniors, will be the new starters at the guard positions.
The Dragons open the season ranked No. 1 in both the coaches poll and the AP poll. They have the expectations that come with the winning culture that Ralph has built over the years and should be favored to advance deep into the state tournament.
They appear ready for the challenge ahead on the quest for a repeat state championship.
“New Pal’s always got a target on our back,” King said. “We’re always top in the conference, we’re always one of the major programs in Indiana. It’s not that we’re not used to it as a team — we’re always going to have pressure on us regardless of what we do.”
“It doesn’t matter where you’re ranked now. It’s about where you finish the season at,” Ralph said. “You might be number one now, but nobody really cares if you’re not number one at the end. It’s just something the kids have gotten accustomed to, and they are handling it really, really well.”
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Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 23;at Kokomo;7 p.m.
Aug. 30;at Center Grove;7 p.m.
Sept. 6;Yorktown;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13;Mt. Vernon;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20;Pendleton Heights;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27;at Greenfield-Central;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4;Shelbyville;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 11;New Castle;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18;at Delta;7:30 p.m.
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Coach: Kyle Ralph (seventh year, 74-4)
Last season: 14-0, 7-0 HHC; won Class 5A state championship
Key returnees: RB Charlie Spegal, OL/DL Kyle King, DB Maxen Hook, QB/WR/DB/P Eric Roudebush, WR/DB Brody Luker, RB/LB Aven Jones, RB/DB Luke Canfield, WR/DB Ryker Large, OL/DL Jacob Brittsan, TE/DB Kade Large, K Alex Kropp, seniors; WR/DB Blake Austin, QB/DB Lincoln Roth, OL/DL Noah Mack, TE/LB Matt Brown, juniors
Top newcomers: LS/LB Brice Freeman, OL/DL Will Olive, WR/DB Dawson Eastes, senior; OL/DL Ethan Sturgeon, OL/DL Tucker Keevers, WR/LB Hunter Burks, juniors
Outlook: The Dragons should be considered heavy favorites to repeat as state champions and should be considered favorites by double-digit points in potentially every game this season. Charlie Spegal is in line to break the state’s career rushing record in the first few weeks and will likely put up eye-popping numbers yet again. There are questions – will the offensive line be as good with two new starters? – but with two D1 commits in Maxen Hook and Kyle King and another returning all-state player in linebacker Aven Jones, the Dragons return plenty of weapons from last year’s undefeated team. The Dragons are well-positioned for another HHC title and anything less than a deep tournament run would be a surprise.
Notable: The entire starting secondary from 2018 is back, and all five are senior – Maxen Hook, Brody Luker, Luke Canfield, Ryker Large and Kade Large.
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