NEW PALESTINE — Already the state’s most prolific rusher in high school football history, New Palestine’s Charlie Spegal has earned his first major award of the winter.
On Friday morning, Spegal was named the Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year for high school football, becoming only the second athlete from New Palestine to receive the coveted distinction.
Spegal rushed for 3,168 yards and 55 touchdowns as a senior for the undefeated Class 5A state champion Dragons (14-0), who won back-to-back state titles for the first time in program history last month.
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“I think I speak for everybody involved with our entire program from the administration to the coaches, the players to the community when I say that we are all incredibly proud of Charlie for this accomplishment,” New Palestine head coach Kyle Ralph said.
“He’s worked tremendously hard for this type of achievement, but again I think his proudest moment will still be the fact that he helped his team win a state championship not the individual accolades that he’s going to get because of his efforts.”
The bruising back, who is receiving interest from Army, Indiana State, Indiana and Tennessee, is the only player in Indiana High School Athletic Association football history to rush for 3,000 yards in two seasons.
During the Dragons’ 27-20 state championship victory over Valparaiso (13-1) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 29, Spegal rushed for 160 yards on 23 carries to average 7.0 yards per attempt.
He broke free for an 80-yard touchdown run in the title game to push his career-rushing touchdown total to 173.
“I’m so thankful to play with these guys,” Spegal remarked after the state title game. “I’m just thankful to go out as a state champ.”
Spegal owns four career state records. He competed at Delta High School during his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to New Palestine for his junior and senior years.
He graduates this year as Indiana’s career record holder in rushing yards (10,867), rushing touchdowns (173), total touchdowns (175) and points (1,054). He is ranked sixth nationally in all-time rushing yards and fourth in scoring.
He set eight school records for single-season rushing yards (3,356 in 2018), single-game rushing yards (387 in 2018), career rushing yards (6,524), career rushing touchdowns (123), single-season rushing touchdowns (68 in 2018), single-game total touchdowns (8 in 2018), single-season scoring (422 in 2018) and career scoring (754).
Spegal posted 200-plus rushing yards nine times as a senior, including four in the IHSAA state tournament. His performance on the field powered the Dragons to a 28-0 record the past two seasons and back-to-back state championships.
Spegal is the second athlete in as many years from New Palestine to be named the Gatorade Player of the Year.
In 2018, Ashley Prange was named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year for softball after the Dragons won their second of three consecutive IHSAA 3A state titles and sixth overall.
