NEW PALESTINE — Where there was one, there was the other. Inseparable by vicinity and sheer talent, both New Palestine seniors Kyle King and Maxen Hook were a reflection of each other though at different levels on the field.
King, a 6-foot-4, 248-pound Michigan State recruit, terrorized opposing offensive coordinator’s dreams as an all-state defensive lineman, consistently pursuing, relentlessly pressuring and forcing double-, if not triple-team attention.
Hook, a 6-2, 189-pound Toledo recruit, roamed the defensive backfield with two modes of thought. One, don’t let the running back reach the third level unscathed. If he does, then make him pay. Two, go ahead and try to throw the ball my way. Just try.
Together, both combined for 157 of the Class 5A Dragons Red Rage’s 771 total tackles. They collectively posted 23 tackles for a loss and averaged more than 11 tackles per game.
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They both earned Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State honors and were each named Indiana Mr. Football position honorees for the Dragons, who posted a minuscule 8.86 points allowed on average en route to the program’s second straight unbeaten 14-0 season and second 5A state championship at 28-0 the last two years.
Both were Div.-I recruits and both have opted to graduate early in order to continue their football careers sooner than most. While individually different, they mirrored each other and made the Dragons’ defense a unit to fear.
"Those two are best friends. They get along really well as teammates because of their friendship off the field, and both of them are really intense players and competitive kids," New Palestine head coach Kyle Ralph said. "They both are supremely talented, obviously, physically, and they were great in their roles that they played this year.
"They were certainly fun to watch on a Friday night."
Hook and King often played on the same side of the defense, which provided the Dragons a two-tiered level of protection against most big plays. A blessing and a curse, for Ralph and his staff, the positive was knowing they had a pair of high-level players ready to strike. Another was knowing exactly where the opposition wasn’t going to attacking at all costs.
"Initially, they both played right next to each other, and that was a little bit of a strategy for us. We know not many people are going to challenge Maxen and certainly, they’re not going to challenge Kyle," Ralph said. "Knowing the ball was going to go in the opposite direction early on probably was one of the easier things for us to plan for and allowed us to catch up some of those younger kids.
"Let’s understand that this side of the ball is going to get a whole lot of work, so let’s be sharp on that. And that was nice."
When a team felt compelled to challenge either, it spelled trouble.
"It was very rare for someone to run it on our side. He was right on the edge, and if they got past him, I was right there. Just playing next to him and being best friends, it’s just one of those things you dream about," Hook said. "It’s one of those high school experiences you don’t get and to win two state championships with all my friends out there was unreal."
Hook maximized his opportunities in 2019, finishing second on the team with 90 total tackles, 55 solos and 4.5 for a loss, a sack and two interceptions. As a junior, his numbers were eye-popping at 126 total tackles and 14.5 for a loss with four sacks and three interceptions.
The increased attention from other teams lowered his output but not his production.
"It was obviously harder since they were both so well-known, nobody really wanted to come after them, so their stats were hurt a little bit in that regard," Ralph said. "Kyle was getting double or triple teamed. They ran the ball away from him about 80 percent of the time, and Maxen it was similar. They didn’t really throw his way to challenge him that often. But they knew that was part of the structure, and they were team players about it."
King suffered a similar statistical slump, but it was still plenty for the Dragons. New Palestine had three shutouts in 2019, including a 45-0 blowout against Bloomington South in the semistate championship.
Only five times in 14 games did an opposing team score 12 or more points and only one reached 20, fittingly in the final game at Lucas Oil Stadium this past November against Valparaiso in a 27-20 victory.
King had four tackles in the 5A state championship game with two for a loss and a pair of sacks. He finished the season with 67 total tackles, 18.5 for a loss and seven sacks. As a junior, he recorded 71 tackles, 26 for a loss and 18 sacks.
More impressively, the duo went both ways, playing on both offense and defense as starters, an expectation at New Palestine as well as overwhelming its opponent, which both did weekly.
"We would play both ways, but we would wear people down on offense and our same guys would go back out on defense and we’d keep wearing those starters down," Hook said. "That was a huge part, our conditioning and wearing teams down because our second half is when we won a lot of games this year."
Training was never an issue for either King or Hook. After their sophomore seasons, the switch flipped, Ralph recalled. Both became aware of their potential and the future. The key was keeping egos in check, which was never an issue for either of them.
While the state’s most prolific rusher in 2019 Indiana Mr. Football award winner Charlie Spegal collected headlines this past season, the twosome celebrated his success and used the defense’s lack of attention to fuel them.
"It definitely gave our defense a chip on its shoulder. It made us play a lot harder. No one was even going to notice what we do, but it doesn’t matter because we know we’re one of the best defenses in the state and we play together," Hook said. "A big part of why our team has had so much success is because of the Red Rage."
Another vital piece was the unrecognized glue standing between both King and Hook.
A two-time all-state linebacker, senior Aven Jones was the second-level of defense for New Palestine and one of the driving forces to the unit’s achievements, Hook emphasizes.
Jones led the Dragons with 112 total tackles, 16.5 for a loss and 6.5 sacks, second only to King.
"Aven Jones was by far one of the best players in the state, and he didn’t get a lot of recognition. He was in the middle of that defense, calling out all our plays, making all the checks. He made every single check inside the box," Hook said. "It definitely takes the right type of kid to run middle linebacker for us. Without an all-state middle linebacker, it really hurts the defense. To have a kid like Aven is a really big part of why we won another state championship."
King is already in Lansing, Mich. taking classes and working out with his new team, preparing for the next wave of his career. Hook is about a week behind him, getting ready to head to Ohio in 10 days.
Hook admits it was a tough decision, losing out on his senior basketball season and watching the past four years fly by, but it only made sense that both decided to follow the same path.
"We both recognized the opportunity we had ahead of us, and we both realized if our dream is to continue to play football and play football at the highest level we can, then what are doing? It isn’t even a choice. We have to make this decision," Hook said. "Graduating early is the right thing to do, but it was a really hard decision. I’m excited about the future."
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Dragons’ State Championship Magazine on Sale!
Relive the memories from New Palestine’s repeat Class 5A state championship football run. The Dragons won their second straight state title this season with a perfect 28-0 record in two years behind the powerful rushing of senior Charlie Spegal and a dominating defense.
Secure your piece of history and buy your Commemorative Championship Magazine at The Daily Reporter office beginning on tomorrow for $5 a copy.
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