NEW PALESTINE — With eight wins and only two losses for the New Palestine football team in 2020, last season would be considered a success for many.
Not so, however, for the Class 5A Dragons, one of the state’s most efficient programs the past 12 years.
For the first time since 2012, the Dragons didn’t finish the regular season unbeaten, losing to rival 4A Mt. Vernon last September, which also ended their string of 49 consecutive Hoosier Heritage Conference victories.
With that 35-22 defeat, the Dragons additionally lost hold of the coveted Boundary Rail, a prized trophy the neighboring schools tussle over annually with New Palestine previously holding bragging rights the past eight seasons.
Add in the halting of the Dragons’ streak of 65 consecutive regular-season wins — the second-longest run in state history — and the first campaign since 2012 without the HHC title, and that 8-2 record falls short.
At least, it does in the Dragons’ eyes.
“After last year, we’re just trying to put the program back on top and get New Pal back to where it was,” Dragons’ junior lineman Luke Burgess said. “That’s just motivating us right now. We can’t wait for that game (against Mt. Vernon). Just to be able to get back at them and obviously losing the rail is a lot of motivation for us right now.”
Last year’s results weren’t from a lack of effort. In fact, the Dragons were the epitome of all hands on deck in 2020.
As the weeks rolled by a new obstacle seemingly appeared.
First, the Dragons contended with a delayed start to the season due to COVID-19 quarantines, followed by multiple in-season injuries and finally an extremely youthful and inexperienced depth chart out of mere necessity.
“Last year was tough for us with some of the lack of the things that we had, the injuries and the COVID stuff to start the year off was pretty brutal. We played a lot of teams, especially in our conference that were really senior heavy, and we were not that at all last year,” New Palestine head coach Kyle Ralph said.
“I think a lot of teams thought they could get us, and one of them did get us, and this year is another where they feel like, ‘Well, they kind of had a rough year last year and a lot kids got hurt, they have a lot of youth and inexperience and not a lot of seniors, so it’s another opportunity to get them.’ But, our young kids are doing a great job and have taken that as kind of a slap to the face, thinking we can’t get the job done, and they’ve come out with a great attitude this whole summer and preseason. It feels like Dragon football again out here.”
That’s the goal for the Dragons once opening night kicks off this evening at Decatur Central at 7 p.m.
“It’s really exciting, especially getting in the spring and summer practices and really get our full preparation. We’re all just really excited about (tonight) and finally getting back on the field where it feels normal with the fans and the student sections,” Burgess said.
On offense, the Dragons return several familiar faces, including three linemen and sophomore running back Grayson Thomas (5-11, 173 pounds).
Burgess (6-7, 276) is the notable anchor for the Dragons up front at left tackle, netting on-going attention from multiple college recruiters, including at Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio State, Missouri, among others.
Junior Trey Keele (6-1, 285) at center and junior Thomas Wood (6-2, 272) at right guard also are back.
“Three of us having been playing together since the first grade, so we have a lot of chemistry,” Burgess said. “Right now, it’s just getting the mental mistakes cleaned up and I think we’ll be pretty good.”
Joining the trio will be senior Matt Norton (6-0, 241) at left guard and sophomore Ian Moore (6-5, 294) at right tackle.
“What we have are good kids that work hard and are talented young men,” Ralph said. “Offensive line is incredibly important and we’ll only be able to go as far as the guys up front take us, and that’s just the game of football and how we play it here. We’re going to need a really big year from those guys.”
Thomas rushed for 1,101 yards and 14 touchdowns on 211 carries as a freshman starter last season. From there, a new group of skill position players will get their shot this fall.
The receiving corp will consist of junior Baylor Hurst (5-10, 168), junior Blaine Nunnally (5-10, 166), sophomore Kyler Kropp (6-0, 174) and junior Isaiah Thacker (6-0, 172).
At quarterback, senior Damon Hockett (6-2, 165), a team captain, is replacing graduated senior Lincoln Roth.
“People don’t think we have a lot of experience, but a lot of these guys got on the field last year. We actually have a lot of experience out here,” Hockett said. “Our whole O-line is stepping up because we lost three starters last year, and there are seven of them getting better every day.”
Hockett is no exception. A wide receiver primarily last season, Hockett cut his teeth at the junior varsity level under center and is a dedicated student of the game, studying film daily while honing his mechanics and reads.
“He’s done really well. He played a little bit for us last year as a receiver and he did some JV quarterback stuff for us last year before we pulled him up to varsity. But, it’s hard because we’re going into this year for the first time ever where no quarterback in our system has thrown a football in a varsity game,” Ralph said. “That is not a comforting thing for a lot of people, but Damon has handled it exceptionally well.”
Burgess will go both ways on the line, starting at defensive tackle (23 total tackles, 3.0 for a loss and 1.5 sacks).
Senior Porter May (5-10, 231) is at nose guard and Wood will be at the other tackle.
At linebacker, junior Eli Hook (6-1, 191) is on the strong side, next to senior Tyler Prange (5-10, 194) in the middle and senior Gus Walling (6-2, 180) at weak side.
The secondary will feature Nunnally (33 total tackles), sophomore Mason Hiatt (6-0, 175), junior Baylor Hurst (5-10, 168), junior Bryant Nunnally (5-10, 163) and senior Madix Johnson (5-9, 166).
“It’s pretty exciting. I think we can be a pretty solid team this year,” Hockett said. “I think we can prove everyone wrong that we’re supposed to be worst than last year, but I think we’re actually going to be better.”
Junior Caleb Byers (5-10, 158) will handle kick-return duties, while Hockett will punt and junior Brendan Tanksley will be the starting placekicker.
“We’re still really young. We do have a couple of guys back, which obviously speaks to how young we were last year even, but we got a lot of guys who at least played to a degree and it’s nice to have certainly,” Ralph said.
“We kind of took some lumps last year playing some of those young guys or whatnot, but thankfully the youth played last year and gain some experience, so there’s at least a little bit of green off of them.”
Since 2013, Ralph’s Dragons have gone 96-6 through eight seasons with three undefeated state championship runs at 14-0 in both 2018 and 2019 and 15-0 in 2014.
2021 New Palestine Football Schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 20;at Decatur Central;7 p.m.
Aug. 27;at Brebeuf Jesuit;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 3;vs. Yorktown;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 10;vs. Mt. Vernon;7 p.m.
Sept. 17;vs. Pendleton Heights;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 24;at Greenfield-Central;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 1;vs. Shelbyville;7 p.m.
Oct. 8;vs. New Castle;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 15;at Delta;7:30 p.m.
