NEW PALESTINE — The oft-used sports term ‘next man up’ was in order at New Palestine High School Friday.
When junior star running back Grayson Thomas went down with a first-quarter injury, classmate Kyler Kropp jumped in to take the weight of New Palestine’s rushing attack.
Kropp, who started the game as a receiver, rushed for 151 yards on 24 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown run in the Dragons 33-9 victory over Greenfield-Central in a Class 4A Sectional 22 semifinal game at Kelso Stadium.
“I had to put my big-boy pants on,” Kropp said of filling in for Thomas. “We have a lot of explosive players around here … If one of our guys go down, we have to come together and fill that spot.”
Thomas’s understudy gave the Dragons a two-score lead late in the first half and New Pal extended the advantage with a 99-yard third-quarter drive that all but clinched the top-ranked team’s invitation to the sectional championship game next week, at home, against Connersville, a 27-20 winner over New Castle.
The Dragons, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, improved to 11-0 and will go for the school’s 13th sectional championship, and seventh in the last 10 seasons, against the Spartans next Friday.
“I’m very proud of (Kropp). He’s been a running back for us this year. He’s played receiver, played tight end, he’s kind of a jack-of-all-trades,” Ralph said. “Weird, this was one of the only weeks this year he didn’t get any reps at running back. For him to come out and perform at running back was just outstanding.
“He’s a great kid that loves football and plays with passion. If you have kids like that you’re going to be just fine. It was a huge performance for him.”
New Palestine played most of the game without Thomas, who has rushed for over 1,500 yards this season and over 3,900 for his career, third on the school’s all-time list. His 11-yard first-quarter touchdown, on the Dragons second offensive play of the game, was his 26th of the season and gave the home team a 7-0 lead.
Thomas left with an apparent leg injury after just his second carry of the game. It happened on New Palestine’s second offensive series.
Running behind a veteran offensive line that includes two D-I commits, Luke Burgess at Louisville and Ian Moore at Ohio State, aided Kropp’s adjustment.
“I’m so blessed to have those guys. They’re wonderful to run behind,” Kropp said.
Greenfield-Central scored on a 38-yard Aaron Lee field goal to cut it to 7-3, but the Dragons kept their Hancock County neighbors from getting any closer.
New Palestine answered the Cougars first score of the game with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Tippit IV to Isaiah Thacker with just two seconds left in the opening quarter. The drive was aided by a 48-yard kick return from Daniel Thacker.
The Dragons took a 19-3 lead into the second half, Greenfield-Central threatened on its second series of the third quarter. The Cougars reached the New Palestine 1, but frosh lineman Brock Brownfield forced a fumble and Dragon senior defensive back Blaine Nunnally had the recovery.
Eight plays and 99 yards later, the Dragons led 26-3. Kropp had runs of 11, 10, 10, 3,3 on the drive. The biggest play of the drive was a 36-yard pass play from Tippit to Nunnally.
Inside the 10 and on third down, Eian Roudebush took the snap at quarterback and rushed seven yards for the score.
New Palestine’s defense had three interceptions. Senior Eli Hook picked off a Dallas Freeman pass on the second play of the game, leading to the Thomas score. Daniel Thacker and Isaiah Thacker each had interceptions, too.
It was New Palestine’s 13th straight win over Greenfield-Central. The Cougars finished 7-4 for the second straight season. It’s the first time since 1974-75, they have had back-to-back seasons of seven wins or more.
