New Palestine’s Grayson Thomas runs by a Decatur Central defender for a touchdown in the Dragons Week 2 win over the Hawks.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
NEW PALESTINE — The top scoring team in Class 4A will be without one of its biggest offensive weapons for the remainder of the postseason.
No. 1 ranked New Palestine (11-0) averages 45.5 points per game, but will be without the services of junior all-star running back Grayson Thomas, who suffered an ACL injury in last week’s Class 4A Sectional 22 semifinal victory over Greenfield-Central.
New Palestine head coach Kyle Ralph said he got the news Tuesday that Thomas’s season was over.
“It hurts. He’s a three-year starter. He’s probably going to be an all-state player this year and was probably on pace to break 2,000 yards rushing, depending on how long we get to play,” Ralph said. “He’s a long snapper, has played on all of our special teams at some point, been a kick returner, on kickoff, our short snapper on PATs. It’s not like you lose one kid. It’s like losing four or five.”
“Our kids will do a great job and rally and step up. It’s just what you have to do.”
The junior had rushed for 26 touchdowns this season, which ranks first in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, and is tied for fourth in Class 4A and tied for 17th in the state.
He has rushed for 1,509 yards on 189 carries for a 7.9 average. His rushing total is first in the HHC, seventh in 4A and 25th in the state.
Thomas was injured early in the first quarter of the Dragons 33-9 victory over the Cougars.
On Friday, junior Kyler Kropp took over for Thomas and finished the game with 24 carries for 149 yards and one touchdown. Daniel Tippit IV handled long-snapping duties.
“Those guys are going to have to continue to play in those new roles and execute in those roles,” Ralph said. “That’s just the expectation. Our guys do a great job of being into the game plans. We’re very fortunate that we have a lot of talented kids out there, but we’re going to have to have some guys step up in a major way to fill the void.
“That’s just what it’s going to take if you want to keep playing football every week. You’re going to have guys step up. Injuries happen and that’s just the way football is, sadly sometimes. You can’t let that stuff derail your team and their focus … We’ll continue to rally around our injured teammate like good teammates do, but at the same, we have to go out and win a football game Friday. Unfortunately it will be without (Thomas) but we have plenty of capable of football players that can do the job.”
The Dragons play host to Connersville (7-4) Friday for the Class 4A Sectional championship.
