New Palestine’s Kyler Kropp runs by Connersville defenders during the Class 4A Sectional 22 championship game Friday.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
By Brady Extin | Daily Reporter
NEW PALESTINE — Being down one of the leading members of their offense did little to slow down the New Palestine attack during Friday night’s 43-14 Class 4A Sectional 22 championship game victory over Connersville.
The Dragons were without leading running back Grayson Thomas, who suffered an ACL injury in last week’s win against Greenfield-Central.
For the Dragons offense, and head coach Kyle Ralph, it was next man up. Taking on that role was junior Kyler Kropp.
Normally a wide receiver for the Dragons this season, Kropp has now taken over full-time duties at the running back position. It’s a position he’s played in the past, and for Ralph, that made the transition to a new running back that much easier.
“He’s been a running back for a couple of years for us. He played back there some as a sophomore last year and has taken some carries for us this year. He’s been great,” Ralph said. “It definitely made us better earlier in the year to have him at receiver, but with Grayson out now, the transition has been incredibly smooth. [Kropp’s] a great kid, works hard, and he’s a running back by trade, so there’s not a huge learning curve there.”
Other than the number on the back of the jersey, you’d be hard-pressed to tell that it wasn’t Thomas back there.
Kropp had a Thomas-esque game, running for 112 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries, all coming in the first half.
“When Grayson got hurt last week, it was a little questionable on how we were going to respond,” New Palestine senior offensive lineman Thomas Wood said. “I thought the O-line practiced well this week. The quarterback was sharp. We had some new plays in there we were going to run against (Connersville’s) front. Everyone executed it really well.”
Kropp, who had gone the previous two weeks without taking running back reps at practice, was thrown back into that situation this past week.
For him, that full week of practice at the position was key to his success.
“It took me a little bit to get back in the hang of things, but overall I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Kropp said. “It was a little weird not really running the ball for 10 weeks and then having to come back, but I think I’m doing pretty good right now.”
While Kropp filled the shoes of Thomas just fine, it’s the guys in front of him that deserve a lot of the credit, and he’ll be the first to tell you that.
“They make it so, so easy, it’s great,” Kropp said. “I’m blessed to have those guys up front. (Wood), Ian (Moore), Trey (Keele), Ben (Purciful), Luke (Burgess), all of them. I love them all, and they make my job so much easier.”
A New Palestine offensive line anchored by Burgess, a University of Louisville commit, and junior Moore, an Ohio State commit, has made it easy for the Dragons running backs all season long, and that was no different last night with Kropp in the backfield.
“It helps a lot,” Ralph added. “Those guys up front need to keep getting better and improving every week, but it certainly makes your job a lot easier when you’ve got five guys who are big and strong up there.”
Helping make the transition at running back go smoothly was the Dragons’ ability to attack the Connersville defense from every position on the field.
Led by quarterback Daniel Tippit IV, and assisted by wide receivers Blaine Nunnally, Isaiah Thacker, and Ty Mitchell, the New Palestine passing attack threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns all in the opening half.
“We have a lot of weapons, and we tell the kids all the time how a touchdown for one is a touchdown for all. I don’t care who scores it or if we throw it or run it. What matters is we score, and those guys have bought into that,” Ralph said. “We have a host of weapons out there, and we’ve got to continue to use them all to be successful. If you only have one guy, teams can take that away, but if you have five it makes it a lot harder.”
