New Palestine’s Luke Burgess — with Dragons head coach Kyle Ralph and parents Brandy and John Burgess — shows off his gear for the upcoming U.S. Army Bowl.
The Daily Reporter Photo
NEW PALESTINE — After playing on a team that spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the state, New Palestine’s Luke Burgess will get a chance to play with some of the best in the country.
The senior offensive left tackle for the New Palestine Dragons will play in the U.S. Army Bowl, which brings the top high school football players in the country together for an East vs. West game at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Tex., this Saturday.
The game is scheduled to be nationally televised on the Bally Sports Network. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. (ET).
Burgess said he was initially contacted in July about playing in the rebirth of the Army Bowl, which had gone away and become the Adidas All-American Bowl.
“I told them I’d love to do it,” Burgess said. “Now, since it’s become a reality, it’s really exciting.
“It means the world to me to represent my school and the football program. Being able to play against the best players in the nation is huge for me. You get the best players from all around the country, I’m excited to see how I perform.”
The Dragons spent much of the season as the state’s t0p-ranked team in Class 4A. They finished the year 12-1 and were eliminated by No. 2 Roncalli in the postseason’s regional round. New Palestine had one of the state’s top offensive lines with Burgess (6-foot-8, 291-pounds), another top national recruit in junior right tackle Ian Moore (6-6, 290), who has committed to Ohio State, and uncommitted senior right guard Thomas Wood (6-2, 284).
“What’s nice about this (all-star game) it’s a little hint of what I get at the next level,” Burgess added.
Burgess isn’t the only Indiana player in the game. He said he’ll be joined by Roncalli offensive lineman Trevor Lauck (lowa), Brownsburg offensive lineman Leighton Jones (Iowa), and Cathedral defensive lineman Kendrick Gilbert (Purdue).
Burgess is the first New Palestine player to play in the All-American game. Former New Palestine running back Charlie Spegal was named a MaxPreps All-American, but did not play in the game.
“For our program, being in a small town, it means a lot,” New Palestine head coach Kyle Ralph of his Dragons getting national recognition. “Our kids work hard, develop their bodies to be able to do these type of things, not just get themselves to the next level, but to be elite on a national scale. It’s exciting and credit to them and how hard they work.”
Burgess committed in June to play collegiately at the University of Louisville, which made a coaching change last week. Former head coach Scott Satterfield became the head coach at the University of Cincinnati on Monday, Dec. 5. Since, Louisville has hired former Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm.
Last week, Burgess said, prior to the Cardinals naming a new coach, his plan was to go to Louisville.
Earlier this week, on his Twitter page, Burgess posted a photo, at UL, with new coach Brohm, who played and starred at quarterback for Louisville.
