New Palestine High School

The Dragons boys basketball team returns home for a pair of non-conference games this weekend. FRIDAY: (3A 7) Roncalli Royals (8-4) at New Palestine Dragons (6-7) Time: 6 p.m. JV/F, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Dragons' Den at NPHS Event: Homecoming Tickets: $7, at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=168933 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: IHSAAtv.org/newpalestine ($) SATURDAY: FRANKLIN GRIZZLY CUBS (8-6) at NEW PALESTINE DRAGONS (6-7) Time: 6 p.m. JV/F, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Dragons' Den at NPHS Tickets: $7, at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=169109 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: IHSAAtv.org/newpalestine ($) SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons and Royals meet for the 14th consecutive season. Roncalli is No. 7 in Class 3A in the USA Today poll, the first team ranked in the Top 10 at gametime the Dragons will have faced this season. These two potential sectional foes met twice last year. NP won both meetings - 64-62 in the regular season and 65-55 in the sectional championship game. The Dragons lead the all-time series 11-8 and have five straight wins over four seasons. Saturday, the Dragons meet the Grizzly Cubs for the 15th consecutive year. NP trails the all-time series 19-11, but won last year’s meeting 66-64 on a last-second 3-pointer by Moses Haynes. Both teams play Friday night. Franklin meets Mid-State rival Whiteland while the Dragons face Roncalli. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons suffered back-to-back losses last weekend, befallen by slow starts in both games. The Dragons rallied back from a double-digit deficit Friday against Pendleton Heights, only to fall 64-59. Saturday, they lost at Avon 69-57. Against Avon, the Dragons had a season-high 11 steals - Will Davison tied a team season high with four - and forced 19 turnovers. Evan Darrah led the Dragons with 19 points. Cael Butler had nine points on 4-of-4 shooting off the bench. Davison tallied eight rebounds and Sam Hirschy had six. Against PH, the Dragons had three players in double figures, as Davison had 20 points and eight rebounds. Eli Parrett had 11 points and six assists, while Darrah tallied 10 points. Hirschy had eight points and 10 rebounds - seven of which were offensive. Hirschy’s 10-rebound game against PH was the Dragons’ first since he had 13 boards in the season opener at Eastern Hancock. He has 24 boards in his last three games. At 20.2 ppg, Davison is third in the HHC in scoring. He is seventh in the state among sophomores. Darrah is eighth in the HHC at 20.2 ppg. Davison has hit double-figures in 11 of the Dragons’ 13 games this season and has tallied 20-plus points eight times. Darrah has hit double-figures 10 times and the 20-point mark in seven games. Parrett ranks second in the HHC in assists at 5.4 per game. Hirschy is seventh in the conference at 5.7 rebounds per contest. 32 of his 57 rebounds are on the offensive glass. SCOUTING THE ROYALS Roncalli has a veteran roster with four players averaging in double figures, led by senior center Joe Taylor (13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and senior guard Conner Kesler (16.1 ppg). Senior Luke Feldman tallies 13.3 ppg and junior Joey Ortman 12.0 ppg. Roncalli enters the week having dropped four of its last six games after starting the season 6-0. SCOUTING THE GRIZZLY CUBS Franklin enters the week 8-6, having gone 2-1 in the Johnson County Tournament last week to finish runner-up to Whiteland. The Grizzly Cubs beat Greenwood Christian and Edinburgh before falling 77-67 to the Warriors. Senior Tony Barnes (14.6 ppg) and senior Omari Thomas (13.8 ppg) lead Franklin in scoring. FOLLOW THE GAMES All games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. Home games are also simulcast on a pay-per-view basis on IHSAAtv.org. NPHS athletics is online (NewPalestineAthletics.com), on X (@NPHSDragons), Facebook and Instagram (@newpalestinedragons)