New Palestine High School

The New Palestine football team opens its season Friday night as it faces Westfield at 7 p.m. Game info 6A #6/4 Westfield (2021: 12-2) at 4A #2/3 New Palestine (2021: 8-4) Time: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 Site: Kelso Stadium, New Palestine Tickets: $6, available at door or online at https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=17021 Broadcast audio: NewPalRadio.com (pregame coverage begins at 6 p.m.) Broadcast video: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine/ (PPV). WHMB will also produce a tape-delayed broadcast that will air at 10:30 p.m. SETTING THE SCENE Two powerhouses meet to open the 2022 season, as 4A No. 2/3 New Palestine hosts 6A No. 6/4 Westfield. The Dragons are a defending sectional champion and won state titles in 2018 and 2019, while the visiting Shamrocks have been the Class 6A runner-up to Center Grove each of the last two years. Both coaches are no strangers to success. The Dragons have three state titles (2014 - 4A, 2018 & 2019 - 5A) in four State Finals appearances under coach Kyle Ralph. The Shamrocks won the Class 5A championship in 2015 and have been runners-up in 5A (2013) and 6A (2020, 2021) under coach Jake Gilbert. The Dragons and Shamrocks have met twice, with New Palestine winning both meetings in 1991 and 1992. The two teams were both in the now-defunct Rangeline Conference at the time, and the Dragons’ two wins clinched conference titles. This will be New Palestine’s third all-time game against a Class 6A program. The Dragons beat Center Grove 31-9 in 2018 and 28-9 in 2019. This will be Westfield’s first game against a 4A team since Oct. 24, 2008, when the then-4A Shamrocks lost to Zionsville 24-0 in the sectional. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons return eight offensive and nine defensive starters from last year’s 8-4 squad that won seven consecutive games en route to the program’s 12th sectional title. Four of the five offensive line starters return, as well as two-time 1,000-yard rusher Grayson Thomas (1,288 yards, 19 TDs) and the top three receivers - Isaiah Thacker (34-693, 5 TDs), Blaine Nunnally (29-398, 3 TDs) and Kyler Kropp (18-188, 1 TD). Thomas, who tallied 1,101 rushing yards as a freshman, is the only Dragon to rush for 1,000 yards twice before his junior year. He needs 530 yards to move into the top five on New Palestine’s all-time rushing list. On defense, the top three tacklers - LB Eli Hook (87 tackles), DB Blaine Nunnally (80 tackles) and DL Michael Thacker (78 tackles) - all return. Thacker also led the Dragons with 5.5 sacks, while Hook had five. Nunnally had three sacks and two interceptions. Senior WR/DB Isaiah Thacker was an IFCA Junior All-State selection for the second consecutive season last year. OL Ian Moore, Thomas, Hook, Nunnally and K Brendan Tanksley were all named to the All-Hoosier Heritage Conference squad. Two Dragon seniors - Isaiah Thacker (Ball State) and Luke Burgess (Louisville) - have committed to play collegiately next season. This is the Dragons’ first game in its natural enrollment class - 4A - since winning the 2014 state title. The Dragons played in Class 5A from 2015-21 due to the IHSAA Tournament Success Factor, winning two state titles, three semistates and four sectional titles in that span. SCOUTING THE SHAMROCKS Westfield suffered heavy graduation losses on offense from a team that went 12-2 - with both losses to state champs (5A Cathedral & 6A Center Grove). The top returning yard-gainer is sophomore wideout Gavin Aramboles (41-605, 4 TD). Senior Cole Ballard takes over at QB. He threw for 109 yards in three contests in 2021. Defensively, the Shamrocks return three of their top four tacklers, led by senior LB Tyler Dikos (138 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks), senior S Dillon Thieneman (106 tackles, 1 INT, 8 TFL) and senior LB Charlie Dager (100 tackles). LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons host another highly-ranked team in 5A No. 2/2 Decatur Central next week. It’s the teams’ second meeting since facing in the 2018 Class 5A title game. FOLLOW US All New Palestine games are broadcast free-to-listen at NewPalRadio.com. All home games are also video streamed at IHSAAtv.org on a pay-per-view basis. NPHS Athletics is on Facebook (NewPalestineDragons), Twitter (@NPHSDragons) and online (NewPalestineAthletics.com).