New Palestine High School

Logan Parks has waited his turn at running back for the New Palestine football team. When he got his chance Friday night, he more than took advantage. The 5-foot-8 junior was difficult for Yorktown’s defenders to catch, and even more difficult to bring down. He ran for 271 yards and four touchdowns in his first varsity start, leading the Class 5A No. 1 Dragons to a 42-28 victory at 4A No. 6 Yorktown. Parks took over after an injury sidelined Kade Stephens, who had started the first two games. Parks was well-known within the NP locker room, as he’s shone in practice and when he’s had opportunities on Friday nights. Parks had 148 yards before halftime, and carried much of the offense in the second half as the Dragons built a two-score lead. The game was an offensive shootout – as the Dragons gained 473 yards of total offense. Rhys Ragan threw for 200 yards and two scores – a 46-yarder to Landon Maddox in the third quarter and a 31-yard toss to Cael Butler in the fourth. Yorktown’s Sam Tokar threw for 352 yards and three scores and also ran for another. The Dragons had to battle through some adversity. Coming off their first loss in 30 games, they fell behind early – a three-and-out on the first drive and a 24-yard TD run by Tokar on Yorktown’s. But the Dragons kept bouncing back. The first of Carson Forsyth’s two interceptions set up Parks’ first TD. Yorktown answered with a long TD drive, but the Dragons had an answer, with a 51-yard pass to Butler setting up a 29-yard TD by Parks on the final play of the first quarter. In the second, the Dragons had to punt from their own end zone in a 14-14 game, with Yorktown poised to get great field position and take the lead. But on the first play, Forsyth picked off a long throw. That led a seven-play, 72-yard drive, in which Parks had two long runs – including a 26-yard run on third-and-7—to set up an 8-yard TD run by Parks in the final minute of the half. The Dragons took command in the second. The defense had to come up big twice – Yorktown recovered an onside kick to start the second half and then forced a fumble near midfield, on the next drive, but the Dragons got stops each time and went to work. A 46-yard TD pass to Maddox on the first play after a 29-yard punt return by Andrew Davis gave the Dragons a two-score edge. Again, Yorktown answered on a long TD pass. And again, the Dragons had an answer – another TD by Parks, a stop, and a scoring drive that ended in a touchdown to Butler to give the Dragons a 42-21 lead late before Tokar threw another long touchdown pass in the final minute. Butler had 82 yards receiving, while Maddox had 72. Mason Oglesby had 36 receiving yards, making him the 12th player in NPHS history to tally 1,000 career receiving yards. The Dragons are now 2-1 on the season and 1-0 in HHC play. They next play Friday at Mt. Vernon, and they’ll look to take more steps as they do so. New Palestine 42, Yorktown 28 New Palestine (2-1, 1-0);14-7-7-14--42 Yorktown (2-1, 1-0);14-0-7-7--28 Scoring Summary 1st Quarter Y – Tokar 24 run (Ford kick), 8:16 NP – Parks 2 run (Walker kick), 1:52 Y – Crumes 4 pass from Tokar (Ford kick), :26 NP – Parks 29 run (Walker kick), :00 2nd Quarter NP – Parks 8 run (Walker kick), :00 3rd Quarter NP – Maddox 46 pass from Ragan (Eakin kick), 6:05 Y – Luzadder 42 pass from Tokar (Ford kick), 3:25 4th Quarter NP – Parks 6 run (Walker kick), 6:05 NP – Butler 31 pass from Ragan (Walker kick), 6:05 Y – Clark 36 pass from Tokar (Ford kick), :20