New Palestine High School

The New Palestine football team looks to win its third consecutive sectional championship Friday as it travels to Mt. Vernon. This contest is a rematch of the Dragons' wild 63-39 victory in Week 4. 4A #3/3 New Palestine Dragons (9-2, 7-0 HHC) at Mt. Vernon Marauders (7-4, 4-3 HHC) Time: 7 p.m. Friday Location: Mt. Vernon HS (directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YJo11j5DVFGnf7nu9 Tickets; $7, cash at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=57319 Audio: NewPalRadio.com (coverage begins at 6 p.m.) SETTING THE SCENE The 64th all-time meeting between the Dragons and Marauders is for a sectional championship. The programs have played each other annually since they both began varsity football in 1968. This is the eighth postseason meeting between the two teams. The Dragons are 5-2 all-time in the postseason and 38-24-1 overall in the series. Last year, the Dragons won a 35-24 meeting at Mt. Vernon in the opening round of the sectional. This is a rematch of a game the Dragons won 63-39 in Week 4. The Dragons had 604 yards of total offense in that contest, including 285 rushing yards from Grayson Thomas and 256 passing yards from Gavin Neal and 182 receiving yards and four TDs from Kyler Kropp. The Dragons are seeking their eighth sectional title in coach Kyle Ralph’s 11 seasons and 14th overall. The Dragons are in their 23rd sectional title game in school history. They are 13-9 in sectional championship games and 7-2 under Coach Ralph. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons enter this week having posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since Oct. 2-9, 2020. The Red Rage defense has allowed 21 points in the last five weeks combined and has not allowed more than 164 yards in any of those contests. The only other time the Dragons have had back-to-back shutouts in the IHSAA tournament was 2013, when they beat Muncie South 53-0 and Mt. Vernon 33-0 in the semifinal and final rounds of the sectional. Offensively, the Dragons went to the running game last week, with 49 of their 52 snaps on the ground. It delivered, as the Dragons ran for 363 yards. Grayson Thomas had 145 on 21 carries and two touchdowns. Kyler Kropp ran for 124 and three scores and also had 29 receiving yards. It marked the first time the Dragons had two 100-yard rushers in the same game since Thomas and Damon Hockett did so Sept. 24, 2021 against Greenfield-Central. Thomas has posted the sixth 2,000-yard rushing season in NPHS football history. He now has 2,004 yards. He has 5,904 career rushing yards and needs 96 to become the second Dragon to reach the 6,000-yard mark. Thomas also scored his 85th career touchdown last week. Thomas is third in Class 4A and leads the HHC in rushing. He also leads the HHC in scoring with 26 touchdowns. The Dragons are seventh in Class 4A in scoring offense (38.6) and win margin (21.6). Kropp been the Dragons’ jack of all trades. Last week, he had his third straight game with 100 yards from scrimmage. Kropp has 1,254 carer receiving yards, seventh-most in school history. DB Micah Clark had 10 tackles last week to lead the Red Rage. Caden Jacobia posted his third interception of the season, tying him for the team lead with Mason Hiatt. Alex Guhl also had his second pick of the year as the Dragons were plus-2 in turnover ratio vs. G-C. Garrett Ranes leads the Dragons with 90 tackles. He and Michael Thacker have four sacks each. SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS MV enters tonight’s game on a five-game winning streak. The Marauders’ offense is averaging 36.2 points and 377.2 yards per game. Junior RB Joliba Brogan has run for 1,667 yards and 20 TDs this season. He tallied 246 yards and four touchdowns in the Week 4 meeting. Senior WR Tre Jones leads the Marauders in the receiving game with 630 yards. Tyler Etherington took over at QB last week and threw for 221 yards and four TDs in a 42-12 win over Beech Grove - 141 and two scores to Brogan. Brogan ran for 133 yards and a score. LOOKING AHEAD Tonight’s winner will face either Mooresville or Brebeuf in next week’s regional. If the Dragons win, they will host the regional. 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 and Instagram (@NewPalestineDragons), Twitter (@NPHSDragons) and online (NewPalestineAthletics.com).