New Palestine High School

The New Palestine football team continues sectional play with a semifinal matchup against county rival Greenfield-Central. Game info 4A #1/1 New Palestine Dragons (10-0, 7-0 HHC) vs. 4A --/RV Greenfield-Central Cougars (7-3, 4-3 HHC) Time: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 (gates open 6 p.m.) Site: Kelso Stadium, New Palestine Tickets: $7, available at the gate and at https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=22144 Broadcast audio: NewPalRadio.com (pregame coverage begins at 6 p.m.) Broadcast video: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine (coverage begins at 6:55 p.m.) SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons continue sectional play with another rematch, this one against Greenfield-Central. The Dragons have won 12 sectional championships in their history, including six in the last nine seasons. The Dragons won the first meeting 42-7 in Week 6. Grayson Thomas ran for 158 yards and a touchdown, while Danny Tippit threw for 215 yards and a school record-tying five TDs. Isaiah Thacker had 71 yards receiving and a score, while Blaine Nunnally tallied 68 yards and two touchdowns. New Palestine leads the all-time series 25-5, including 12 straight wins dating to 2011. The Dragons return to Class 4A for the first time since 2014, when they won their first state title. They were in 5A from 2015-21, winning four titles, three regional and semistate titles and the 2018 and 2019 state championships in that seven-year span. DRAGONS NOTES After finishing their 12th unbeaten regular season in school history, the Dragons opened sectional play with a 35-24 victory over Mt. Vernon last week, rallying from their first deficit of the season to outscore the Marauders 14-0 in the fourth quarter. The Dragons’ lone deficit of the season, at 28-24, lasted 4:22 before Grayson Thomas and Danny Tippit had rushing touchdowns sandwiched around the first of Blaine Nunnally’s two fourth-quarter interceptions. The Red Rage defense held MV to 31 total yards on 18 plays in the fourth quarter to snuff out a comeback attempt. The Dragons started fast again last week, outscoring MV 14-3 in the first quarter. They have not surrendered a first-quarter touchdown this season and have outscored teams 139-3 in the first 12 minutes of games this season. Nunnally’s two fourth-quarter interceptions were the first multiple-INT game since Jacob Hockett picked off two passes in the 2018 State Finals against Decatur Central. The Dragons’ offense produced a season-high 509 yards of total offense in last week’s victory. Thomas a career-high 248 yards from scrimmage, with 191 rushing and 57 receiving. Tippit threw for 266 yards and three TDs - two to Nunnally from 66 and 10 and one to Kyler Kropp for 57 yards. It was the first 500-yard game since tallying 523 yards Oct. 1, 2021 against Shelbyville. Thomas became the second Dragon to tally 4,000 career yards from scrimmage with last week’s performance. He has 4,077 yards from scrimmage, 3,855 of which have come on the ground and the rest through the air. Thomas needs four yards for the 12th 1,500-yard rushing season in school history. Nunnally became the 10th Dragon to tally 1,000 career receiving yards with a six-catch, 128-yard performance last week, his second straight 100-yard game. The Dragons have had four 100-yard receiving games this year, as Isaiah Thacker had 115 yards against New Castle and 147 against Pendleton Heights. Nunnally also had 135 yards against Delta. Thacker has 1,382 career yards at NP, Nunnally 1,107. Sophomore DL Michael Thacker has eight sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. Tippit’s 2,122 yards comprise the sixth 2,000-yard passing season in NPHS history. The Dragons are plus-20 in turnover ratio, with 25 takeaways and five giveaways. They were plus-3 last week. In addition to Nunnally’s two picks, Isaiah Thacker had an interception and a fumble recovery. SCOUTING THE COUGARS G-C has won seven games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1974-75. The Cougars’ wishbone attack is averaging 298 yards per game on the ground and 375 overall. Senior RB Andrew Zellers has rushed for 996 yards and 15 TDs, while senior HB Brayden Herrell has 643 yards. G-C rushed for 319 yards, with Zellers tallying 175, in last week’s 34-28 victory over Pendleton Heights. LOOKING AHEAD The winner of this game will face either Connersville or New Castle in next week’s sectional final. The winner of this game will host next week regardless of opponent. 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).