New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team opens its season Wednesday at home against the Richmond Red Devils. Friday: New Palestine Dragons (1-0) vs. Eastern Hancock Royals (1-0) Time: 6 p.m. JV/7:30 p.m. V Site: NPHS gymnasium Tickets: $6, available at gate and online at https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=24254 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: https://www.ihsaatv.org/newpalestine ($) Saturday: New Palestine Dragons (1-0) at Rushville Lions (0-1) Time: 6 p.m. freshman and JV/7:30 p.m. V Site: Memorial Gym, Rushville Tickets: $6, available at gate Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: none SETTING THE SCENE After a season-opening victory over Richmond, the Dragons play their first double-weekend of the year, meeting Eastern Hancock and Rushville. The Dragons and Royals are meeting for the 67th time. NP holds a 40-26 lead in the series and won last year’s meeting 45-42. Ian Stephens scored 10 points and the Dragons held EH to 31 percent shooting. The series resumed last year after having been played just once in the previous decade in the regular season. Both teams are coming off strong seasons. The Dragons went 19-7 last year, tying for the second-most wins in school history. The Royals went 22-6 and won the program’s first regional title since 2003 and first sectional title since 2008. The Dragons have defeated Rushville in 10 consecutive meetings, including a 67-49 victory last year. Ian Stephens tallied 15 points as the Dragons jumped out to a 20-4 lead and never looked back. The Dragons lead the all-time series 24-12. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons had a strong opener against Richmond, using a 30-2 first-half run to reak open a 75-51 victory. Ian Stephens tallied his 10th career double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He hit 9-of-11 from the floor. Blaine Nunnally added 15 points and five assists. Julius Gizzi tallied 14 points off the bench and Ben Slagley added 12. Opening the year with four in double figures picks up where the Dragons left off - they also had four players in double figures in the final game of the 2021-22 season. The Dragons shot 55 percent against Richmond, hitting 27-49 shots. That included a 45 percent (9-20) performance from 3-point range. Gizzi hit 3-of-4 from deep, while Nunnally and Eian Roudebush each drained two 3-pointers. Stephens was the HHC’s leading rebounder last season, averaging 9.7 boards per game. His 251 rebounds were the sixth-most in a season in school history and the most since Jeremy Yoder tallied 258 in the 1992-93 season. Nunnally, a three-sport athlete, led the HHC in assists last year with 4.4 per game. He picked up where he left off with a five-assist contest. His 15-point effort gives hi 825 for his career. Coach Trent Whitaker is fifth on the NPHS all-time coaching wins list. He needs six victories to reach 100 for his career. SCOUTING THE ROYALS Eastern Hancock has several key players returning from its regional championship squad. Jacob Spaulding scored 21 points and Silas Spaulding 20, while Edric Miller added 15 in the Royals’ 78-44 season-opening win over Centerville. The Spauldings are the twin sons of 24th-year head coach Aaron Spaulding. Grant Gray had seven points and five boards, while Luke Morris had eight points and five assists last week. SCOUTING THE LIONS Rushville began the year with a 55-45 loss to Shelbyville Nov. 23. XxZavien Jenkins led the Lions with 14 points, while Kameron Morton added 12. Dylan Thompson added 11 rebounds and seven points. Rushville is led by second-year coach Ryan Ehm, who previously coached at Bethel University, Olivet College and Lafiette Prep, a prep school in Hammond, La. The Lions host Connersville Friday night in their first EIAC game of the season.