NEW PALESTINE — The big game had plenty of big plays.
New Palestine had a lot more of them.
In the 63rd meeting of Hancock County football rivals New Palestine and Mt. Vernon, the Dragons won the game and kept the traveling trophies, the Boundary Rail and the Hoosier Heritage Conference Helmet trophy, at Kelso Stadium Friday.
Kyler Kropp caught a school-record four touchdown passes. Sophomore quarterback Gavin Neal tied a school record with five touchdown passes thrown and both teams had running backs flirt with 300-yard rushing games in the Dragons 63-39 win.
New Palestine leads the all-time series, now in its 56th season, 38-24-1, including a 33-22-1 mark in the regular season. Since 2005, when the teams began playing for the Boundary Rail, New Palestine leads that series 16-3.
“It’s tremendously big (to keep the trophies),” New Palestine head coach Kyle Ralph said. “Everybody works hard for those things and we’re fortunate enough right now to have the helmet and have the rail, again. Our kids work really hard to protect those things.
“Since I’ve been here (11 seasons) and we got (the helmet) that first year, it’s either been us or them that have had those things. The rail, of course, is only between the two of us, but it’s the two of us that have had the helmet. Everybody is coming for it. I think it’s a great thing between our two programs that we both have played at a high level. It makes it that much more special. There’s no way around it, you’re playing an elite level program there. We’ve been state contenders every year between the two of us for a very long time.”
The Dragons scored nine touchdowns, six of 30 yards or more. The Marauders had five touchdowns, three were 25 yards or longer.
All four of Kropp’s catches went for touchdowns. The distances were 30, 57, 50 and 45 yards. He also had a touchdown on a 10-yard run.
Neal, a sophomore, had the most productive game as a first-year starter. He went, unofficially, 6 of 11 for 256 yards and five touchdowns. Ty Mitchell had a 69-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter.
“I think that’s the most points we’ve scored since I’ve been here,” Kropp, a senior, said. “I’m really proud of Gavin for stepping up. He’s still a sophomore, and he made some big plays.”
Senior running back Grayson Thomas had 31 carries for 290 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yarder in a third quarter that saw both teams have three touchdowns.
Most of Mt. Vernon’s big plays came from running back Joliba Brogan. He had three touchdowns, including runs of 65 and 62 yards. He had 25 carries for 237 yards.
The Dragons got out to a 28-3 lead.
Neal’s first three completed passes all went for touchdowns.
Following a short Mt. Vernon punt, the Dragons started on the Marauders 30. Two plays later, Neal connected for the first of two first-quarter TD passes to Kropp.
Mt. Vernon answered with a 38-yard field goal from Rylan Vinard.
New Palestine’s Mason Hiatt intercepted a pass on the 1-yard line to start a 99-yard scoring drive the other way. Four rushes from Thomas got the Dragons breathing room and two plays later it was Neal and Kropp again on a 57-yard score.
Before the first quarter ended Neal, after a 34-yard Thomas run, scored from four yards out to make it 21-3.
Early in the second it was Neal and Ty Mitchell hooking up for a 69-yard score for a 25-point lead.
But the high-powered Marauder offense had some answers and when Brogan scored his 62-yarder late in the third quarter, Mt. Vernon had cut the deficit to 49-39.
Kropp’s 45-yarder and a Thomas 3-yard score were the only points of the final quarter.
Both teams will continue HHC play next Friday. The Dragons play host to Pendleton Heights. The Marauders will have a home game against Delta.
–
New Palestine 63, Mt. Vernon 39
Mt. Vernon (1-3, 0-2);3;14;22;0;-;39
New Palestine (2-2, 2-0);21;7;21;14;-;63
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
NP – Kyler Kropp 30 pass from Gavin Neal (Jake Wells kick) 10:34
MV –Rylan Vinard 38 FG, 9:06
NP –Kropp 57 pass from Neal (Wells kick) 3:07
NP – Neal 4 run (Wells kick) :37
2nd Quarter
NP –Ty Mitchell 69 pass from Neal (Wells kick) 9:55
MV – Tre Jones 25 pass from Luke Ertel (Vinard kick) :10
MV – Joliba Brogan 3 run (Vinard kick) 1:53
3rd Quarter
MV –Brogan 4 run (run failed) 8:59
NP – Thomas 80 run (Wells kick) 8:47
NP – Kropp 50 pass from Neal (Wells kick) 6:26
MV – Brogan 65 run (Tyler Etherington pass from Ertel) 6:16
NP – Kropp 10 run (Wells kick) 1:12
MV – Brogan 62 run (Jones run) :53.6
4th Quarter
NP – Kropp 45 pass from Neal (Wells kick) 11:30
NP – Thomas 3 run (Wells kick), 5:02
