FORTVILLE — Short fields led to quick scores for the top-ranked New Palestine Dragons football team.
In Friday’s matchup against longtime rival Mt. Vernon, Class 4A’s No. 1 team in the Indiana Football Coaches Association poll scored on its opening drive and had its next three possessions all start inside the Mt. Vernon 30 to jump out to a 28-0 lead just over halfway through the first quarter.
The Dragons tacked on four more touchdowns, three in the second quarter, and beat the host Marauders 56-8.
New Palestine had great field position the entire night. After the opening 80-yard scoring drive, its furthest distance on a scoring series came from its own 44.
“We’ve done a good job this year of taking advantage of short-field opportunities, whether it’s been our defense or special teams that have given it to us,” New Palestine coach Kyle Ralph said. “Offensively, you can not squander those opportunities. Points are hard to come by. If you have 15-to-20 yards to work for instead of 70, you have to have those points and those opportunities. It was good to see our offense take advantage of it.”
Along with improving to 3-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, the Dragons retained the Boundary Rail trophy and the HHC Helmet Trophy.
Mt. Vernon dropped to 0-4 and 0-2.
It was the 65th meeting between the two and New Palestine’s 40th win. The Dragons lead the all-time series 40-24-1. They’ve met at least once every year since the schools began playing varsity football in 1968. The Dragons are 17-3 since the traveling rail trophy was added as a prize for the winner in 2005.
“We told our guys part of your responsibility here as a Dragon football player is to make sure you respect all those guys that have worked hard before you and what they’ve done to get you to where you are right now,” Ralph said. “Our tradition here is something I am really proud of, the boys are proud of, and our community is proud of.
“I told our guys at the break, one of your jobs as a Dragon football player as a senior is to make sure that rail comes back to my office. It’s something they don’t take lightly. We’ve had that rail two times in 12 years not be in my office, it’s tough. It’s something we take very seriously and the kids are proud of. It is in our possession and the seniors can be proud they kept it in our possession and can walk out knowing they did their job in this game.”
Six plays into the game, New Palestine quarterback Jacob Davis found a wide open Eli Wasson for a 66-yard score.
After a three-and-out series from the Marauders and a strong punt return from Cameron Rollyson, New Palestine started its next scoring drive at the Mt. Vernon 28. Four plays later — three Josh Ranes’ runs and one Ranes’ reception — the Dragons led 14-0. Following a 23-yard pass play, Ranes scored from the MV 8.
Mt. Vernon failed on a fourth-down conversion on its next series, handing the ball to the Dragons at the Marauder 20. Two plays later Ranes scored on a 16-yard run. And, when the ensuing kickoff was fumbled, New Palestine recovered with great field position again, this time at the Mt. Vernon 27.
This drive needed just one play. Davis hit senior receiver Austin McMahan, just 10 seconds after the Ranes TD, on a 27-yard strike to give New Pal a 28-0 lead with still 5:23 left in the opening quarter.
The Dragons had four scores before the Marauders had a first down. Mt. Vernon had just two first downs in the first half.
“Our defense made it really easy for us with the short fields tonight,” McMahan said. “We capitalized well. When you have those short fields it’s a lot easier to get going … We had a good gameplan. Eli’s was a fake bubble [screen] and we took advantage of their mistakes and Jacob threw some really great balls.”
Ralph praised his defense not just for helping get his offense good field position, but slowing down Mt. Vernon standout running back Joliba Brogan.
A year ago in the regular season game at New Palestine, Brogan rushed 26 times for 250 yards and four touchdowns. The Dragons won 63-39, but Ralph knew his club couldn’t let the outstanding senior back run over and by his Dragon defense this time around.
Unofficially, Brogan had just 10 carries for 17 yards in the first half against New Palestine’s first-team defense.
“It was a big point of emphasis this week,” Ralph said. “We got embarrassed last year by him and their offense in general. That regular season game was one of the worst defensive performances we had. It was all stuff fixable and coachable and we got better as the year went on, but we took that really seriously. [Brogan is] a phenomenal player and one of the better backs you are going to see in a year. Our guys took that as a challenge. Brogan embarrassed us. There’s no way around it.
“This was a major game for our guys because pretty much the whole [defense] is back to redeem themselves from what happened last year. It was an opportunity to stop a high-level running back. It takes everybody. It’s not one position group everybody has to be bought in and our defense played really well.”
New Palestine’s furthest travels may have been from its own 44, but it didn’t take long to find the end zone.
After a two-yard loss put them back on their 42, Davis and McMahan connected on a 58-yard score to give New Palestine a 35-0 lead with still 10:20 left in the opening half.
A second failed Mt. Vernon fourth-down try gave the ball back to New Palestine at the Mt. Vernon 38 with 4:03 left until halftime. Ranes scored the third of his four rushing touchdowns three plays later on a 21-yard run.
Another Mt. Vernon miscue set up another Dragon score before halftime.
A fumble recovery after a Marauder reception gave the Dragons the ball on the Mt. Vernon 49. Ranes had runs of 15 and 25 yards to help set up a 2-yard touchdown run with 46.7 seconds until intermission. It gave New Pal a 49-0 lead.
With a running clock in the second half, both teams were able to get one score each.
Davis had an 8-yard TD run on the Dragons first second-half drive. In the fourth quarter, Brogan scored on a 2-yard run with 10:08 remaining. A Mason Meyer to DJ Johnson pass gave the Marauders the 2-point conversion.
Unofficially, Ranes had 13 carries for 113 yards and four touchdowns, while Davis threw for three scores and 232 yards. Connor Jacobia had a late first-half interception.
New Palestine travels to Pendleton Heights next Friday. Mt. Vernon visits Delta.
–
New Palestine 56, Mt. Vernon 8
New Palestine (3-0, 2-0);28;21;7;0-;56
Mt. Vernon (0-4, 0-2);0;0;0;8;-;8
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
NP – Eli Wasson 66 pass from Jake Davis (Jake Wells kick), 10:18
NP – Josh Ranes 8 run (Wells kick), 7:51
NP – Ranes 16 run (pass failed), 5:33
NP – Austin McMahan 27 pass from Davis (Wasson pass from Davis), 5:23
2nd Quarter
NP – McMahan 58 pass from Davis (Wells kick), 10:20
NP – Ranes 21 run (Wells kick), 3:13
NP – Ranes 2 run (Wells kick), :46.7
3rd Quarter
NP – Davis 8 run (Evan Walker kick), 7:22
4th Quarter
MV – Joliba Brogan 2 run (DJ Johnson pass from Mason Meyer), 10:08
