New Pal defense rules
New Palestine High School's defense has answered every challenge so far this football season. But it might be up for its biggest challenge yet.
The Class 4A No. 2 Dragons (13 0) will get a semistate road test from No. 1 Columbus East (13 0) on Friday night. The Olympians are averaging 52.3 points per game.
"Pretty much all season, but especially the last two weeks against two good offenses, our defense has come to play in a major way," New Palestine first year football coach Kyle Ralph said.
Ralph pointed out the final score was even a bit deceptive in New Pal's 27 14 victory over No. 4 Bishop Chatard because a fumbled punt inside the Dragons 30 yard line led to one of the touchdowns.
"The guys up front have been doing a nice job of being physical," Ralph said. "Our linebackers have c Nike Air Lunar Presto ontinued to do a tremendous job."
Sophomore linebacker Joe Izbicki came in for injured Sterling Curran during the game. Curran, a junior, is expected to play Friday.
"We have pretty good defensive depth and the kids are doing a tremendous job of playing good assignment football and being physical," Ralph said.
Columbus East has reached the semistate for the third consecutive year, losing to eventual 4A state champion Cathedral the past two seasons. The Irish have moved up to 5A.
"(The Olympians) are very well coached and they won't beat themselves," Ralph said.
New Palestine senior quarterback Blake Luker has completed 71 percent of his passes for 2,546 yards with 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Luker has rushed for 1,154 yards.
Junior running back James Young has a team high 1,204 yards. Young separated his shoulder in the fourth game of the season and was sidelined for two full games, then brought back slowly.
"He's been healthy for about a month and a half now," Ralph said. "You can see once he got back and healthy, his numbers have skyrocketed. He's done a great job being our featured back and taking a lot of pressure off Blake and the rest of our offense."
Brebeuf Banks leadsAaron Banks continues to grow in his role as Brebeuf Jesuit quarterback.
"At the very beginning of the season, I felt he was being overwhelmed at what we're trying to do," Braves coach Mic Roessler said. "With time, I feel he's gotten a lot better with it and been able to run it effectively."
Banks, a 6 4 junior, has completed 129 of 224 passes for 1,772 yards for the Class 3A No. 7 Braves (10 3), who host No. Saturday. Banks, who has 14 touchdown passes with seven interceptions, has run for 354 yards and nine touchdowns.
"He's done a phenomenal job taking the offense under his wing," Roessler said. "He's doing a nice job leading, changing (plays) at the line, checking and making sure we're in the right place."
Mr. Football fan fav: MirelesElwood running back Sammy Mireles, who set the state career rushing record this season, emerged with the most votes in the IndyStar Mr. Football fan poll. Mireles, who rushed for 2,719 yards this season, received in excess of 50,000 votes (38.4 percent) of the more than 131,000 cast. Speedway running back Justin Brent, a Notre Dame commit, placed second with 29.8 percent of the vote.
This vote was just for fun. The Indy Star Mr. Football award, which is decided by a panel of Indiana Football Coaches Association members, will be announced next month.
Carmel runners advanceThe Carmel boys and girls cross country teams were both victorious in the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Midwest Regional at Terre Haute on Sunday. The Greyhounds captured state titles on the same course on Nov. 2. They will now compete Dec. 7 in the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore.
In the boys race, Ben Veatch was the top finisher for the Greyhounds in ninth, followed by Robert Browning (22nd) and Ben Anderson (23rd). Top finisher for the Carmel girls was Kelcy Welch in fourth. S nike tacy Morozov placed 12th and Gina Genco 21st. Avon's Malyka Abramson qualified for the national race by placing third.
Mt. Vernon Moore sidelinedMt. Vernon senior basketball player Erica Moore had surgery on her right knee earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until mid January.
Moore, a Purdue recruit, had surgery on the same knee last December to repair meniscus damage. She returned to lead the Marauders to the 3A state title.
"We have three of our top six players out right now, so we have a lot of new faces trying to step up and help," Mt. Vernon coach Julie Shelton said in an email response to The Indianapolis Star.
In addition to Moore, Shelton said senior forward Maddie Walrod (back) and sophomoreforward Sadie Baugh (stress fracture) are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks.
Shelton said her niece, Sydney Shelton, is helping to pick up the load. Shelton, the team's leading scorer last season as a freshman, has scored 28 and 37 points in Mt. Vernon's two victories. Fitzgerald went on to star for Butler and Williams for Indiana State. .
New Palestine High School's defense has answered every challenge so far this football season. But it might be up for its biggest challenge yet.
The Class 4A No. 2 Dragons (13 0) will get a semistate road test from No. 1 Columbus East (13 0) on Friday night. The Olympians are averaging 52.3 points per game.
"Pretty much all season, but especially the last two weeks against two good offenses, our defense has come to play in a major way," New Palestine first year football coach Kyle Ralph said.
Ralph pointed out the final score was even a bit deceptive in New Pal's 27 14 victory over No. 4 Bishop Chatard because a fumbled punt inside the Dragons 30 yard line led to one of the touchdowns.
"The guys up front have been doing a nice job of being physical," Ralph said. "Our linebackers have c Nike Air Lunar Presto ontinued to do a tremendous job."
Sophomore linebacker Joe Izbicki came in for injured Sterling Curran during the game. Curran, a junior, is expected to play Friday.
"We have pretty good defensive depth and the kids are doing a tremendous job of playing good assignment football and being physical," Ralph said.
Columbus East has reached the semistate for the third consecutive year, losing to eventual 4A state champion Cathedral the past two seasons. The Irish have moved up to 5A.
"(The Olympians) are very well coached and they won't beat themselves," Ralph said.
New Palestine senior quarterback Blake Luker has completed 71 percent of his passes for 2,546 yards with 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Luker has rushed for 1,154 yards.
Junior running back James Young has a team high 1,204 yards. Young separated his shoulder in the fourth game of the season and was sidelined for two full games, then brought back slowly.
"He's been healthy for about a month and a half now," Ralph said. "You can see once he got back and healthy, his numbers have skyrocketed. He's done a great job being our featured back and taking a lot of pressure off Blake and the rest of our offense."
Brebeuf Banks leadsAaron Banks continues to grow in his role as Brebeuf Jesuit quarterback.
"At the very beginning of the season, I felt he was being overwhelmed at what we're trying to do," Braves coach Mic Roessler said. "With time, I feel he's gotten a lot better with it and been able to run it effectively."
Banks, a 6 4 junior, has completed 129 of 224 passes for 1,772 yards for the Class 3A No. 7 Braves (10 3), who host No. Saturday. Banks, who has 14 touchdown passes with seven interceptions, has run for 354 yards and nine touchdowns.
"He's done a phenomenal job taking the offense under his wing," Roessler said. "He's doing a nice job leading, changing (plays) at the line, checking and making sure we're in the right place."
Mr. Football fan fav: MirelesElwood running back Sammy Mireles, who set the state career rushing record this season, emerged with the most votes in the IndyStar Mr. Football fan poll. Mireles, who rushed for 2,719 yards this season, received in excess of 50,000 votes (38.4 percent) of the more than 131,000 cast. Speedway running back Justin Brent, a Notre Dame commit, placed second with 29.8 percent of the vote.
This vote was just for fun. The Indy Star Mr. Football award, which is decided by a panel of Indiana Football Coaches Association members, will be announced next month.
Carmel runners advanceThe Carmel boys and girls cross country teams were both victorious in the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Midwest Regional at Terre Haute on Sunday. The Greyhounds captured state titles on the same course on Nov. 2. They will now compete Dec. 7 in the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore.
In the boys race, Ben Veatch was the top finisher for the Greyhounds in ninth, followed by Robert Browning (22nd) and Ben Anderson (23rd). Top finisher for the Carmel girls was Kelcy Welch in fourth. S nike tacy Morozov placed 12th and Gina Genco 21st. Avon's Malyka Abramson qualified for the national race by placing third.
Mt. Vernon Moore sidelinedMt. Vernon senior basketball player Erica Moore had surgery on her right knee earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until mid January.
Moore, a Purdue recruit, had surgery on the same knee last December to repair meniscus damage. She returned to lead the Marauders to the 3A state title.
"We have three of our top six players out right now, so we have a lot of new faces trying to step up and help," Mt. Vernon coach Julie Shelton said in an email response to The Indianapolis Star.
In addition to Moore, Shelton said senior forward Maddie Walrod (back) and sophomoreforward Sadie Baugh (stress fracture) are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks.
Shelton said her niece, Sydney Shelton, is helping to pick up the load. Shelton, the team's leading scorer last season as a freshman, has scored 28 and 37 points in Mt. Vernon's two victories. Fitzgerald went on to star for Butler and Williams for Indiana State. .
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