Greenfield-Central is 0-10 against New Palestine since September of 2017 but things could change on Friday. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Dragons at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Greenfield-Central needed a bit of extra time to put away Shelbyville. They slipped by the Golden Bears 28-27. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Golden Bears recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Braylen Benavente was a one-man wrecking crew as he rushed for 72 yards and a pair of scores.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Greenfield-Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 240 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards in ten consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Greenfield-Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Zach Waterman.
Meanwhile, New Palestine's offense rose to the challenge against an Arabians defense that boasted an average of only 14 points allowed on Friday. The Dragons breezed past Pendleton Heights to the tune of 42-6. Fans of the Dragons have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
New Palestine had a senior duo take command as Jacob Davis threw for 221 yards and two TDs while completing 86.7% of his passes and Caden Jacobia rushed for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 14 carries. Those 131 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Jacobia.
Greenfield-Central now has a winning record of 3-2. As for New Palestine, their win bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Greenfield-Central has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 247.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like New Palestine struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 259.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Greenfield-Central was dealt a bruising 38-0 defeat at the hands of New Palestine in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Dragons' Josh Ranes, who rushed for 183 yards and two scores while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Now that the Cougars know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
