After three games on the road, New Palestine is heading back home. They will welcome the Greenfield-Central Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If New Palestine beats Greenfield-Central with 56 points on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. New Palestine blew past Pendleton Heights, posting a 56-17 victory on the road. Given the Dragons' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 24th, while the Arabians are ranked 101st), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Josh Ranes was his usual excellent self, rushing for 268 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.7 yards per carry. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 75-yard run. Gavin Neal was another key player, rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries.
New Palestine's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Connor Jacobia and Caden Jacobia. Another thorn in Pendleton Heights' side was Michael Thacker, who picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, New Palestine was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 473 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 176 rushing yards in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Greenfield-Central put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Shelbyville on the road to the tune of 49-6. That looming 49-6 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
It was another big night for Dallas Freeman, who threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns while completing 73.9% of his passes, and also rushed for 35 yards and two touchdowns.
New Palestine pushed their record up to 4-0-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Greenfield-Central, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. New Palestine has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 233 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Greenfield-Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 223.2. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for New Palestine against Greenfield-Central in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 35-0 win. Will New Palestine repeat their success, or does Greenfield-Central have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
