2021 New Palestine Football Preview
For some teams coming off of an 8-2 season where you fell just short of the State Championship that would be a dream season. Not for New Palestine and not for Coach Ralph. The expectation is championships in New Palestine.…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingFor some teams coming off of an 8-2 season where you fell just short of the State Championship that would be a dream season. Not for New Palestine and not for Coach Ralph. The expectation is championships in New Palestine. They’ve won a few championships in the past few years alone. 2021 is looking to be a big rebound for the Dragons.
The Dragons dominated at home last year going 4-0 but really struggled with Mt. Vernon early in the year. It caught them off guard and derailed their season as that game was huge for future playoff implications. The Dragons coaching core remains the same and they lost a few players to college. However, they do have a few players they think are about to have huge years and lead the Dragons to a championship.
Luke Burgess is the anchor of that team’s offense. He’s 6’8″ 270 and sets the edge for the offense. He’s a big man and a better leader. The guys love him and they expect him to have a huge year. He’s got D1 offers from Big10 schools already. He’s only going to be a Junior. It’s safe to say Burgess is a huge factor in New Palestine’s success in 2021.
Caleb Byers is a Senior this year and he’s 6’0″ and 168 lbs. He’s a little lighter than you’d like but it never affects how he plays. He’s able to make every play and you can trust him to go up and get it. He’s a 2-star recruit with some D2 offers on the table. Last year he got his feet wet. They’re expecting big things from him in 2021.
Ultimately, the Dragon’s success comes down to highly thought of and newcomer QB Eian Roudenbush. Many feel like his time is now and they’re ready to see him play. It’s an exciting time down there right now. He’s raw but they like what they see.
If everything goes to plan you should expect to see New Palestine in Lucas Oil Stadium this fall. That’s the plan and expectation every year now. It took time to build that brand and program but Coach Ralph expects to be at the top. November always comes faster than you expect.