New Palestine – Some coaches calling it “waiting your turn.”
In any successful program, no matter the sport, there is a hierarchy. If you are talented enough, sure, you can crack through ceiling and earn playing time as an underclassman. But there is generally a “watch and learn” period for younger athletes.
New Palestine football coach Kyle Ralph prefers to call it “working for your turn.” It is a tried-and-true philosophy for the Dragons’ program, which is coming off two state championship seasons and will take a 28-game winning streak into its season opener on Aug. 21 against Wheaton St. Francis, last year’s Class 5A state champion in Illinois.
There is a lot of “new” around the New Palestine program going into Ralph’s 14th season. But after five state championships, including a 5A title last year while playing up a class due to the tournament success factor, there is a system in place that everyone wearing red and white believes works.
“All those guys that are on the field for us right now, they are guys that have grown through the system,” Ralph said after Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage. “They were behind really, really good players the last couple of years. They didn’t quit; they didn’t whine about it. They played JV, they played scout team, they played special teams and they did everything they asked us to do. They’ve worked for their moment.”
Two of the players who exemplify that “working for your turn” philosophy are seniors Ryder Gardner and Waynee Estes. Gardner, was a hero in No. 1 New Palestine’s thrilling 20-15 win over No. 2 Cathedral in last year’s Class 5A sectional championship, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown and saving a touchdown on a kickoff return with a hustle play, the latter becoming an even bigger play when teammate Andrew Davis intercepted a pass in the end zone three plays later to keep Cathedral from taking the lead.
It was a big-time moment for Gardner, who has done a little bit of everything through his high school career, playing backup and scout team roles at quarterback, defensive back and wide receiver. He spelled starting quarterback Jacob Davis on three occassions during the 5A state championship win over Merrillville, keeping drives alive.
Estes, voted a team captain, was in a similar spot as a backup linebacker and running back.
“We’re kind of a scrappy group,” said Estes, who made 22 tackles as a junior. “We’ve almost been stuck behind this class (that graduated last year) in a way, but we’re scrappy and we’re really fighting for our starting spots and fighting to win every week.”
Gardner has moved to receiver full-time, a switch that Ralph believes will pay off for the Dragons at a position that should be strong. Leading receiver, Kansas tight end recruit Mason Oglesby (34 catches, 513 yards, six TDs) returns along with senior wideouts Landon Maddox (25 catches, 440 yards, six TDs) and Cael Butler (20 catches, 347 yards, four TDs).
“Ryder has been a backup quarterback for us really the last two years behind (Jacob Davis) since he was a sophomore,” Ralph said. “This year, he’s going to be a starting receiver. He’s been a great kid for us. He’s probably been scout team player of the week a dozen times in his career. He does everything that we’ve asked him to do.”
Rhys Ragan, a 5-10, 160-pound junior, moved in from Decatur, Texas (located about an hour northwest of Dallas), where he passed for 2,502 yards and 35 touchdowns as a sophomore. Ragan, also an elusive runner, won the starting job at quarterback for the Dragons.
But while there is inexperience on the New Palestine roster, there is also talent. In addition to Oglesby, Maddox and Butler, the Dragons have a couple of future Division I linemen in juniors Sam Hirschy on defense and Kaeden Ralph on offense. Junior linebacker Evan Walker and junior defensive back Andrew Davis were also two of New Palestine’s top defensive players on last year’s title team.
“The expectation never changes for us,” Estes said. “We’ve gotta continue what left off with that class in front of us and continue what New Palestine football is all about.”
In Ralph’s view, New Palestine football is all about players like Gardner, Estes and senior Kade Stephens, who ran for 244 yards and a one touchdown as a junior behind since graduated Caden Jacobia and Josh Ranes. The senior class is full of players like them.
“Waynee is a captain for us and did not start a single game for us last year in any capacity,” Ralph said. “That’s how much respect his teammates have for what he does, how he goes about it with ‘Dawn Patrol,’ the weight room, conditioning and everything. Those are the guys we really make our money on and always have. We’ve had great players, obviously. But those guys who are role players who all of a sudden are seniors and it’s like, ‘Holy cow, where has this kid been?’ Well, he’s been on special teams, backup running back or linebacker and playing behind really good kids. Then it’s his moment and he’s ready for it.”
The Dragons will need to be ready with the 5A defending champions from Illinois coming in for Week 1, followed by a visit from perennial power East Central, which lost to New Palestine 20-6 last year in the regional. But the game that sticks out the most comes in Week 8 when the Dragons get a visit from IMG Academy.
Yes, that IMG Academy. The No. 3-ranked team in the country by High School Football America.
Estes called it “a huge honor to play a team of that caliber.”
“I don’t think too many people from Indiana get the opportunity to play IMG like that,” Gardner said. “It’s a great opportunity to play a great team. But we take it week by week and not look ahead of our opponents.”
Ralph said the IMG game came about in part because New Palestine was unable to find a Week 8 opponent due to the Hoosier Heritage Conference having just six teams this season. Ralph and athletic director Brian Murphy searched high and low for programs in the state and neighboring states to no avail. Former assistant Nick Brickens, now the Cascade coach, joked with Ralph in the spring that they should schedule IMG if they call.
Two days later, Ralph received a text message from IMG’s director of football operations that the program was looking for an opponent. He thought he was being pranked by Brickens or assistant Daniel Tippit.
“My policy since I got here, when Al Cooper hired me, is that we would not be afraid to play anybody,” Ralph said. “No matter the state of our program, if someone asks to play, we’re going to try to rise to that occasion and play. If we have an opening and somebody calls, we’re going to play them … I want our program built off competition and I want our kids to find out what they are made of. You can’t do that if you shy away. You take adversity head on and come through it a little more polished than what you were.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘Working for your turn.’ New Palestine has new pieces but expectations always high
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
