Under-the-radar New Pal QB stars: 'Any college that gets him is really going to be happy.'
NEW PALESTINE – The message remains the same every season. New Palestine coach Kyle Ralph emphasizes the point each week regardless of the opponent.
The three-time state champion Dragons win by buying into the process, and on Friday night against rival Greenfield-Central at Kelso Stadium, the players turned their commitment into a sixth-straight win, 42-7, on homecoming night.
After falling flat on their first two possessions, the unbeaten, top-ranked Class 4A Dragons (6-0) broke a scoreless first-quarter tie by tallying six consecutive touchdown drives led by a near recording-setting performance from senior quarterback Daniel Tippit IV.
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A week after posting a career-best four touchdown passes and 310 yards, Tippit, a Warren Central transfer, completed 17-of-25 attempts for 205 yards and five touchdowns, which tied the program’s single-game record.
“Six would be nice because than I would be able to break my quarterback coach’s record, but he joked and said he would never let me get over five, so we’ll see how it goes," said Tippit, who has amassed 17 touchdowns and 1,247 passing yards in his first season as a Dragon.
The record was set in 2014 by New Palestine career-passing leader Alex Neligh, who finished runner-up in the 2015 IndyStar Mr. Football race. Neligh led the Dragons to back-to-back state finals appearances and a 4A title in 2014. Now, as an assistant coach, he’s a mentor, passing on what he bought into during his four seasons at New Palestine, which Tippit is using to his advantage.
“I told Daniel a couple of weeks ago that he has the best resources he could ever have if you’re going to be a New Palestine quarterback because (Neligh) went all the way to the top of the mountain, essentially twice,” Ralph said. “We fell short once, but he’s a Mr. Football runner-up, has every record you can possibly imagine, and he knows what it takes. Daniel literally has the book right there at practices, and he’s leaned on Alex heavily.”
Before Tippit connected with four different receivers on six scoring drives, New Palestine junior running back Grayson Thomas initiated the necessary spark just nine seconds into the second quarter.
Thomas capitalized on a short field with a 31-yard touchdown run en route to 161 yards on 20 carries, which ties him for fourth on the program’s all-time rushing touchdowns list and moved him up to 3,278 yards in his career.
From there the Dragons’ offensive balance overwhelmed the Cougars (4-2, 2-2), who were aiming to pull into a tie in the Hoosier Heritage Conference standings with front-runner New Palestine (4-0 HHC).
In the first quarter, the Cougars’ option-offense and defense challenged despite playing without starting sophomore quarterback Dallas Freeman due to injury.
The Dragons’ defense and special teams responded until the offense finally caught fire.
Senior Eli Hook blocked his first of two punts in the game during the first quarter – his second and third this year – and sophomore Alex Guhl recovered a lost fumble by backup quarterback Brayden Herrell on first-and-10 at the Dragons’ 32.
Then, Thomas broke free and Tippit applied the pressure.
“We can really do anything. We know we can run the ball. We’re figuring out we can pass the ball really well, so we’re just trying to maintain everything we’re doing,” Tippit said.
“Once we all start clicking, we’re really hard to stop. It takes one big play to really spark everyone to really go off,” receiver Blaine Nunnally said. “(Tippit is) under the radar. Any college that gets him is really going to be happy. He throws some of the best balls I’ve seen.”
Nunnally finished with 67 yards on four receptions and two touchdowns.
“It’s this senior class, honestly. We’ve all been pretty tight since middle school. We had a meeting before the season about staying together as a team and not letting this year’s leadership slip,” Nunnally said. “We may have captains that go out there, but really, all of the seniors are captains.”
Much like Neligh, the Dragons present-day captains celebrate everyone’s success, including freshman Cameron Rollyson’s first varsity catch, a 6-yarder, which supplied Tippit with his fifth touchdown pass and a mercy-rule, running clock with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter.
“That’s the process we talk to the kids about all the time. You can’t play Week 10 this week,” Ralph said. “If you’re playing Week 10 in Week 6, then you end up falling apart. You got to buy into the whole weekly process of it. Each opponent deserves your respect and best effort. That’s what we do.”
Every week, the Dragons are taking the next step, while defending their HHC traveling helmet trophy, a prize earned after defeating 2021 4A state champion Mt. Vernon, 42-6, on Sept. 9.
The Dragons held the trophy from 2013-2020 and retained it after winning the HHC in 2019 before Mt. Vernon’s back-to-back conference runs. New Palestine’s final three regular-season games are HHC contests.
“It’s critical to take it step by step with the conference title. Coach Ralph says it a lot. Now, we have something to defend every week in conference play. That’s put a target on our back, but it’s kind of firing us up a little bit to keep that here,” Thomas said.
With a 25-5 all-time series lead over rival Greenfield-Central, the Dragons have won now 15 consecutive regular-season meetings to date and could see the Cougars again in Sectional 22 next month.
New Palestine 42, Greenfield-Central 7
Greenfield-Central 0 0 7 0 -- 7
New Palestine 0 21 7 14 -- 42
NP – Grayson Thomas 31 run (Brendan Tanksley kick)
NP – Blaine Nunnally 15 pass from Daniel Tippit (Tanksley kick)
NP – Kyler Kropp 7 pass from Tippit (Tanksley kick)
NP – Ty Mitchell 16 pass from Tippit (Tanksley kick), 9:55
GC – Kirk Knecht 25 pass from Brayden Herrell (Aaron Lee kick)
NP – Nunnally 7 pass from Tippit (Tanksley kick)
NP – Cameron Rollyson 6 pass from Tippit (Tanksley kick)
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA football: New Pal's Daniel Tippit throws 5 TDs vs. Greenfield
