Shelbyville next in line to attempt to slay the top-ranked Dragons

There is no denying how good Class 5A, No. 1 New Palestine is this season. The Dragons have not been challenged while racking up a 6-0 record, including four straight dominant performances against Hoosier Heritage Conference opponents.

On Friday, New Palestine (4-0 HHC) hosts Shelbyville (3-3, 1-3 HHC) at Kelso Stadium.

“The biggest thing I want to see is us come out from the get go and try to compete each and every down,” said Shelbyville head coach Scott Fitzgerald. “We need to have that sense of urgency on play No. 1. No matter what happens, let’s go out and play.

“We know we are up against one of the best teams in the state. We are not hiding that from the kids. They know that. It’s about having a great week of preparation, building on that, and having a great game and playing to the best of our ability.”

The Golden Bears did just that in 2024 at McKeand Stadium. The Dragons rolled into town in typical fashion then fell flat. A one-win Shelbyville team trailed just 14-0 at halftime and battled to the end in a 35-0 loss – its 12^th straight to New Palestine. Caden Jacobia and Josh Ranes each rushed for two touchdowns in the lackluster performance that frustrated head coach Kyle Ralph.

New Palestine learned its lesson, refocused its season and rolled to the program’s fourth state championship.

The Dragons feature four college commits – OL/DL Brock Brownfield (Purdue), OL/DL Abe Walling (Army West Point), QB Jacob Davis (Towson) and DB Desmond Palmer (Indiana State) – and a secondary group far along in the recruiting process including junior linebacker/wide receiver Mason Oglesby, who already has more than 20 FBS offers to continue his career.

Quite simply, Ralph (147-14 in his 13^th season) has established a winning culture secondary to none in the state.

“I have seen them in the weight room and what they are like in there,” said Fitzgerald (photo). “I know how coach Ralph is with them on the field. He is going to put them through a grinder at practice. And what they see every week in practice is probably better than what they see in most games. Day in and day out they are making themselves better by going against one of the best defenses or best offenses they see all year.”

Playing varsity football as a freshman is challenging. Facing one of the top teams in the state is daunting. On Friday, freshman quarterback Layden Fitzgerald (photo) will face his toughest challenge to date while guiding the Golden Bears’ offense.

“He is doing a lot of really, really good things,” said coach Fitzgerald, also Layden’s father. “He has really exceeded expectations with where we are at.”

Layden Fitzgerald was thrust into the starter’s role in the season opener at Greensburg after junior quarterback Tyler Gwinnup (photo) tore his anterior cruciate ligament which effectively ended his season. The plan to let the freshman signal caller gain experience at the junior varsity level was over.

Through six games (five starts), Layden has completed 52% of his pass attempts for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions. His favorite targets have been his older brother, Grantland Fitzgerald (25 receptions, 350 yards, seven touchdowns), and fellow freshman Camden Thoman (21 receptions, 305 yards, four touchdowns).

“It’s exciting,” said coach Fitzgerald of the success of the freshmen who have been playing together since fifth grade. “A little of it is surprising even though I knew the stage, I didn’t feel the stage was going to be too big for either one of them. The speed of the game and how everything happens (is tough), and even for Layden some of the reads he has to make he never had to make them before.

“In middle school ball, it was go throw the ball up to Camden. He knew who he wanted to go to and it was that way. Now, you have to go through your progressions and go through your reads. He has done a good job sitting in those pockets and finding those reads and finding that open guy.”

Layden was always going to get Friday night reps this season but having to master the entire playbook, which looks much different than a middle school playbook, was not expected.

“I don’t know how to exactly describe it but it would kind of be like reading Dr. Seuss in middle school and reading Shakespeare in high school,” said coach Fitzgerald. “There are a lot of different nuances and changes. There are a lot of things he needs to know.”

One thing the young signal caller has not forgotten is his faith that Thoman (photo) will make a play.

“He is doing a great job out there,” said Thoman after Friday’s 48-28 loss to Yorktown. “For him being a quarterback, which is way harder than my position, he is just going out there and throwing and seeing me out there making plays.”

Thoman’s impact on the Shelbyville offense was most evident against Yorktown, who could not utilize a defender that could match the freshman’s size and athleticism. He caught seven passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Five of his catches resulted in first downs and the other two produced points.

“He has that athletic ability to go up and get balls. He is going to be able to stretch the field that way for us,” said coach Fitzgerald. “And he is playing that wider guy that is able to stretch the field. Then you have Grantland (Fitzgerald) underneath and if they pull coverage down and are doubling him, that safety is coming down on him, then you are leaving Camden one on one. We are able to take advantage of that. In years past, we haven’t had that guy out there to take advantage of that.”

Thoman has adjusted to the learning curve from middle school to high school in just a few short weeks.

“It used to be before he was the better athlete and he could go run by you or jump up over the top of you,” said coach Fitzgerald. “He can still do that to some guys we are playing against, but he still has to run crisp routes, to be able to make moves and to find openings and get to them.”

For Thoman, six weeks into his high school career, there is a sense of confidence in his play.

“The first couple of weeks, I was really shaky and a little nervous,” he said. “Now, I have gotten the groove and am just going out there and playing.”

SHELBYVILLE (3-3) AT CLASS 5A, NO. 1 NEW PALESTINE (6-0)

SITE: Kelso Stadium in New Palestine.

GAME TIME: 7 p.m.

COACHES: Scott Fitzgerald, 7-19 in third year at Shelbyville; Kyle Ralph, 147-14 in 13^th year at New Palestine.

SAGARIN RATINGS: Shelbyville, 58.71, 122^nd overall, 29^th in Class 4A; New Palestine, 96.48, second overall, first in Class 5A. New Palestine is a 41-point favorite.

LAST MEETING: New Palestine defeated the Golden Bears, 35-0, on Oct. 4, 2024.

SERIES ALL-TIME: New Palestine won its first meeting with Shelbyville in 1988, 38-13. The two programs did not meet again until they were HHC foes – Shelbyville won the first six meetings beginning in 1997. Now, after 29 meetings, the Dragons lead the series 20-9 with the help of a 12-game win streak.

AROUND THE HHC: Delta (3-3, 3-1) at Class 4A, No. 6 Pendleton Heights (5-1, 3-1); Greenfield-Central (4-2, 2-2) at Class 4A, No. 13 Yorktown (5-1, 3-1); and Mt. Vernon (0-6, 0-4) at New Castle (1-5, 0-4).

CLASS 4A, SECTIONAL 23: Bedford North Lawrence (5-1), Charlestown (5-1), Connersville (3-3), Shelbyville (3-3), Martinsville (2-4), Jennings County (2-4), Silver Creek (2-4) and Greenwood (2-4).

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