There are wins, and then there are wins that immediately change the conversation.
East Central delivered the latter in Week 2.
The Trojans went on the road Friday and defeated New Palestine 14-6 in a matchup featuring two of Indiana’s top-ranked programs. New Palestine entered No. 1 in Class 5A, while East Central carried the No. 1 ranking in Class 4A.
More importantly, the Trojans ended one of the state’s longest active winning streaks.
New Palestine had won 29 consecutive games dating back to 2023 before East Central handed the Dragons their first loss of the season.
East Central did it despite being outgained. New Palestine finished with 301 total yards compared with 224 for the Trojans, but three second-half trips into the red zone produced no points. East Central made its opportunities count, including 92 rushing yards and a touchdown from Colton Bellman.
The victory also carried some postseason history. New Palestine eliminated East Central from the 2025 Class 5A tournament, making Friday’s result an early-season answer from a Trojan program now back in Class 4A.
East Central improved to 2-0, and the performance earned head coach Jake Meiners the Indianapolis Colts/NFL Coach of the Week honor.
For ending 29 straight wins and taking down the state’s top-ranked 5A program on its home field, East Central is the Indiana Preps Week 2 Team of the Week.
Presented by Identity Kept Services
Indiana Preps Team of the Week is presented by Identity Kept Services, a digital media management company based in Indianapolis, specializing in social media management, content creation, strategy and brand support. Identity Kept Services helps businesses, brands and organizations strengthen how they show up online and build a more consistent digital presence.
Follow @identitykeptservices on Instagram to learn more.
