Roncalli didn’t need to run away from New Palestine to beat it.
The Royals just kept finding ways to make the important plays.
In a game that never developed into an offensive shootout, Roncalli beat New Palestine 20-6 Friday night at Bob Tully Field. The Dragons had opportunities early and throughout the night, but Roncalli consistently came away with points or possession when those moments mattered.
New Palestine had one of its best chances on the opening drive.
Xavier Harmon recovered a Roncalli fumble at the Royals’ 39-yard line, putting the Dragons in position to take an early lead.
Instead, New Palestine went four-and-out.
The Dragons reached around midfield on each of their next three possessions in the first half, but couldn’t get inside the Roncalli 40. Roncalli had its own struggles moving the ball, with four straight drives ending in punts outside the New Palestine 40.
Neither offense had established control.
Then special teams changed it.
New Palestine muffed a punt late in the second quarter, giving Roncalli another possession at the Dragons’ 34. Four plays later, Roncalli was at the 4-yard line.
New Palestine’s defense forced third-and-goal, but Dominic Cromer found Mikey Dillon for a touchdown with eight seconds left in the half.
Roncalli led 7-0.
The Dragons’ defense continued to give them opportunities after halftime. New Palestine forced a punt and then a turnover on downs on Roncalli’s first two possessions of the third quarter.
The offense couldn’t answer either stop.
New Palestine went three-and-out twice.
After the second punt, Roncalli started at the New Palestine 42 following a 28-yard return. Six plays later, Cromer scored on a three-yard run.
Roncalli led 14-0.
New Palestine had another chance to cut into the lead, but Roncalli stopped the Dragons on fourth-and-1 at midfield.
The Royals turned that stop into their final touchdown.
Roncalli went 51 yards on 12 plays, with a fourth-down penalty extending the drive, before Alex Jarvis scored from two yards out. The extra point was blocked, leaving Roncalli ahead 20-0.
Jarvis finished with 169 rushing yards on 36 carries.
But his production wasn’t the only reason Roncalli controlled the game on the ground.
The Royals ran 48 times for 169 yards, with an offensive line that continued to create enough space for Roncalli to stay committed to its run game.
New Palestine had allowed itself to build an identity around its own rushing attack coming into the game. The Dragons were averaging 253.8 rushing yards per game, with Logan Parks entering Friday with 964 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Roncalli held that rushing attack to 80 yards.
Parks finished with 46 yards on 15 carries. Rhys Ragan added 20 yards on six carries, but New Palestine never found the same rhythm on the ground that had helped fuel its four-game winning streak.
That forced the Dragons to rely more heavily on Ragan.
He finished 10-of-23 for 97 yards and one interception. Cael Butler led New Palestine with 42 receiving yards, including a 38-yard catch on the final drive.
That final possession was New Palestine’s best offensive sequence of the night.
Ragan found Butler for 38 yards, then connected with Ryder Gardner for 11 and Mason Oglesby for 12 to move the Dragons inside the Roncalli 10.
On the final play, Ragan found Butler for a four-yard touchdown.
It was the only touchdown New Palestine scored.
The Dragons finished with 177 total yards on 51 plays. Roncalli finished with 215 yards on 63 plays and held the ball for 28:33 compared to New Palestine’s 19:27.
That difference in possession reflected the way Roncalli played the game.
The Royals didn’t consistently move the ball for big gains. They didn’t need to.
They kept the run game involved, protected their defense and made New Palestine work for every possession. New Palestine’s defense deserves credit for keeping the game from getting away. Roncalli managed only 215 total yards and had to run the ball 48 times to get its 169 rushing yards.
But when the Dragons had opportunities to change the game, Roncalli’s defense answered. And when Roncalli got opportunities, the Royals turned them into points. That’s what separated the two teams Friday night.