New Palestine's Indiana High School Football Title Defense Ends as Cathedral Beats Defending Champion 24-21
Cathedral takes sectional crown
No. 9 Cathedral edged No. 17 New Palestine by three points to claim the Sectional 13 championship. The Fighting Irish kept their own state title hopes alive with the win.
The teams had met in the same sectional final the previous November. New Palestine won that contest 20-15 before taking the 2025 Class 5A state championship, ending Cathedral’s title pursuit.
Dragons’ run comes to a halt
New Palestine came into Friday as the defending Class 5A champion, following its 2024 Class 4A title. The Dragons had also won five straight sectional championships under head coach Kyle Ralph.
Their postseason winning streak stood at 12 games, and they had claimed 14 consecutive sectional tournament games. They advanced to the final after defeating Pendleton Heights 53-35, with Logan Parks rushing for 211 yards and four touchdowns and Rhys Ragan throwing for 249 yards and three scores.
Regional round ahead
Cathedral’s next game is the Class 5A regional championship on Friday, November 13. Its opponent will be the winner of the Sectional 14 final between Plainfield and Terre Haute South.
The state championship game is set for Saturday, November 28, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. New Palestine’s defeat means a new Class 5A champion will be crowned this season.
Key points
- Cathedral defeated New Palestine 24-21 in the Class 5A Sectional 13 final.
- The Dragons’ bid for a third consecutive state title across two classifications ended.
- Cathedral will play the winner of Plainfield-Terre Haute South on November 13.
- The Class 5A final is scheduled for November 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium.