All-access: Inside look at how New Palestine got another signature win over Center Grove
IndyStar was granted all-access for New Palestine’s trip to Center Grove, where the defending 5A champs topped the 6A Trojans again.
Grace Hollars, Indianapolis Star
When New Palestine football coach Kyle Ralph thinks about Maxen Hook’s high school football playing days, his mind wanders to Aug. 30, 2019.
Hook, then a senior strong safety, was all over the field that night against Class 6A power Center Grove. He made 14 tackles and caught three passes for 112 yards, including a field-crossing 56-yard touchdown to put New Palestine ahead by two scores on the way to a 28-9 victory.
“There was an unbelievable amount of talent on the field that night,” Ralph said, “and he was undeniably the best player of them all.”
When college coaches came to recruit Hook and other New Palestine players at that time, Ralph told them he believed the two-star recruit could be an NFL player if he stayed healthy. Those conversations usually started with Ralph saying, “I realize this sounds crazy but …”
“He was vastly underrecruited for what he was ability-wise,” Ralph said. “I don’t know if you can predict everything he was able to go on and accomplish but there was something different about his internal makeup. The toolset was there. It was about his development and Toledo did a phenomenal job and obviously Maxen did a great job.”
Hook, who had no power conference offers when he committed Toledo prior to his senior year of high school, went on to be a four-time All-MAC selection as a safety, including first team honors as a sophomore, junior and senior, becoming one of the most accomplished players in the history of Toledo’s program. As a senior in high school, he was named the defensive back Mr. Football position winner as a…
Source link : https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2025/04/25/vastly-underrecruited-maxen-hook-projected-as-third-day-nfl-draft-pick/83257760007/
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Publish date : 2025-04-25 08:25:00
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