‘Total Team Effort’ for Solon in Win over Fairfield
Solon junior Kendrick HarrisYour Prep Sports
Solon ended the regular season without a 1,000-yard rusher, a 1,000-yard receiver or a 2,000-yard passer.
The Spartans also finished the year with seven straight wins an 8-1 record and a district title.
Class 3A No. 7 Solon used another complete team effort to complete an unbeaten district slate with 54-14 win at Fairfield (5-4) on Friday.
Blayze Griffis threw three touchdown passes to Trevor Nelson and Kendrick Harris rushed for four scores as Solon finished unbeaten in District 5 play.
“It really is a total team effort each week, we honestly have four or five or six guys, you look at quikstats and it’s pretty apparent that we have a number of guys that make plays,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said. “Last week it was Graeson Dall and tonight Trevor Nelson had three touchdowns and Blayze threw for three touchdowns so we feel on any given night we have four or five or six guys that can contribute.”
Solon continued to get contributions from a variety of different players on Friday while rolling up 485 yards of total offense.
Griffis was 7-of-11 for 173 yards and three touchdowns and Harris rushed for 72 yards on 15 carries helping the Spartans to a season-high in total yardage.
“We challenged the kids and they responded,” Miller said. “We talked about we are going to be district champions and you have to start performing like it consistently if we are going to be the type of team that we are capable of being.”
Harris had all four of his touchdowns in the opening half as the Spartans built a 41-0 lead before intermission.
Graeson Dall returned the opening kickoff 82 yards to the 13 yard line and Harris scored two plays later from 8 yards put to put Solon up 7-0 less than a minute into the game.
Harris added a 17-yard scoring jaunt with 4:10 left in the opening quarter to make it 14-0.
“I thought the first half we played really well,” Miller said. “I just thought defensively we were very sound and obviously defended the run game and the pass very well.”
The Solon onslaught began early in the second quarter.
Griffis hit Nelson with a 15-yard touchdown pass with 10:23 left in the second quarter to make it 21-0 and Harris scored on a 2-yard run just more than two minutes later for a 27-0 advantage.
After a 9-yard scoring strike from Griffis to Nelson, senior Bo Black set up a 3-yard Harris touchdown run with a 72-yard catch and run from Griffis.
“Offensively we were just really productive,” Miller said. “We were able to the run the football effectively and throw it as well and honestly I think it was our best half of football to date in my opinion.”
Nelson caught a 23-yard touchdown pass with 8:25 left in the third quarter that gave Solon a
47-0 lead.
The senior finished with four receptions for 62 yards and three scores.
Senior Bryce West rushed for 68 yards on eight carries, including a 37-yard touchdown and Griffis added 53 yards on three attempts as Solon had a season-high 308 yards on the ground.
“I was just really pleased with how physical we played,” Miller said. “We played with a little more of an attitude and emotion than what we played with the last two or three weeks.”
Solon will host a first-round playoff game next Friday at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans will learn their opening-round opponent on Saturday at 10 a.m. when the Iowa High School Athletic Association announces the playoff pairings.
Solon 14 27 6 7 – 54
Fairfield 0 0 7 7 – 14
SOL – Kendrick Harris 8 run (Anthony Bullard kick)
SOL – Harris 17 run (Bullard kick)
SOL – Trevor Nelson 15 pass from Blayze Griffis (Bullard kick)
SOL – Harris 2 run (Kick failed)
SOL – Nelson 9 pass from Griffis (Bo Black pass from Spencer Wegmann)
SOL – Harris 3 run (Kick failed)
SOL – Nelson 23 pass from Griffis (Kick failed)
FAI – Cameron Baumann 89 run (Eric Swan kick)
FAI – Brandon Smithburg 43 run (Swan kick)
SOL – Bryce West 37 run (Bullard kick)