Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

A lack of motivation is rarely a problem during a rivalry week.

Class 3A fourth-ranked Solon (1-0) and 1A top-ranked Regina (0-1) both enter Friday’s 7:30 p.m. annual rivalry matchup of traditional powers at Spartan Stadium sufficiently motivated.

Solon has lost two straight to its neighbor to the north and is still stinging from a 34-0 loss at Regina last season.

“They took it to us last year so I feel like we have something to prove,” Solon senior Zach Wegmann said. “The seniors on this team only have one more chance against them.”

Regina has its own motivation following a 23-6 season-opening setback to Cedar Rapids Xavier.

The Regals have never started 0-2 in 10 seasons under head coach Marv Cook, avoiding back-to-back losses to last season with its 34-0 win over the Spartans.

 “It’s been a long time since a Regina team has started out 0-2,” Regina senior Jake Phillips said. “It’s obviously big for us to get off on the right track and not start out 0-2, that’s never anyone’s goal. It’s really important to get back on track and start improving every week.”

Regina scored 27 unanswered second-half points to break open a seven-point game in last season’s win over Solon.

The win against Solon was the spring board for 11 straight victories for Regina as the Regals reached the state title game for the seventh year in a row.  

Regina is hoping to use the annual matchup with the Spartans as a similar boost this season heading into district play.

“Getting the momentum going into week three is going to be huge for us,” Regina senior Isaac Vollstedt said. “We don’t want to start off the season 0-2 so we are going to do whatever we can to get a win.”

Solon enters feeling good about its performance season opener, a 19-0 shutout win over Mount Vernon, but motivated by last year’s loss to the Regals.  

The Spartans did their own about face after the Regina game last season, winning eight straight before a quarterfinal loss to Pella.

A win on Friday would give Solon its second 2-0 start in the past nine seasons and first since 2014.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted against them last year but that helped us the rest of the season, we learned from it,” Solon senior Tyler Linderbaum said. “You can always learn from a loss and we did and it helped us later on but this week we have a bad taste in our mouth and we will be ready.”

A 6-foot-2, 270-pound Iowa recruit, Linderbaum headlines a stout Solon defensive front seven that limited Mount Vernon to 71 rushing yards on 25 carries.

Linderbaum and the Spartans will get one of their toughest tests of the season on Friday facing a physical Regina offensive line and Vollstedt who rushed for 160 yards last week.

“It’s always physical against Regina,” Linderbaum said. “They are a good fundamental team and we are going to have to come out with our ‘A’ game.”

Regina held a 280 to 49 edge in rushing yards last season and has outgained the Spartans on the ground 450-147 in back-to-back wins.

Establishing the line of scrimmage will be an emphasis for both teams on Friday with the team with more rushing yards winning the last six meetings.

“They aren’t going to try to fool you, they are going to come right at you, they are going to run zone and they are going to execute,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said. “The one thing about Regina is you are going to earn everything that you get, they aren’t going to give you anything.”