By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – In traditionally successful football programs like Solon its common for players to have to wait their turn to break into the starting lineup.

For some players the wait is a little longer than others.

Injuries have caused that wait to last nearly an entire career for Solon senior Payton Bandy.

Finally healthy, Bandy is done waiting and is making the most of his limited time on the field.

Bandy has a touchdown reception in three straight games for Class 3A top-ranked Solon (7-0) and is coming off the best game of his career, a 5-catch, 142-yard, two-touchdown performance last week in a 33-0 win over Mount Pleasant.

“It feels amazing to be out there, especially after having to wait for so long the last two years,” Bandy said. “It’s definitely a lot better being out there with my teammates and competing than being on the sidelines.”

Bandy knows all too well the feeling of being stuck on the sideline.

An emergency appendectomy a week before last year’s season opener delayed the start of his junior year.

Once he returned a recurring shoulder injury sidelined Bandy for three full games late in the year.

“I expected a lot so last year so it was definitely frustrating,” Bandy said. “I took on a different role and tried to help my teammates.”

Bandy caught three passes for 55 yards in the season-opener against Mount Vernon before sustaining a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games and limited him in two more.

Despite the frustration of missing more games Bandy wouldn’t let all the time on the sideline be a waste.

He got serious about learning everything he could while he was away from live action.

“While I was out I was on the sideline studying my position and helping my teammates,” Bandy said. “When I got back out there I felt more comfortable.”

Since he has returned to the field that work is paying off.

Bandy had a total of four receptions for 18 yards in limited action in wins over Washington and Osakloosa.

Back up to full speed Bandy has shown what he can do when fully healthy catching two touchdown passes in back-to-back games.

“We knew that he was going to be a difference maker for us on offense,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said. “He was out for a few games and now that he has settled in we have been intentional about getting him the ball because he’s a matchup problem for people.”

Before Solon’s week six home matchup with Fort Madison, Bandy had 14 career receptions good for 190 yards and four touchdowns.

Over the last two games Bandy has caught eight passes for 217 yards and four scores.

“It’s huge getting him back, he’s just another weapon we can use,” Solon sophomore quarterback Cam Miller said. “With Payton and AJ (Coons) and Ben (Krutzfeldt), Spencer Wegmann, Adam Bock we have so many weapons but it’s always nice to have one more.”

At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds Bandy teams with the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Coons to give the Spartans an imposing set of pass catchers on the outside.

The duo is similar in stature but brings contrasting skill sets to the position which is what Miller likes as a quarterback.

“AJ is more of a tall long guy who runs really well and Payton is big and tough to take down,” Cam Miller said. “They are different and that’s what you want.”

Bandy leads the Spartans with 15 receptions for 290 yards and five touchdowns.

Coons is right on his tail in all three categories with 14 grabs for 280 yards and four scores.

“With both of us we have different weapons and it’s hard to cover them all,” Bandy said. “We are both selfless we put the other guy ahead of us and feed off of each other’s success.”

Bandy, who also spends time in the Spartan secondary, is averaging 18.5 yards per catch in his career with nine of his 22 career receptions going for touchdowns.

“When he gets the ball in his hands he’s just really shifty and he’s strong and he makes people miss,” Kevin Miller said. “We try to get him the ball in the quick screen game but vertically he can also extend the defense so we are trying to utilize him in different ways. He is a guy that we just think can make big plays at different moments in the field.”