By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Hunter Kula kind of came out of nowhere.

In his first season of varsity action the Solon junior running back has had success few could see coming.

Kula himself doesn’t even dispute that most people didn’t see him coming.

In fact, that is the style that makes the 5-foot-6 Kula so effective.

“I like hiding behind the line so the defense can’t see and as soon as I get an opening I try to cut out,” Kula said. “That is just how I run.”

Kula is quick yet patient and small but powerful.

Operating behind a big Solon offensive line anchored by 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior Tyler Linderbaum the diminutive Kula is difficult for defenders to locate.

By the time defenders locate Kula he’s cutting off a block and right on top of them.

He’s hard to see coming.

“He’s tough to pick up so if we give him a tiny crease he will hit it,” Linderbaum said. “With him being so small he kind of hides back there and then hits the hole fast.”  

That unique style has made Kula an integral part of the offense for Class 3A top-ranked Solon (9-0).

It has also made Kula the perfect complement to the physical, smash-mouth running style of senior Kendrick Harris and gives the Spartans one of the best one-two running back combos in Class 3A.

“We knew he was going to be kind of a change of pace back and a guy we could use in our zone schemes and he is a great change of pace compared to Kendrick,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said. “Kendrick is a true downhill back, he just wants to go and he’s 205 pounds and Hunter is 155 so there is a discrepancy there. We try to utilize their strengths in various capacities and both are very effective at what we do.”

In his first season of varsity action Kula leads Solon with 118 carries and 747 rushing yards entering Friday’s Class 3A playoff opener against Decorah (7-2) at 7 p.m. at Spartan Stadium.

His 6.3 yards per carry are a team-high and his nine touchdown runs match Harris for tops on the team.

Not bad for a guy who had never had a varsity carry before this season.

“That’s definitely what I try to do is make the most of my opportunities,” Kula said. “When Kendrick comes out and I go in I try to do my best to make plays.”

Kula spent last season on the Solon sophomore team and didn’t have a varsity carry before this season.

He rushed for 41 yards in the season-opener against Mount Vernon before exploding for 206 yards and two touchdowns while filling in for an injured Harris in a win over Regina.

“I definitely didn’t think I would do this much but after the Regina game and stepping in for Kendrick I definitely felt like I belonged here,” Kula said. “Coaches know they can put me in and I’ll do my job.”

Kula rushed for 47 yards and two more scores with Harris sidelined the following week against Keokuk.

With Harris back to full strength Kula has settled into a role as a change of pace as the speed back to Harris’ power.

He has rushed for at least 53 yards in each of the last six games and has scored touchdowns in four of the last five.

“It definitely feels good because if someone is tired someone else can come in, it’s a really nice rotation,” Kula said. “We complement each other well, we help each other a lot.”

Harris entered the season with more than 1,000 yards in his varsity career and has rushed for more than 100 yards in four of six games since returning to the lineup.

The duo has combined for 1,451 yards and 18 touchdowns this season helping Solon average 204 rushing yards per game.

“Kenny is more of a downhill guy, he gets his pads over his body and just runs really well,” Miller said. “Hunter is more of your typical zone back where he is able to read things, set things up he is a very patient runner and I think that is real key to being an effective zone back and certainly he is that.”