Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Class 1A fifth-ranked Solon didn’t make many mistakes in its showdown with 2A top-ranked Marion on Tuesday.

When the Spartans did have a mishap Marion didn’t waste any time taking advantage.

Samuel Murphy scored two goals and Jaffer Murphy added another as Marion (1-0) down Solon (3-1) in the WAMAC opener for both teams at sunny Spartan Stadium.

“When you play a team that is that dangerous the one, two or three mistakes that you make you are digging the ball out of the net,” Solon coach Jeremy McMurrin said. “I thought we played well but our mistakes ended up in the back of the net.”

Solon outscored three opponents 21-1 while winning its own season-opening tournament on Saturday but found the going much tougher on Tuesday against a Marion team coming off a 17-1 season that included a trip to the 2A state semifinals last season.

Jaffer and Samuel Murphy each scored goals in the opening half as Marion built a 2-0 halftime lead.

“It’s a good matchup early, when you play a team like them you will find out what you are made of real quick,” McMurrin said. “The good thing is when you play a team that is talented like they are they point your weaknesses out and it gives you all season long to get it figured out.”
Jaffer Murphy gave Marion a 1-0 lead when he scored off a through ball from Timothy Schuttloffel in the 19th minute.

The Indians then took control of the match when Samuel Murphy scored the first of his two goals on a breakaway with 1:59 left in the opening half.

“We have weapons, all 11 starters, everybody on the bench they are all able to do something special,” Marion coach Kory Boebel said. “It’s amazing to be able to put anybody out there on the field and watch what they can do.”

Solon wouldn’t go away.

The Spartans had several chances to get on the board early in the second half but couldn’t get a shot past Marion junior keeper Carson Gorton.

Ben McAtee had a shot in front of goal sail wide in the 48th minute and later had a shot deflected by Gorton and then glance off the post less than a minute later.

“You look at the score and it’s 3-0 but I don’t think we played bad,” McMurrin said. “We had spells where possession was good, we had spells where we did so many things right its just they are a very good team.”

Marion capped the scoring when Samuel Murphy got loose for his second goal of the game in the 77th minute.

“They are just dangerous,” McMurrin said. “Sideline to sideline, endline to endline they are dangerous. Whether its Samuel Murphy up top, Jaffer or whether its Deiters on the side they stretch you in so many ways that they put you in vulnerable positions and that is what is so dangerous about them.”