Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Looking at the Solon football program in 2020 it is easy to focus on what is different.

For the first time in nearly two decades the Spartans have a new head coach as Lucas Stanton takes over for Kevin Miller who stepped down in March.

Solon has a slate filled with new opponents and will compete in a new class dropping down to 2A for the first time since 2009.

There will be plenty of new players on the field as well.

The Spartans must replace a strong season class that featured the program’s all-time leading passer in Cam Miller along with the top four rushers and receivers and the top tackler from last year’s Class 3A state runner-up squad.

That’s a lot of change in one season.

One thing that figures to remain the same this fall is a stingy Spartan defense led by strong linebacker play – a tradition at Solon throughout its more than decade long stretch as one of the state’s premier program.

“Defense wins championships, that’s the way we’ve always stressed it at Solon and these new coaches are the same way,” Solon senior linebacker Carson Shive said. “Linebackers lead the defense and defense wins championships that’s where it starts is at linebacker.”

Solon returns just seven players with starting experience from a squad that went 12-1 and fell to Western Dubuque in the 3A title game.

Three of those returning starters are at linebacker where seniors Lucas TePoel, Colton Hoffman and Shive provide stability on the Solon defense and give the Spartans one of the best linebacker trios in 2A.

“Those guys have been instrumental in really making the transition smooth,” Stanton said. “That was the thing when I came in, I wasn’t going to change everything but we have made some changes that it’s taken a little bit of time for them to get used to. Those linebackers have been fantastic in terms of being strong senior leaders.”

There is no question the senior linebacking trio sets the tone for the Solon defense.

Between the three of them Hoffman, Shive and TePoel bring a wide skill set to the linebacker position. No asset the three bring to the table is more important than experience.

Together the three combined to make 128 tackles last season.

“We have to be leaders,” Shive said. “We have to help people when they are struggling and that’s how we are going to win games.”
Last season graduated senior Jax Flynn was the heart of the Solon linebackers, leading the Spartans with 95 tackles and five interceptions.

Shive and TePoel followed Flynn’s lead ranking second and third on the team respectively in tackles.

This season there is no following for the senior linebackers, only leading.

“It’s a whole new mindset that we have,” TePoel said. “You can’t just go off of what happened last year you have to start fresh and keep doing what we are doing and show the younger guys how we do it.”

Shive is the rock in the middle of the Solon defense.

The 6-foot, 205-pounder racked up 77.5 tackles and picked off a pass last season in his first varsity season.

TePoel has bulked up to 200 pounds and moved from SAM to WILL linebacker this season after making 40 tackles and picking off a pass a year ago.

“This year moving from SAM to WILL Linebacker and having a new coach it’s opened me up to play anywhere and be versatile and help any way I can,” TePoel said. “It’s such a high pace that you can’t go slow you can’t second guess yourself. You have to see it and just react.”

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Hoffman can do a little bit of everything.

Hoffman made 10.5 tackles and had a sack last season while playing outside linebacker.

Together the group will be the backbone of a Solon defense hoping to match its success from last season when the Spartans held opponents to 11.9 points and 201 total yards per game.

“I’ve always had that mentality or philosophy as a coach that it all starts on the defensive side of the ball and we want to really solidify that side,” Stanton said. “To have three guys in our linebacking corps that really anchors that group has been great.”

Even through all the offseason changes the goal for Solon this season is the same as always – a state title.

“Last year we made the state finals and we are expecting to do the same thing this year,” Shive said. “We aren’t going to let anybody stop us. These coaches are pushing us and making us better.”

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