Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Solon needed a strong second-half to secure a 19^th consecutive win over Highway 1 rival Mount Vernon on Friday.

The Spartans got that necessary second-half surge ending the game with 21 unanswered points while outscoring the Mustangs 27-6 after halftime.

Friday’s late offensive flurry was just the latest in an impressive offensive start to the season for Solon.

Solon has put up eye-popping offensive numbers in back-to-back wins to open the season averaging 52 points and 506 total yards per game in wins over West Liberty and Mount Vernon.

A 2-0 start for the Spartans is no shock, I was among those that had Solon unbeaten entering likely its toughest two-game stretch of the season (more on that later).

However, what Solon has done on the offensive side of the ball through two weeks has caught my attention – my full attention.

Consider a few factors when dissecting the Spartans’ fast start.

Solon scored a combined 32 points while losing back-to-back games last season, albeit with a new head coach and sophomore quarterback in what we all recall followed a covid-filled offseason.

Perhaps more noteworthy, Solon returned just three full-time offensive starters from last year’s team that averaged 344 total yards and 234 rushing yards per game on 6.4 yards per play.

Entering this season the expectation was for junior quarterback Blake Timmons to take a step forward from a strong debut season and senior linemen Gage Marty and Cayden Knipper are both game-changers up front.

However, behind those three there was a lot of experience and question marks.

Two games into the season the Spartans have had answers to those questions.

Solon put up 63 points in a season-opening win over West Liberty and went for 41 against Mount Vernon on Friday.

In the process Solon is averaging 309.5 rushing yards per game on 9.7 yards per carry and is averaging a staggering 11 yards per offensive play through the first two weeks.

Timmons has been excellent, with efficiency the key for the junior quarterback.

He has completed 13-of-24 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 227 yards and three scores without committing a turnover.

Alongside Timmons first-year starters have stepped up big.

Solon had three players returning with a varsity reception this season.

Through two games 15 Spartans have caught a pass and five different players have touchdown receptions as the Spartans are averaging 26.2 yards per reception and 14 yards per pass attempt.

It has been the same story in a revamped Solon running game where the Spartans had five returning players that combined to rush for just 126 yards a year ago.

Junior Sean Stahle is averaging 13.4 yards per carry while rushing for 282 yards and four scores and three other Spartans have touchdowns.

Look, the numbers are slightly swayed, especially the balance by an opening-week blowout but those early reps should pay dividends late for a young team.

Solon will likely get its toughest defensive challenges of the season over the next two weeks as it hosts Williamsburg (0-2) on Friday and travels to Davenport Assumption (2-0) in week four.

Williamsburg has 36 total points in loss to perennial powers Regina and Van Meter to open the season and held the Spartans to 14 points and 256 total yards a year ago.

How good is Solon offensively? That game could tell us a lot.

So should  the next week against Assumption.

The Knights gave up a combined 14 points in a pair of blowout wins this season, allowed just 5.1 points per game last season and haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game since 2018 (a span of 20 games).

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