Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – In his second season leading the Solon offense Blake Timmons improved in nearly every measurable category.

Check a statistic and Timmons was better last season than in his debut campaign in 2020.

Timmons passed and rushed for more yards and touchdowns. He averaged more yards per carry, less interceptions per attempt and helped Solon win more games while averaging more points per game.

So, when asked where he had made the most growth since taking over as the starting quarterback Timmons paused to think about the question.

There was a look on Timmons’ face as he answered that suggested he was slightly conflicted about his answer.

“I think I’ve improved in a lot of areas,” Timmons began. “But the leadership and the commanding of the offense is where I’ve made the most growth.”

Third-year Solon head coach Lucas Stanton backs up the answer from his senior quarterback.

The only quarterback to start a game for Solon during Stanton’s tenure as head coach Timmons has flourished as a leader.

“Probably his vocal leadership is where he has improved the most,” Stanton said. “It’s not even his physical attributes it’s that vocal leadership piece that has been the most impressive to watch develop.”

According to the third-year head coach leadership was the correct answer to the question of Timmons’ greatest improvement.

The answer Timmons wanted to give as to where he has upped his game the most was his throwing.

Improving his passing has been a focal point for Timmons since he threw for 1,078 yards and 14 scores while helping Solon to a 7-3 record as a sophomore starter in 2020.

“Throwing the ball has been an area I feel like I really improved,” Timmons said. “I don’t feel like I was every deficient in it or anything I just think the confidence level in myself but also how much time I have put into it, every single year I have improved.”

A four-sport athlete Timmons doesn’t have much free time to spend on football in the offseason.

That hasn’t stopped Timmons from getting together with his receivers to throw and working on his mechanics on his own.”

“He has really improved his throwing as well, that has improved tremendously,” Stanton said. “He’s worked hard at it, he does a really good job of working on that on his own and people don’t always see that behind the scenes work but he’s doing it.”

An all-state baseball player in the summer Timmons has to juggle throwing to receivers with his baseball work load.

After two years of starting experience Timmons understands that the passing game is more than just throwing routes.

“One main thing is understanding coverages and what the other team is trying to do and another big piece of that is throwing almost every single day with my receivers and getting the chemistry down,” Timmons said. “Having that trust and confidence in each other is one of the biggest things.”

Timmons made a big jump in his second season as a starter.

He passed for 1,553 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 888 yards and 10 scores, all career highs.

Timmons was a third-team all-state pick last season after leading Solon to an 11-1 record and a spot in the Class 3A semifinals.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder hopes to make a similar jump this season.

“The confidence level has really risen,” Timmons said. “Having those two years of experience I feel like I can compete with anyone in the state.”
Stanton and Timmons both pointed to the jump in production last season as a result of a year of experience.

Another jump could come this season thanks to the confidence Timmons has gained while emerging as the Spartans’ unquestioned leader.

“He just has that ‘it’ factor,” Stanton said. “He is one of those guys that kids gravitate toward and follow and part of that is he’s a competitor and he finds a way to get it done.”

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