Your Prep Sports Semifinal Game of the Week: Solon vs. Williamsburg
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Solon (10-1) vs. Williamsburg (10-1)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls
A couple of WAMAC rivals, Eastern Iowa powers and recent semifinal regulars meet on Saturday in the final game of semifinal week.
Saturday’s 3A semifinal between Solon (10-1) and Williamsburg (10-1) is the fifth meeting between the two teams in the past four seasons and a rematch of a 21-14 regular season win for the Spartans on October 6.
The teams have split the previous four meetings with Williamsburg winning in 2020 and 2022 and Solon winning in 2021 to go with its win earlier this season.
This is the fifth all-time postseason meeting between the two teams and first since Solon won 19-0 in the Class 3A quarterfinals in 2010.
Solon holds a 3-1 advantage in previous postseason matchups.
Last year’s 2A runner-up, Williamsburg is making its fourth semifinal appearance in the past five seasons.
Solon is making its second trip to the UNI-Dome in the past three seasons, falling in the 3A semifinals in 2021.
Players to Watch
Solon
Brett White
White has been a big reason Solon has been dominant defensively for most of the season leading the Spartans in total tackles, solo tackles and tackles for loss from his middle linebacker spot.
The 6-foot, 210-pound White ranks third in 3A with 97.5 total tackles, fifth in 3A with 63 solo tackles and second with 23 tackles for loss.
White was at his best in the regular season meeting with the Raiders making a team-high 12 tackles with nine solos, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss to go with a forced fumble that turned into a defensive touchdown for the Spartans.
A standout at linebacker all season White saw his offensive role expand in a quarterfinal win over West Delaware and should be more involved in the Spartan game plan on offense on Saturday.
White caught five passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in the win over West Delaware and is a major threat anytime he takes the field on offense.
Williamsburg
Derek Weisskopf
An Iowa recruit, Weisskopf is a key playmaker for the Raiders on both sides of the ball and a threat to impact the game any time he is on the field.
Weisskopf is second on the team in rushing yards, passing yards and total tackles and fourth in receiving yards.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior has scored touchdowns throwing (14), rushing (2), receiving (4) and on an interception return and averages 38.8 yards per punt.
In the postseason Weisskopf has made the full-time move to quarterback and has completed 19-of-29 passes for 231 yards and six touchdowns without an interception while rushing for 164 yards in wins over Mount Vernon and Humboldt.
Weisskopf entered the game at quarterback against Solon in the regular season and completed 9-of-23 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
With several games of quarterbacking as well as a full week of preparation under his belt look for a more polished and effective Weisskopf behind center on Saturday.
Keys to the Game
Williamsburg
Find some room in the running game.
Williamsburg has been extremely balanced offensively this season.
The Raiders are averaging 173 passing yards and 149 rushing yards per game so they certainly don’t live or die with the ability to run the football.
However, Williamsburg has certainly been at its most potent on offense when it can get its running game in rhythm.
Williamsburg has rushed for more than 100 yards in all but two games this season averaging 45.3 points and going 9-0 in those games.
The Raiders are 1-1 and average 17.5 points in the two games they have failed to rush for 100 yards.
Williamsburg rushed for just 27 yards and averaged 1 yard per carry in the regular season loss to Solon but has revved up the running game since averaging 194 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry in its last four games.
That includes 227 yards on 6 yards per carry in a quarterfinal win over Mount Vernon.
The Raiders don’t need to rack up 200 yards on the ground to be successful but finding some room to run could be a key to opening up the shot plays in the pass game that Williamsburg failed to convert against Solon in October.
Solon
Find some success in the passing game.
Much like Williamsburg with the run the Spartans struggled to find any success with the pass in the regular season meeting with the Raiders.
Junior quarterback Tyler Bell completed one of seven passes for 40 yards in the 21-14 Solon win last month.
Similar to the improvement the Raiders have made in the run game, Bell has taken big strides as a passer over the last month.
Bell is 32-of-49 for 462 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions since the Williamsburg win and is coming off his best game – a 286 yard, two-touchdown effort in the win over West Delaware.
Similar to Williamsburg with the run, Solon doesn’t have to rely solely on its pass game on Saturday but some success through the air should open up run lanes against a Raider defense that is allowing just 115 rushing yards per game this season.
Both Teams
Win the turnover battle.
It is an easy analysis in any expected tight game to point toward turnovers but with little separating these two teams across the board it could be a single takeaway that turns the tide.
Solon forced four turnovers in its seven-point regular season win over the Raiders with a fumble return for a touchdown ultimately proving to be the difference.
The Spartans have forced 25 turnovers this season and are +13 in turnover margin while Williamsburg has forced 24 turnovers and is +11 in turnover margin on the year.
Solon committed three turnovers in its lone loss of the season at Davenport Assumption while Williamsburg committed four in its lone loss at Solon.
The team that takes care of the ball on Saturday is likely the team that moves on to the title game.
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