Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – A 10-2 season that includes a trip to the state semifinals goes down as a successful season at any program.

Even at Solon, where the expectations are high and the Spartans have produced double digit wins five times in the last eight seasons, 10 wins and a semifinal appearance are worthy of celebration.

For the returning Solon players that were a part of last year’s 10-win team that reached the Class 3A semifinals for the second time in three years last season was a success but the way it ended was a tough pill to swallow.

Solon had a 10-game winning streak snapped with a 45-14 loss to eventual 3A champion Williamsburg in the 3A semifinals.

“We didn’t end it right,” Solon senior Eddie Johnson said. “You don’t really think about the highs of the season when you end it like that. It’s how you finish your year and it kind of brought us down a lot.”

The semifinal loss took a bit of the shine off of what was another impressive season for Solon.

This season the mission is to once again repeat that success.

“Other teams might get to the semifinals and say it was a great season but when we get to the semifinals and lose like that it’s not good enough,” Solon senior lineman Grant Wilson said. “It’s burning this year and we are ready to go.”
Solon has holes to fill from last year’s 10-2 team most notably on defense where the Spartans must replace 10 starters including its top eight tacklers from last season.

Senior outside linebacker Cole Carney (5-9, 170) returns to lead the defense after making 22.5 tackles and picking off two passes last season.

Johnson (6-2, 210), a two-way starter at running back and defensive end, and senior inside linebacker Oliver Owens (5-11, 200) both saw action last season and will be expected to anchor the defense with Carney.

“We replace 10 guys on defense, Eddie (Johnson) and Oliver Owens have played a lot of snaps but that’s just three guys,” Solon coach Lucas Stanton said. “We are replacing a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball and we need to grow up pretty fast.”

On offense Solon must replace its top rusher and top three receivers from a year ago but returns senior quarterback Tyler Bell (6-1, 195) who played his best football down the stretch last season.

Bell threw for over 200 yards in each of the final two playoff games last season while throwing for 1,434 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season.

“The seniors that played last year that last game leaves a little sour taste in your mouth,” Bell said. “No team should be able to do that to us. That’s not we are about.”

Wilson (5-10, 250) returns to anchor a young but talented Spartan offensive line.

A three-year starter at center, Wilson earned all-state honors a year ago and joins sophomore Lucas Feuerbach who started two games last season, Jackson Feuerbach, Kyler Jensen and senior Owen Grimm on a rebuilt Spartan front.

“We have great potential,” Wilson said. “We have some guys that maybe haven’t started a lot but they have all played a lot of football and gotten plenty of experience.”

Johnson will be a key piece for Solon on offense as well after rushing for 378 yards and six touchdowns and catching 16 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns last season.

“The great thing about him is he will line up anywhere we ask him to,” Stanton said of Johnson.  “He played a different position last year on offense for the betterment of the team. We are going to put him in the backfield this year but the best thing about him is you can line him up anywhere.”

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