Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

VAN HORNE – What looked like a Solon escape quickly went sideways.

After trailing for much of their prep football contest at Benton Community, the Class 3A second-ranked Spartans rallied to claim the lead with 1:36 left.

But the Bobcats had one response left.

“It was just a simple post-wheel (route),” Solon Coach Lucas Stanton said after Benton Community’s 66-yard touchdown connection with 1:10 left in the game upended the Spartans, 21-20, in a District 5 game Friday night at Benton Community High School. “We didn’t stay back like we were supposed to. I put that on me, too, for not telling the kids before we went out there that we needed to keep everything in front. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, that’s for sure.”

Benton Community junior quarterback Carson Nolan’s game-winning pass to senior receiver Logan Upah – their only connection of the night – won the game for the Bobcats (4-2, 2-0 District 5).

The defeat was the first this season for Solon (5-1, 1-1), which appeared on the verge of getting out of Van Horne with a win after standout tailback Eddie Johnson – held out of the first 42-plus minutes of the game due to injury – was called on to help the team.

Johnson’s 18-yard touchdown run with 1:36 to go – his 11th touchdown this season – gave the Spartans a brief 20-14 lead.

“He was really banged up from last week,” Stanton said. “Really wanted to get through the game without using him because we need him for the rest of the year.”

Miscues from the special teams unit hurt Solon in the first half.

The Spartans had an extra point blocked, missed a field goal and started three drives inside their own 13-yard line, all before halftime.

Solon was also stuffed on fourth down on the Benton two-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

“Ultimately, we’re going to have to start faster,” Stanton said. “Not have lapses like that. We have to find a way to start a little faster out of the gate and not put ourselves in a hole and give up a big play here or there. Give a lot of credit to Benton Community.”

Benton senior tailback Dylan LeFebvere ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

Solon senior quarterback Ty Bell threw for 287 yards and accounted for two touchdowns.

Not only was Johnson limited, but tailback/linebacker Kyler Jensen and tight end/linebacker Oliver Owens were out with injuries and tailback/linebacker Cole Carney left the game.

The Spartans will need to get healthy in a hurry as next week brings a trip to No. 6 Williamsburg.

“I’m really proud of our kids,” Stanton said. “What I told them afterwards was, ‘It’s not the worst thing in the world for us right now. We can learn a lot from this loss’,”

                                   SOL                BC

First Downs                18                    11

Rushes-yards              39-114             35-218

Comp-Att-Int              19-33-0           6-14-0

Passing yards              287                  95

Total yards                  401                  313

Punts-avg.                   4-31.5              6-37.3

Fumbles-lost               1-0                   2-1

Penalties-yards           3-20                 7-51

Solon                             6   0   6   8  –  20

Benton Community  7   0   7   7  –  21

BC – Dylan LeFebvere 3 run (Elijah Kupka kick)

SOL – Ty Bell 3 run (kick blocked)

SOL – Owen Einwalter 51 pass from Bell (pass failed)

BC – Dylan LeFebvere 3 run (Kupka kick)

SOL – Eddie Johnson 18 run (Johnson run)

BC – Logan Upah 66 pass from Carson Nolan (Kupka kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – Solon: Cole Carney 11-43, Ty Bell 7-16, Eddie Johnson 2-19, Einar Stecher 19-36. Benton Community: Brody Timmerman 3-23, Carson Nolan 10-38, Dylan LeFebvere 18-149, Elias Bieschke 4-8.

PASSING – Solon: Ty Bell 19-33-0 287. Benton Community: Carson Nolan 6-14-0 95.

RECEIVING – Solon: Karsyn Regennitter 7-64, Maddox Kelley 8-122, Eli Kampman 3-50, Owen Einwalter 1-51. Benton Community: Logan Upah 1-66, Brody Timmerman 4-24, Evan Martin 1-5.

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