Mount Vernon (2-0) at Solon (2-0)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Spartan Stadium

One of the best rivalries in the state continues as Mount Vernon travels to Solon for another edition of the Highway 1 showdown.

Both programs have been among the best in Class 3A over the past several seasons.

Mount Vernon reached the 3A semifinals last season while Solon fell in the 3A quarterfinals and both teams appear poised for deep postseason runs this fall.

The two teams have split the previous four meetings in the series.

Mount Vernon snapped a 19-game losing skid in the series with a 17-14 win at Solon in 2022 and added a 17-0 win over the Spartans in the postseason later that season.

Since then Solon has won the last two meetings, 37-20 in Mount Vernon in 2023 and 7-6 last season at Spartan Stadium.

This season is shaping up for another tight matchup between two of the best programs in Class 3A.

Players to Watch

Solon

Eli Kampman

In just two starts Kampman has already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in Class 3A.

A starter at wide receiver and defensive back last season Kampman leads Class 3A in both touchdown passes (8) and passing yards (549) through his first two starts.

Kampman (6-2, 187) has completed 72 percent of his passes (31-of-43) while throwing for 549 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception in back-to-back wins over Davenport Assumption and Williamsburg.

Kampman has also rushed for a team-high 39 yards and a touchdown while leading a Solon offense that is averaging 341 total yards and 34.5 points per game.

Mount Vernon

Kellen Haverback

Haverback is among the most productive quarterbacks in the state and one of the top signal callers in Class 3A.

In his first season as a starter last fall Haverback completed 64 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,285 yards and 27 touchdowns while also rushing for 121 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Haverback (6-3, 190) has picked up where he left off this season completing 57 percent of his passes while throwing for 469 yards and five touchdowns without an interception in back-to-back wins.

Haverback has also rushed for 75 yards and three touchdowns this season while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Last season against Solon Haverback completed 11-of-23 passes for 137 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Keys to the Game

Solon

Win Up Front

Solon has the most dynamic passing game in Class 3A through two games averaging an impressive 17.7 yards per reception.

For the Solon passing game to click on all cylinders the Spartan offensive line will need to protect quarterback Eli Kampman against an aggressive Mount Vernon front seven.

Solon averaged 66.5 rushing yards in its first two games but the offensive line has done a good job in pass protection allowing just one sack in two games.

Solon will need another strong effort up front against a talented Mustang defensive front.

Mount Vernon had seven sacks last week in a 30-20 win over Benton Community and seven different Mustangs have registered a sack this season.

Solon didn’t allow a sack in a 7-6 win over Mount Vernon last season.

Mount Vernon

Keep Everything in Front

Two games into the season the Solon offense has already showed an ability to make the big play.

The Spartans have three touchdowns of over 60 yards this season and five of Solon’s 10 scores have been longer than 20 yards.

For context Solon had five scoring plays of 60 yards or longer all of last season and had 19 scoring plays of 20+ yards in 11 games a year ago.

What’s all this mean for Mount Vernon?

The Mustangs need to limit those explosive offensive plays.

A traditionally strong Mustang defense will be well served to make Solon drive the ball down the field to put points on the board on Friday.

Mount Vernon has been solid defensively allowing 274.5 total yards per game on 5.7 yards per play.

The Mustangs allowed 37 and 48 yard touchdown passes last week against Benton Community and will try to limit the explosive plays in the passing game this week.

Both Teams

Win the Turnover Battle

Like most rivalry games this one is expected to be close and close games often come down to the same list of determining factors.

At the top of that list is turnovers and that has certainly been the case in the recent history of the Highway 1 showdown between Mount Vernon and Solon.

In the last 10 meetings in the series if a team has won the turnover margin they are 7-0.

The winning team in this series has had one or less turnovers in each of the last nine meetings and neither team has won this matchup while committing more than two turnover since 2016 when Solon turned it over twice in a 26-21 win.

Mount Vernon was +4 in turnover margin in its two wins over Solon in 2022 and Solon is +3 in turnover margin in its back-to-back wins over the Mustangs the past two seasons.

Both teams enter Friday’s showdown on the plus side of the turnover margin this season.

Solon is +2 on the season forcing four turnovers on the year (three interceptions, 1 fumble recovery) and Mount Vernon is +3 in two games and hasn’t committed a turnover.

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