SOLON — For 19 years the annual clash on the gridiron between the Solon Spartans and Mount Vernon Mustangs has been won by Solon. A 20th victory was denied however as Mount Vernon pulled off a 17-14 win in Spartan Stadium Friday, Sept. 2.
Stiff defensive efforts on both sides of the ball limited the number of big plays as the game quickly became a slugfest of short gains. With 1:54 left in the first quarter, Blake Timmons scampered six yards on a quarterback keeper to score. Grant Knipper’s PAT made it 7-0. The touchdown capped a 70-yard drive, which included a dash of at least 20 yards by Sean Stahle.
The Mustangs narrowed the deficit by settling for a 35-yard field goal with 9:48 left in the first half. Solon, shut out of the endzone by a stingy Mustang defense, opted to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the first half. Unfortunately, Knipper’s kick fell short, but the Spartans held the lead at halftime.
The visitors took the lead in the third quarter with a pass from Joey Rhomberg to Brady Erickson in the Spartans’ endzone. A pass interference call against Solon was declined, the touchdown stood, and Mount Vernon had a 10-7 advantage. Mount Vernon’s Clark Younggreen scored in the fourth to make it 17-7, however the Spartans kept up the fight. With 1:59 left in the ballgame, Timmons took the snap, which went awry, but he was able to recover and fire off a pass to Oaken Foster for a touchdown. Knipper nailed his second PAT kick of the game and Solon was within a field goal of tying, down 17-14.
But time and luck ran out for the home team as Mount Vernon’s student section flooded the field in celebration. The win improved Mount Vernon to 2-0 after a 28-0 Week One shutout of the Anamosa Blue Raiders.
“Our defense was just on the field too much,” said Spartan head coach Lucas Stanton. “We really only had maybe a couple good (offensive) drives, we just couldn’t get rolling. They’re a good football team, they were able to run the ball a little bit, not like superbly well, but just enough to make it effective there In the second half. I thought we adjusted pretty well to that.”
While the loss shocked his team, Stanton remained upbeat about the rest of the season ahead.
“Everything we want for our season is still right in front of us, so, we gotta get through the gauntlet (Williamsburg and Assumption), but at the end of the day we’re a young football team and we need to mature a little bit. We’ll come together after this, and we’ll be okay.”
Timmons completed 10 of 27 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown, Nash Kotar threw one pass for six yards. Stahle led offensively with 111 yards on 19 carries, Timmons kept the ball a dozen times for two yards and one touchdown. Brett White, the Spartans’ rushing leader early in the season, was held to only nine yards on seven carries. Mac McCarty gained four yards on a pair of carries while Barret Schade took the ball two yards on one attempt.
Ryan Rasmussen took one pass 45 yards while Stahle and Foster had three receptions each, both good for 44 yards with the touchdown for Foster. White took one pass nine yards, Timmons and Kotar each took one pass for six yards each.
White led on defense with 14 solo tackles. Brayden Moore produced seven, Stahle and Quinton Heineman made six each, Ben Kampman had three, and McCarty made two. Timmons, Zach Capper, Kotar, Austin Knight, Zeb Kleinsmith, David Karam, Austin Bell, and Joe Ebert each had one solo tackle.
Solon travels to Class 2A-6 Williamsburg Friday, Sept. 9 with the freshman game at 5:00 p.m. and varsity at 7:30 p.m. The Raiders defeated Van Meter 18-13 and Regina Catholic (Iowa City) 31-0. Assumption Catholic (Davenport) visits Friday, Sept. 16 on Armed Forces Night. Again, the freshman will play at 5 with the varsity to follow.
Mustangs end Spartans’ 19-year win streak
September 7, 2022
About the Contributor
Chris Umscheid, Editor
Chris Umscheid is the editor of the Solon Economist.