SOLON — From here on out, it should be tougher for the varsity football team after rolling over the Fort Madison Bloodhounds 50-7 in a Class 3A Playoffs first round game last Friday. The Spartans, No. 2 in 3A, found little opposition from the 6-3 Bloodhounds, who entered the playoffs via a wildcard berth after a third-place finish in District 4.
Conlan Poynton scored on a 55-yard run, capping an 85-yard drive on the Spartans’ second possession of the ballgame. Grant Knipper nailed the point after kick and Solon led 7-0 with 6:07 left in the first quarter. Tyler Bell connected with Brett White for a 45-yard touchdown play on the third drive. Knipper ran the ball rather than kicking for a 2-point conversion and a 15-0 lead with 4:19 left in the period. Austin Knight intercepted a Fort Madison pass putting the Spartans at first and goal on the Bloodhounds’ nine-yard line. Bell found Oliver Owens in the endzone to make it 21-0. Knipper’s PAT kick made it 22-0 with 2:36 left in the first.
Bell found Knipper in the endzone early in the second quarter to make it 28-0, and Knipper’s kick made it 29-0 with 10:50 until halftime. Poynton scored again with a 16-yard run on fourth down to make it 35-0, and Knipper sliced through the uprights for 36-0. With the 35-point deficit, the continuous clock was triggered for the remaining 6:27 of the first half. With two minutes left in the half, Poynton ran the ball in again with another Knipper kick giving Sparty’s Boys a healthy 43-0 lead.
Eddie Johnson struck in the third quarter with a one-yard dash to make it 49-0. Ryan Locke, a sophomore, booted the PAT to 50-point the ‘Hounds with 7:40 left in the period. With 16.9 seconds left in the third, the Bloodhounds got onto the scoreboard. Fort Madison would threaten again in the fourth, but Charlie Brandt intercepted what would’ve been a touchdown pass with 5:33 left to play.
“Our offense was sharp all night, even for the most part on our first drive that resulted in turnover on downs, we were executing pretty well all night,” said Coach Lucas Stanton. “We were very efficient in what we were doing and again the execution upfront combined with our skill guys following their lead was very good.”
Bell, a junior, completed six-of-ten passes for 82 yards (and three scores) in the first half while Eli Kampman, a sophomore, completed seven-of-eleven for 91 yards in the second. Seniors Jace Janssen and Knipper took four passes each for 31 and 34 yards while seniors Keenan Kruse (29 yards), Gavin Sieverding (20), Brandt (11), White (45), and Owens (three) took one pass each. Poynton, a sophomore, pounded out 145 yards on 13 carries, Johnson (junior) went 42 yards on seven carries, senior Brayden Miller had three carries with two each by Bell (four yards) and Milo Ashbacker (senior). Senior Nicholas Johnson made one carry as did Knipper (15 yards).
White led defensively with 4-1/2 tackles (one solo). Kampman made 3-1/2 (two solos), senior Austin Knight had 2-1/2 (two solos) as did sophomore Kyler Jensen (two solos). Senior Barret Schade and Sieverding and Brandt made two tackles each with two solos for Brandt. Miller, Kruse, junior Owen Grimm, and senior Mason Scott made 1-1/2 tackles each with one tackle apiece by seniors Cole Farnsworth, Ryan Walsh, Brayden Moore, Jeremy (CJ) Tabor, and Kaleb Behrends. Seniors Jack McCarty and Will Cusick were credited with ½ tackle apiece.
“It was great to get guys in the game especially in a playoff game. I’d say we have guys who are definitely emerging and are finding themselves in position to help us now in the playoffs whether that is special teams or in special packages. It’s so valuable to our development for all these younger guys to have these extra weeks of practice.”
Solon faces West Delaware
Friday in Quarterfinal Round
West Delaware brings a 7-3 record into this week’s Quarterfinal Round match-up after topping Assumption Catholic 58-45. The Hawks tied with Independence at 4-1 in 3A-3 for a District Co-Championship.
Coach Stanton anticipates a pitched battle on the gridiron. “West Delaware is a team we are very familiar with. We had quite a battle with them in 2021 and I’m sure they still have that game in their heads and will come in highly motivated. We also knocked them out of the playoffs last year. They are a team that just keeps getting better every week. They are tough and well coached with a dynamic quarterback. We must do everything we can to slow him down. Their team definitely feeds off of him. What a challenge for our team with a trip to the Dome on the line. We are looking forward to the challenge and defending our home field.”
Also Friday Creston (10-0) hosts Webster City (8-2), Williamsburg (9-1) hosts Mount Vernon (9-1), and Bishop Heelan (9-1) and Sioux Center (9-1) will square off. The winners will advance to the Semifinal Round.
Tickets are available at www.iahsaa.org/tickets/.
Conlan Poynton (22) charges by as Grant Wilson (55) and Mason Scott (59) hold back a pair of Bloodhounds Friday, October 27 in a Class 3A first round playoff game. Poynton scored three times in a 50-7 rout.