2009 Solon Comets Freshman Football

Metacomet

Metacomet

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The 2009 Solon freshman football team opened play today with a 30-12 victory over visiting Shaker Heights. The Comet frosh, who went undefeated as eighth-graders, built a 30-0 lead over hapless Shaker before emptying the bench at the start of the fourth quarter.

I'll do the best I can with the highlights. No rosters were handed out and the parents with whom I spoke didn't know the identity of all the players.
Solon scored a first quarter touchdown on a one-yard run by tailback Corey Crenshaw. I'm told that Crenshaw, also a track star, was the state's second-fastest middle schooler at either 100 or 200 meters.

The Comets made it 8-0 on a conversion pass.

Solon broke the game open with a 22-point third period explosion. The Comets scored on their initial second half drive on a 38-yard catch and run of a George Berry pass by fullback C.J. Hannah.

Next, Solon's #10 (a tall, athletic-looking kid who played cornerback) returned a punt for a TD of about 65 yards.

Finally, Crenshaw got around the Shaker defense and bolted for a 35-yard TD run late in the third period.

During the first three quarters, Solon's defense stuffed the Shaker ground game for negative yardage. I'm guessing at least minus-50 yards. The most impressive player was a kid wearing #3 and playing nose tackle. This kid nailed the center at the same instant he got the ball to Shaker's QB on probably 3/4 of Solon's defensive plays. He spent most of the day caving in Shaker's pocket. This kid is uber quick and plays full throttle. On at least three different plays, he hit the QB in the backfield on a pass attempt, then zipped 15-20 yards deep in the secondary to make the tackle. Incredible. :eek:

Solon's entire D-line is tough. Numbers 52, 58 and 79 were the other starters and they all excelled. C.J. Hannah, who is built much like Tony Davidson, is the MLB. George Berry starts at one OLB spot; I can't remember the starter on the other side but I'll find out next week.

The only negative about Solon's defensive play today was the 3 or 4 major breadowns in coverage on some of Shaker's long pass plays. The Raiders completed a couple of bombs, thanks to poor coverage on a few plays. It was all the offense they could manage.

Solon's offense was not as impressive as its defense, but it was productive today. The Comets run a lot of option. Crenshaw and Hannah are the principal ballcarriers. QBs Berry and Cole Bennici both run the option pretty well and are effective ballcarriers, as well.

Solon didn't throw the ball a lot and when they did, it was strictly underneath. I'm not sure what sort of arm strength Solon's QBs have and I can't yet get a read on Solon's receivers (5-6 kids rotated at WR).

Solon's O-line looked good opening holes for Crenshaw. I'll try to get the names in time.

The Comets biggest linemen look to be in the 195-210 pound range. No real big kids like Hoff but a couple who look like they may grow big enough for varsity in two years.

The Solon freshmen host Jackson next Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
 
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The young man who returned the punt for a TD is Drew Barksdale - Tres' younger brother. He could really be a good one in the future, and a very nice young man.

Nice job by the Solon Frosh!
 
Corey Crenshaw ran for a 95-yard touchdown on Solon's first offensive play today, sparking the Comet freshmen to a 28-0 victory over visiting Massillon Jackson.

Crenshaw followed with two more highlight reel touchdowns, as Solon scored all its points within the first 15 minutes of the game. Meanwhile, though the Comet defense gave up more yardage to Jackson than they did in last week's opener vs. Shaker, they never let the Polar Bears inside the 20-yard line until the closing minutes of the game.

Solon improved to 2-0. Jackson fell to 1-1.

Crenshaw's 95-yard run followed an interception by Solon's #37 to thwart Jackson's first possession (sorry, I still don't have a roster). Corey took a handoff, swept around left end, and was gone. No one touched him. QB Cole Bennici threw to fullback C.J. Hannah for the 2-point conversion.

Crenshaw's 12-yard TD run capped Solon's second drive late in the first period.

On Solon's next possession, Bennici hit Crenshaw with a deep pass and the speedster outraced the defense for a 68-yard score.

Quarterback George Berry capped the scoring fest by snaking through the defense for a 32-yard TD on an option keeper. Berry then ran in the two-pointer.

I took several things from today's game. First, obviously, is that Crenshaw is yet another highly talented tailback in the Comets' stable of runners. He's probably the fastest of the bunch, though Hammonds and Circelli might argue the point.

Second, the freshman quarterbacks are better passers than I at first feared. I didn't see either Berry or Bennici air it out until today. Solon didn't throw much vs. Jackson but at least the QBs went downfield a few times, did so with accuracy and the receivers held on to the ball. In addition to Crenshaw's deep ball, the tight end #83 caught a nicely thrown deep pass from Berry. I don't know to what extent the deep ball will be a weapon, but at least Solon showed that it has that capability.

Third, I love this team's defense. It is a fast, fast unit at just about every position, from the nose tackle #3 (who starred for the second straight week) to the guys on the perimeter.

Every member of the D flies to the football and these kids don't miss tackles. Berry, Hannah and #83 are the starting linebackers. #3, #52, #55, #57, #79 and #66 all play on the line and they've dominated their opponents in both games. I wish I knew who was who. If anybody does, please let us know.

Solon's frosh team visits Mentor next week for the kids' first meeting with the team they will someday love to hate. I'm told that Mentor is 1-1, having lost to the same St. Edward team that Solon beat in a scrimmage. The Cardinals won big today vs. Strongsville's freshmen.

Next week's game is Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
 
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Solon's freshmen stormed back from 12-0 deficit to rout Mentor, 30-12, today at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium. Solon improved to 3-0. Mentor fell to 1-2.

The Comets rallied for a 16-12 halftime advantage on George Berry's two second-period touchdown runs. Berry ran an option keeper nine yards for a score midway through the quarter, then followed with a two point conversion run.

With just under a minute left in the half, Solon regained possession after a punt. On the first play, Berry rolled out around right end and raced untouched for a 69-yard TD. Solon led, 16-12, after a conversion pass.

The Comets dominated the second half. Solon built the lead to 24-12 on a four-yard TD pass from Cole Bennici to #18 (sorry, I still don't have a roster) and a conversion catch by Drew Barksdale.

Solon put the game away with a 29-yard TD run by Corey Crenshaw early in the fourth period. Both teams played reserves from that point on.

It was an interesting game. Solon appeared to be in serious trouble in the first period. Mentor took the opening kickoff and moved downfield for a touchdown in 8 or 9 plays. The Cards played a one-back in the spread with slotbacks on either side. Mentor ran some inside reverses and also faked reverses and ran some QB keepers. The misdirection plays had Solon's defense off balance. Mentor also threw out to the flat on bubble routes a couple of times. Those plays worked, too.

The Cards scored on a nice pass play to their WR to cap the opening drive.

Meanwhile, Solon's offense only ran three plays in the first period. The Comets muffed the kickoff after Mentor's TD. On their next possession, the Comets mishandled the ball on two plays and had to punt.

Mentor followed with another TD drive. The QB faked a handoff and scored from 10 yards out.

Solon's offense got untracked on its next possession. Bennici completed a 40-yard bomb to #18, then hit Barksdale on a crossing route to get the Comets into the red zone. Berry then came in at QB and scored the first of his two TDs.

Berry was the best player on the field. He had a monster game running the option and he was probably Solon's leading tackler from his OLB spot. Bennici eased all my worries about Solon's passing game. He was terrific throwing the ball today. Bennici and Berry give Solon depth and versatility at QB.

Once Solon's defense figured out Mentor's offensive scheme, the Comets gained control of the game. Solon took away the inside handoff and kept Mentor's QB on the move, usually chasing him deeper in the pocket. The Comets forced Mentor into a number of negative yardage plays and also took away the pass plays to the flat. Forced to run away from pressure, the QB kept throwing short of the receiver.

Solon won with speed on both sides of the ball. That was the biggest difference between the two teams. Berry, Crenshaw, Barksdale and #18 were all faster than anyone Mentor had. The Comets were faster at most positions.

This Mentor team is decent but not nearly as good as the Cards' junior and soph classes. The QB is quick but doesn't have a big arm. I do understand that Mentor has a frosh QB who is playing up a level. The running back is big and he's a good athlete but isn't super-fast. The Cards don't seem to rely on him much as a runner, preferring to give the carries to the QB and the slotbacks.

Mentor's linemen are a little bigger than Solon's but not as quick. The Cards' receiving corps is very good, especially #7, the kid who caught the TD pass. Mentor had a couple of tough kids sprinkled throughout its defense.

Solon's next game is Wednesday, because the varsity is playing Thursday night. The Comets visit Parma at 4:30 p.m.
 
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Solon's freshmen improved to 4-0 today with a 42-22 win at Parma Senior High School. The score is deceiving. Solon could have won 90-0 but the Comets went to great lengths to avoid running up the score on the Redmen.

Solon removed most of its starters after taking a 36-0 lead a few minutes into the second quarter. After the second team scored late in the first half, Solon put in its deepest reserves. Only then did Parma dent the scoreboard.

The Comets are now 4-0; Parma is 0-4.

I'm now able to identify most of the players from the freshman team picture in the game program. Also, the mother of Shiloh Moore, the nose tackle who wears #3, supplied me with a partial roster.

Solon and Parma played today (Wednesday) because the varsity game is Thursday night. The teams met on a practice field behind the high school with tiny bleachers and a small, portable scoreboard on wheels. It was almost impossible to decipher yard lines, so the best I can do is approximate.

Solon took the opening kickoff and scored in three plays on a 48-yard run by #21 Khoury (not Corey) Crenshaw. On their second possession, the Comets scored on a catch-and-run by Drew Barksdale of a Cole Bennici pass. The play covered about 25 yards.

At this point, Parma suffered a bout of fumble-itis and turned the ball over quickly on several straight possessions. Crenshaw took advantage, blazing through the Parma defense for TD runs of 18, 27, and 12 yards (estimated).

Solon led, 36-0, four minutes into the second quarter. The Comets then began working in subs. Backup fullback Dione Gibson's long run set up a short TD run by Shiloh Moore (the nose tackle is the #2 tailback!), which gave the Comets a 42-0 lead with just over a minute left before halftime.

From that point, Solon completely emptied its bench and Parma dominated the rest of the way, scoring just before haltime and twice in the second half.

Solon was just too good for Parma. Crenshaw was headed for a career day if mercy hadn't intervened. Bennici threw the ball well, distributing passes to at least five receivers in his brief action.

#7 George Berry, who is usually a wizard running the option, didn't do a whole lot today. The game got out of hand too quickly for that. Fullback C.J. Hanna (#34) didn't get many touches, either.

Here are some of Solon's starters: Of course, Berry and Bennici play QB. Crenshaw is the tailback, while Hanna is the fullback. I'm pretty sure that #83 Brendan Gallagher and #80 Ben Jones are the TEs. #10 Barksdale and #18 Darian Hicks are the WRs.

The linemen are #52 Ryan Malik, #79 Tyler Longville, #66 Sandip Janda, #67 Kellen Becoats and #55 Ryan Pastor. A kid wearing #64 also plays but I don't know his name.

Most of the same guys also play D-line. #3 Shiloh Moore is the nose tackle and he's one of the best players on the defense. I'll try to break down the tackles and ends next week when I can see the field from a better angle than I had today.

Gallagher, Hanna and Berry are the starting linebackers. #43 Dione Gibson, #22 Daniel Guastella and #42 Jonathan Heus also get playing time.

The first-string secondary appears to be Barksdale and #37 Kenneth Dobbins at CB and Bennici and Hicks at safety.

The Comet frosh are home next Thursday vs. Hudson.
 
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Solon's freshman football team improved to 5-0 with a surprisingly-easy 44-7 win over Hudson today at Stewart Field. It was Solon's 15th straight victory at the freshman level. Hudson, meanwhile, fell to 2-3 on the season.

The Comet offense began to cook on its second possession today. QB George Berry directed the option attack into Hudson's red zone. Then, on fourth-and-17 from Hudson's 21, Berry hooked up with tailback Khoury Crenshaw on a TD pass just before the end of the first period.

Crenshaw lined up wide in a trips set and ran an underneath route as the WRs took Hudson's defenders with them. Solon led, 8-0, after the conversion.

FB C.J. Hanna got Solon's second TD on a six-yard catch of a Berry pass. Solon added the two-point conversion.

A long pass completion from QB Cole Bennici to Drew Barksdale just before the half led to Solon's third score. Bennici and Barksdale hooked up again for an apparent TD that was wiped out by a penalty. Instead, the Comets scored moments later on Crenshaw's nine-yard run. Solon led, 24-0 at the break.

The Comets scored on another Crenshaw run early in the third quarter, after Hudson had botched an onside kick try to start the half.

At that point, Solon lifted most of its starters. Shiloh Moore, who starts at nose tackle but doubles as the second-team tailback, capped a drive with a nine-yard TD run.

After Hudson scored on a reverse midway through the fourth period, Moore finished off Solon's victory by taking a handoff and outracing the defense for a 76-yard TD run.

I didn't expect Solon to dominate Hudson. The Explorers usually have strong teams at the lower levels. But this Hudson team didn't look good at all. I counted only 29 Hudson players; granted, Solon only has 35-36 but Hudson usually dresses 45-50 freshmen. Also, Hudson was small. Two linemen were good-sized but the rest of the team was undersized. Solon was bigger at almost every position and Solon isn't a terribly-big team.

We're halfway through the season. Now that I've finally got a roster (thank you, Shiloh Moore) I can talk a bit about some of the individual players on this team.

Solon's best talent is in the skill positions. WRs Drew Barksdale and Darian Hicks might be the closest to being varsity-ready. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both are playing WR on next year's varsity. Barksdale isn't quite as tall as his older brother, Tres, but he has great hands, runs great routes and has football instincts that anyone can spot.

Hicks is a little taller, with many of the same attributes. Hicks had two picks today, BTW.

George Berry is a terrific option QB. Whether keeping or pitching, he always seems to make the right decision. He's fast and strong and a great runner. He's also a future standout at OLB.

Khoury Crenshaw is probably the fastest player in Solon's program. He's fairly tall (about 5-10) but can fill out quite a bit. He's got good strength for freshman ball but will need to get stronger for varsity. He's a very good cover man at safety and a good enough receiver at TB to project as a wideout if the need arises.

C.J. Hanna isn't very tall (about 5-6) but he's quick at FB, strong, and a good runner, blocker, and receiver. He's also a very sound tackler at MLB. He plays much like the Davidson brothers.

Shiloh Moore is probably the quickest guy on the entire defense. His speed at nose tackle causes disruption in the other team's backfield on almost every snap. He's also Solon's best pursuer and hardest hitter in the open field. He shows surprising speed at tailback.

There are other kids I like, who, with some growth, could help the varsity in a year or two. Ryan Pastor and Ryan Malik are athletic two-way linemen. Tyler Longville and Sandip Janda are strong kids with potential. TE-LB Brendan Gallagher has a chance to be a good varsity player someday soon.

The Solon frosh visit Mayfield next Thursday. I'm told that Mayfield has a good team.
 
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I've got to stop posting these results so late at night. Sometimes, there's so much scoring in these games that it's difficult to recall everything with 100 percent accuracy.

Anyway, Solon beat Mayfield, 50-0. Yes, that was the real score. The Comets are 6-0. They've won 16 straight at the freshman level. This is at least 14 straight wins for the Class of 2013. I know these kids were undefeated as eighth-graders.

Solon has outscored opponents, 224-53. The offense is scoring 37 points a game. The first team defense has surrendered only two TDs.

Mayfield fell to 3-3.

I'll do my best with the scoring. Khoury Crenshaw ran a counter for a 55-yard TD on Solon's first offensive play. He scored the Comets' second TD on a one-yard run late in the first quarter.

Crenshaw then gave Solon a 22-0 lead on a 21-yard run early in the second quarter.

Barksdale made it 30-0 by returning an interception 60 yards for a score.

I can't remember who scored Solon's last TD of the half. All those TDs and two point conversions sort of blend together in my mind. Darian Hicks caught a pass in the end zone. A TD or a conversion? Did George Berry get 6 points on his option run, or two?

At any rate, it was 36-0 at the half.

It soon got worse. Hicks returned a punt 65 yards for a TD just over a minute into the third quarter.

The reserves played the rest of the way. Jonathan Heus capped the scoring with a short TD run late in the fourth quarter.

This one was ugly. Mayfield had little size and even less speed. Every time Crenshaw, Barksdale or Hicks got outside the ends, it was 50-50 that the play would go for a touchdown. Solon didn't throw a lot. The game got out of hand too quickly. Neither Comet QB had big numbers because opportunities didn't present themselves.

Mayfield's lone weapon was a QB with escapability. But he didn't have much of a chance. Not with Berry, Shiloh Moore, Brendan Gallagher and Keegan King running him down.

To underscore the difference in the speed of the respective teams: Late in the second quarter, Mayfield's safety intercepted a pass and got loose down the sideline with no one in front of him. Running full speed, he was caught from behind by OT Ryan Pastor, who is probably the biggest kid on Solon's team.

That's right. Solon's lineman was faster than Mayfield's safety.

I paid close attention to Solon's skill players today. I noticed how intelligently Solon's players, like Crenshaw, Berry, Barksdale and Hicks run with the ball. Each kid knows how to read his blockers and knows how to set up blocks.

Next week, Solon visits Brunswick. I believe the Blue Devils already have three losses. Will they be the first opponent to give Solon's frosh a close game?
 
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Solon overcame a subpar offensive performance in the first half of today's game at Brunswick, as the Comets exploded for 22 third-quarter points en route to a 30-8 romp.

The Comets improved to 7-0 as they won their 17th straight at the freshman level. The Blue Devils fell to 3-4.

Solon's offense never got untracked in a first half that ended in a scoreless tie. The Comets didn't arrive at Judy Kirsch Field until well after the scheduled kickoff time of 4:30. Solon had less than 10 minutes of warmup before play commenced.

Perhaps that is why Solon came out flat. Or it could have been the drizzly weather. At any rate, the Comets couldn't sustain a drive. Solon's line couldn't make a block to spring Khoury Crenshaw, who looked merely human in the first half.

Solon didn't run George Berry on the option, possibly conceding to the conditions. Also, the team committed some costly penalties and suffered 3-4 bad snaps, which short circuited a couple of drives.

Of course, Brunswick's offense couldn't budge Solon's defense, either.

The Comet offense struck two minutes into the third quarter. QB Cole Bennici connected with Drew Barksdale on a short curl. Barksdale shook off a defender and loped for a 49-yard TD reception. Barksdale then caught the conversion pass.

Moments later, Solon regained possession on its own 17 yard line. On the next play, Crenshaw got outside on a counter and raced for an 83-yard TD.

The Comets then drove for their third TD of the period. Bennici and Barksdale hooked up for a pair of completions, then fullback C.J. Hanna had a big gainer on a trap to give Solon first-and-goal from the two. Crenshaw followed with his second TD.

On Solon's next possession, Crenshaw ran for a 73-yard TD on a draw play. At that point, the Comets lifted their starters.

Brunswick ruined the shutout by scoring against Solon's reserves with 30 seconds left.

Crenshaw had a monster second half. I get more impressed each time I see him. His "ceiling" is sky high. How good can he get? He can be one of Solon's greatest-ever backs if he works at it.

Barksdale and Hicks starred again, as usual. They'll be starring on Friday nights before too long.

The O-line opened huge holes in the second half.

Berry and Shiloh Moore again keyed the defense. Ryan Malik had a had a good game on the D-line. So did Jesse Keckler.

Hicks picked off another pass. He and Barksdale must have 8-9 INTs between them.

Solon hosts Nordonia next Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
 
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Metacomet said:
Solon overcame a subpar offensive performance in the first half of today's game at Brunswick, as the Comets exploded for 22 third-quarter points en route to a 30-8 romp.

The Comets improved to 7-0 as they won their 17th straight at the freshman level. The Blue Devils fell to 3-4.

Solon's offense never got untracked in a first half that ended in a scoreless tie. The Comets didn't arrive at Judy Kirsch Field until well after the scheduled kickoff time of 4:30. Solon had less than 10 minutes of warmup before play commenced.

Perhaps that is why Solon came out flat. Or it could have been the drizzly weather. At any rate, the Comets couldn't sustain a drive. Solon's line couldn't make a block to spring Khoury Crenshaw, who looked merely human in the first half.

Solon didn't run George Berry on the option, possibly conceding to the conditions. Also, the team committed some costly penalties and suffered 3-4 bad snaps, which short circuited a couple of drives.

Of course, Brunswick's offense couldn't budge Solon's defense, either.

The Comet offense struck two minutes into the third quarter. QB Cole Bennici connected with Drew Barksdale on a short curl. Barksdale shook off a defender and loped for a 49-yard TD reception. Barksdale then caught the conversion pass.

Moments later, Solon regained possession on its own 17 yard line. On the next play, Crenshaw got outside on a counter and raced for an 83-yard TD.

The Comets then drove for their third TD of the period. Bennici and Barksdale hooked up for a pair of completions, then fullback C.J. Hanna had a big gainer on a trap to give Solon first-and-goal from the two. Crenshaw followed with his second TD.

On Solon's next possession, Crenshaw ran for a 73-yard TD on a draw play. At that point, the Comets lifted their starters.

Brunswick ruined the shutout by scoring against Solon's reserves with 30 seconds left.

Crenshaw had a monster second half. I get more impressed each time I see him. His "ceiling" is sky high. How good can he get? He can be one of Solon's greatest-ever backs if he works at it.

Barksdale and Hicks starred again, as usual. They'll be starring on Friday nights before too long.

The O-line opened huge holes in the second half.

Berry and Shiloh Moore again keyed the defense. Ryan Malik had a had a good game on the D-line. So did Jesse Keckler.

Hicks picked off another pass. He and Barksdale must have 8-9 INTs between them.

Solon hosts Nordonia next Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Click to expand...

wow! your frosh sounds really good. Looking around here at different freshman teams, it seems that most freshman teeams that are undefeated, have at least one speed demon.
 
Solon's freshman team improved to 8-0 today with a rain-soaked, 26-6 win over Nordonia at Stewart Field, as Drew Barksdale and Khoury Crenshaw each scored two TDs.

Nordonia, which fell to 5-3, avoided the shutout by scoring against Solon's second-team defense with just over a minute left in the game.

Solon's Class of 2013 has won at least 16 straight, counting eighth-grade ball. The first-team defense has only been scored upon by Mentor.

The rainy, cold weather affected both teams' play today. Ball-handling was a problem. The wet conditions caused several fumbles and poor center exchanges.

Solon scored on its first possession, as QB Cole Bennici and WR Drew Barksdale hooked up for a 72-yard catch-and-run. Barksdale outraced two defenders to the end zone.

The Comets had trouble sustaining a drive for the rest of the half. Solon mishandled the wet football at times. Also, Nordonia's defense did a good job containing Crenshaw, as the Knights kept him from getting outside.

Solon's defense was tested twice in the first half. Midway through the second quarter, the Comets fumbled the ball at their own three yard line. Nordonia recovered. But Solon stuffed the Knights on four straight plays, and regained possession.

After Solon failed to move the ball, the Comets punted and Nordonia took over inside Solon's 40. Two straight interference calls on Solon gave Nordonia a first-and-goal. This time, the Comets forced a fumble and recovered it to end the threat.

Solon's offense got untracked in the third quarter. Darian Hicks returned the kick to midfield, then the Comets mixed some Crenshaw runs and Bennici passes to advance into the red zone.

Bennici found Barksdale on a bubble route to the sideline and Barksdale snaked through the defense to score from 15 yards out.

The Comets regained possession after Nordonia muffed a punt. This time, Solon stayed on the ground, letting Crenshaw do the work. Khoury scored from nine yard out and FB Dione Gibson made it 20-0 with a conversion catch.

Early in the fourth quarter, Crenshaw set up Solon's final score by picking off a pass and returning it 50 yards. A few plays later, he scored from three yards out.

Bennici played well at QB, keeping drives alive with clutch throws to Barksdale and Hicks. Solon never got the option untracked today. Crenshaw had a solid game at TB but didn't have a long-gainer.

Solon's defense was outstanding. After twice turning the Knights away, the Comets never let up until the starters were pulled. Shiloh Moore was everywhere, as usual, getting pressure in the backfield and running down ballcarriers downfield. Jesse Keckler and Ryan Pastor played well on the line, so did Berry, C.J. Hanna and Brendan Gallagher at LB.

The Comets host Medina next Thursday at 4:30 p.m. It's Solon's last home game.
 
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Thanks

Thanks Meta for the outstanding summary of the freshman games. It is great to see how the young Comets are doing and how bright the future is for Solon football!!! :cool:
 
Thanks, jimbo. It's fun to watch these kids play. With these frosh and our sophomores, I can see a great Solon team coming together. The Comet varsity's success this year is just the beginning of what should be a glorious era for Solon football. :)
 
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Right now, Solon's varsity is 8-0; the JV is 6-2; the freshmen are 8-0; the eighth-graders are unbeaten and the seventh-graders are unbeaten with a tie. Not too bad. :)
 
Solon's freshmen improved to 9-0 with a 46-21 victory over Medina today at Stewart Field. The Bees fell to 3-6.

Solon played without starting FB-MLB C.J. Hanna, who didn't suit up because of an injury. In addition, QB-S Cole Bennici, the team's leading passer, was injured on the opening kickoff and didn't return.

Darian Hicks had a tremendous game to pace Solon's winning effort. Hicks returned a punt 65 yards for a first period TD, then brought back the second half kickoff 95 yards for another score. Hicks later returned another kick 50 yards to set up a Comet TD.

Hicks' fireworks were tempered by the fact that Medina became only the second opponent to score against Solon's first-team defense. The Bees took the opening kickoff and drove straight down the field for a score. Medina used a series of reverses and QB draws to keep the Comet defense off balance.

Solon answered by scoring 22 points before the Comets had run five offensive plays.

The Comets scored on their third play from scrimmage. QB George Berry and WR Drew Barksdale hooked up on a 24-yard TD pass. Berry threw to Dione Gibson for the conversion, giving Solon an 8-7 lead.

Following a Medina punt, Khoury Crenshaw ran a draw for a 59-yard TD and a 14-7 lead.

Hicks returned Medina's next punt for his first TD. Berry ran in the conversion, giving Solon a 22-7 lead after one period.

A short TD run by Shiloh Moore gave Solon a 28-7 halftime lead. Crenshaw set up the score with an interception.

Hicks' KO return and a successful conversion made the score 36-7 just seconds into the third quarter.

At that point, Solon started to mix in substitutes; a few at first, more later. Berry had to go much of the day at QB because of Bennici's absence. After Medina made the score 38-14, Berry scored Solon's final tally on a short keeper.

Medina followed with a late TD.

Berry had a big day directing the option offense, keeping the ball and distributing it to Crenshaw with equal effectiveness. Solon didn't throw the ball alot, but Barksdale made the most of his opportunity with a great catch on the TD.

Hicks, of course, did his thing on special teams.

Gibson did a good job filling in for Hanna at FB.

The line blew Medina's bigger D-line off the ball.

Shiloh Moore, Ryan Pastor and Ryan Malik all made a number of big plays on Solon's defensive line. Ben Jones filled in well at MLB.

Medina rarely passes, so Solon's secondary spent most of the day in run support.

The Comet freshmen go for a 10-0 season next Thursday at Strongsville. A win would give Solon its second straight undefeated 9th-grade team. The Class of 2013 also went undefeated as eighth-graders.
 
Solon's freshmen completed a 10-0 season with a 22-7 victory today over Strongsville at Pat Catan Stadium.

Today's win gave Solon a perfect freshman team for the second straight year. The 2008 freshmen also finished 10-0. The Class of 2013 also went undefeated as eighth-graders.

The Comets scored all their points in the first period. Khoury Crenshaw got it started by taking a handoff on Solon's third play and racing for a 59-yard TD. Drew Barksdale caught the conversion pass from George Berry, giving Solon an 8-0 lead.

Solon went on a lengthy drive for its second TD, keeping the ball on the ground. Crenshaw put the Comets ahead, 14-0 with a five-yard TD run.

An unlikely source gave Solon its final score. Late in the first period, the Strongsville punter shanked a kick that never reached the line of scrimmage. The ball appeared to be headed out of bounds, but checked up and came to a stop in bounds near Solon's bench.

The players stood still watching the ball for a moment, until Comet lineman Ryan Pastor remembered that it was live. Pastor scooped up the ball and rumbled for a 45-yard TD. Berry's conversion run made it 22-0.

The Comets didn't score again. Solon moved the ball at times but couldn't sustain a drive. The Comets never got their passing game untracked today and never really got WRs Drew Barksdale and Darian Hicks involved in the offense.

Solon appeared to miss QB Cole Bennici and FB C.J. Hanna, both of whom sat out with injuries.

Crenshaw left the field midway though the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a shoulder stinger.

Solon turned the ball over a couple of times in the second half. Strongsville spent most of the second half in Solon territory with the ball, yet never scored until just four minutes were left in the game.

The whole second half was anticlimactic and a little surreal, as it seemed to get colder, windier and darker by the minute. The second half seemed to take forever, while Solon wanted nothing more than to end the game and wrap up their undefeated season. For some reason, Strongsville administrators never turned on the lights, even though the game ended in near-darkness.

Berry had a great game for Solon. Even though he didn't complete many passes, his ball-handling and decision-making were instrumental in engineering the Comet option attack to an early lead. Berry also had a stellar game at OLB. He played on all the special teams' units, so he never left the field.

Solon's entire D-line, Pastor, Shiloh Moore, Ryan Malik, Sandip Janda, Keegan King, Tyler Longville, dominated the line of scrimmage. Many of these same guys will be starting for the varsity by 2011.

Actually, some of these kids will probably be on the varsity roster before Solon's first playoff game. It is customary for Solon to promote some of its better freshmen for the playoffs. This team has plenty of worthy candidates: Crenshaw, Berry, Moore, Hicks, Barksdale, Pastor, Longville, Hanna, to name a few.

It's been a great season. I've had fun and I've made friends that I hope I will keep as their sons matriculate through the program. I know these kids will continue to be successful and I can't wait until these freshmen are together with our current sophomores on the 2011 varsity. I think Solon will be a serious contender for the Division 1 state championship.

I want to thank all the parents for their kindness and cooperation this season. You've made it a wonderful experience! :)
 
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The players in this class will be juniors for your 2011 Solon Comets. Just watch and enjoy, folks.

Go Comets!! :)
 
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