Solon Football 2009

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demolition man

Member
Before we look at 2009 I thought we should review 2008. When I looked at the stats of 2008 I started wondering how this team did compared to 2007. The 2007 squad was generally considered as having a championship caliber defense but they were offensively-challenged. The stats (shown below) indicate some obvious problems with the 2008 squad when compared to 2007.

2007 2008
Passing Yards 1087 1492
Rushing Yards 2198 1395
Total Yards 3285 2887
Passing TDs 7 10
Interceptions 5 5
Rushing TDs 27 18
Total TDs 34 28
FGs made 9 4
Punt Returns 26 24
Punt Ret Yardage 351 170
Kickoff Returns 16 17
Kickoff Ret Yardge 383 254
No. of Punts 48 54
Punt Avg 37.5 31.4
Kickoff attempts 56 44
Kickoff yardge-avg 56.4 45.3
Touchbacks 29 2

Some obvious things stand out: the 2008 squad had fewer yards, fewer TDs, and fewer FGs then 2007. But its the special teams stats that really stand out.

Punt return yardage and kickoff return yardage were down. That translates into bad field position for Solon.

Punting avg was down 6 yards per kick. Better field position for the opposition.

Kickoffs tell a similar story. 29 touchbacks in 2007 vs 2 in 2008. 27 kickoffs were returned in 2007 vs 42 in 2008. Kickoff yardage also favors the 2007 squad.

Basically we lost the battle of field position in 2008. If we don't improve in these areas we could be in for a long season.

I don't blame the players. I blame the coaches for not addressing areas of need in the off-season. I think its shamefull that last season the JVs had no kicker until the last few games of the season. They lost to Mentor because they had no kicker.

Obviously the stats don't tell the whole story. There's nothing in the stats that shows the problems the O-line had the last several seasons, or the poor tackling which seemed to plague the team at the end of last season.

Thiughts people?
 
 
We are loaded at the skill positions and I look for huge improvement on the line.It will be somewhat disappointing if we do not win the league and put together a playoff run. The pieces are in place and this team has better depth than last years group. Getting close now I cannot wait.
 
Solon will be facing a very loaded division minus mayfield.Solon 2 toughest games are brunswick and nordonia.
 
My father played kick the can!

Maybe what Demolition Guy is alluding to is that for several seasons Solon had outstanding kickers and that ended in 2008 when they returned to average hs kicks.

I have great difficulty, ney tremendous difficulty, in having the head coach responsibile for the genes in the boys born in the city he coaches. That's more of a parental thing along with motivating a youngster for varsity sports today. Let the coach coach and refs ref and parents provide the athletes.
 
I know solon been great last 15 years it took them forever to lose league game.Solon was going to beat nordonia easy but demetrius craig is no longer at nordonia:)This will be nordonia last great team for 5 years, they have alot talent returning and awesome jv game.This will be nordonia last chance to beat solon finally until 5 more years.
 
Any All-Stars?

Will any of last season's Comets play in the Greater Cleveland Football Coaches All Star game on June 12th at John Carroll University?

Will any Comets play in other All-Star events?
 
this season

Can anyone give some insight to this year's team?? Can we improve the kicking game??? :cool:
 
Twin Comets

Hurri-Comet said:
:shrug: I suggest e-mailing athletic director. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I don't know the address. So I called the AD and the secretary did not know but the football coach reports that both Joe Janasek & Andy McGill will play in the All-Star Game June 12th.

It is unusual for two players from one team to be in that game. Last time for Solon was Shimits & Valentino. Both did very well and it was a tossup up in the press box as to who would be the East Team MVP. It was Brandon's last football game and Tino played 7 positions (none were QB) and he got the award. This years representatives will give a good show before they take off for college.
 
Good work Grandpa1. And congratulations to Joe and Andy. I was at John Carroll Univ. in June of '05, was it, when Brandon and Steve played that game. Am I correct, or is it memory glitch again?

As for kicking game Jimbo, I think Hicks might punt, don't know who will kick off or placekick. :cool:
 
Jimbo solon will be good but brunswick is loaded.But if jess smatana starts for brunswick , then solon wins the division.
 
Hurricane, your memory is good just not perfect. The game you were at was in June but a year later. Two players from that game are star receivers with the Dayton Flyers. It was a good night for the two Comet grads!

Speaking of which, UD plays Urbana on Sept. 12th. Jon Kent is on the Urbana roster.

Didn't the Matthews kid who was fast go to West Virginia? He's not on the current football roster.
 
I believe John Kent is leaving Urbana, and last I heard will be transferring to Ohio St. where he may be a walk-on.
 
According to JJHuddle, Darryl Baldwin is scheduled to visit Penn State on June 12. Darryl is going to make his second visit to Ohio State on June 14.

Baldwin is Ohio High Magazine's #5-rated prospect in the Class of 2010. He already has offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, West Virginia, Stanford, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Akron.

Darryl is going to announce his choice by mid-July, according to JJ's source.

Brandon Nelli is listed among Ohio High Magazine's Top 150 seniors. The prospects from 1 to 100 are ranked individually. The next 50 are just lumped together as a group. Still, it's quite an honor to be noted among the top seniors in a football-mad state like Ohio. :)
 
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That's great news for Baldwin. Sounds like he's busy and it is a very good idea to settle college football decisions in the summer especially for an athlete playing a winter sport too.

Here's hoping his ranking translates into dominant performance every opportunity he has this season. Some have felt his size as a soph. and junior has been the eye-catcher. That he inherited so it's the performance in that body he must create for the Comets and later a college team. Go Darryl :rainbow:
 
I'll second that statement Gramps. Baldwin should have a "monster" season this year. Defense and offense. At TE and De, one's size always attracts Div.1, speed kills, and is another main ingredient, but ability and heart are always the separation factors. Being a bit rowdy and mean never hurts either.
 
I just picked up a copy of Lindy's 2009 National College Football magazine. The publication profiles each Division 1 team and provides preseason depth charts.

Former Comet star Steve Greer is slotted as the projected starter at inside linebacker for the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers employ a 3-4 defense. Greer is listed as a freshman, so he apparently redshirted last year. His measurables are 6-2, 218; the same height and weight as his senior season at Solon in 2007.

Greer, of course, was a first team all-Ohio linebacker in 2007.
 
That's good news about Greer. Virginia usually fields a good team, not always great, but they do well against Wake. It is a beautiful place to go to college too.

The only thing in the way of beginning playing time for an All-State youngster in college is weight. Steve Greer was/is listed at 218# is probably old news, stuck forever on the internet until someone changes it. I would guess it should be changed to something like 225# by now.

This is good to read about the former kids, both from Solon and the old WRC.
 
Back to subject what are solon strengths? they better throw to the tight end alot.I do think solon will have good year, finally you play nordonia.This is nordonia best shot to beat solon in the last 10 years.Yes THERE IS NO JORDAN MABIN and nordonia is small.But nordonia will have the best qb i seen at nordonia in 20 years zach lewis..May the best team win and if nordonia wins and the crowd chants overrated.I will bash nordonia fans on yappi for 1 whole year.
 
All-Star game

Don't forget, for 5 bucks you can see Joe Janasek play at Don Shula Stadium tonight.

Good luck Joe and the East team.
 
I heard coach McQuaide was on Fox 8 TV last night for about 5-7 minutes feature on Solon summer practices. Some of the players also were shown. Anyone see it? Maybe it had something to do with players health during August heat?
 
double sessions

There were several football players on that News 8 clip on double sessions and staying healthy. Including Nate Hoff, Vince Hill, Jake Voight and others. Coach MsQuaide did discuss how his coaches and others watch teh boys and make sure they drink plenty of fluids.
 
No fluids for us in the 1950's. We could get some water at an outside fountain at Shaker Heights High after practices. I don't remember any serious dehydration consequences, just a lot of vomiting and dry heaves, and cramps.

And salt pills!!! :mad:
 
No water at our practice field but when we would go over to Bedford's football field for some scrimmage, they had a couple hoses and we got one water break.

I found that a quartered lemon in my mouth helped; but today the mouthpiece might prevent lemon wedges! Then again, we were not encumbered with face masks either. The hard part was walking the 0.6 miles four times a day from school to field, on a sidewalk because the residents complained when we touched their grass. Can you imagine the Solon Comet footballers walking back & forth from their high school to the Solon City Hall four times a day for practice? (We had a bus ride for Friday games though)

Forget getting on TV in the 50's; only Holy Name & Shaker got that!
 
I was wondering how long it would be 'till you took the bait. :) I was thinking of you today Gramps while I was at the Scenic Overlook at Bedford Reservation, (Tinkers Creek)

How 'bout those Cleveland Indians? I'll be there on the 26th when they host Cincy Reds. Battle of Ohio. :mad:
 
Yes, spent some time there in the park, usually after dark some of us with cars would show up.

Let me know when you visit Squaw Rock in the Chagrin Reservation.
 
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