Solon Football 2009
- Thread starter demolition man
- Start date
Metacomet
New member
I see where we have 3 scrimmages scheduled for this year...The first against Ignatius.. are 3 out of the normal number we usually have?? Or is the first one just a 7 on 7???
Thoughts from the nation...
Looking forward to improve from last season..
Go Comets!!
Solon is scrimmaging up at St. Ignatius on August 11 at 8 a.m. I'm not sure if "scrimmaging" is the right word. My understanding is that it's more like practice session. It will feature a 7-on-7 and (perhaps) some inside running drills. Contact will be limited (or prohibited).
This is the third scrimmage that the OHSAA recently approved.
Metacomet
New member
I drove by the high school yesterday to check out the scoreboard. It's the second time I've done so; the first was two weeks after it had been installed.
At that time, I noted that the placards commemorating the 1996 state semifinal team and the 2000 state runnerup team were missing from the wall below the scoreboard, where they had been prominent for several years.
When I first noticed that the placards were missing, I figured that they had been removed during the intallation of the new board, and would soon be put back on the wall.
Now as the summer progresses and they're still not in place, I'm getting worried. Have they been removed for good? If so, why? I hope Solon isn't trying to distance itself from its own past. I hope that Solon continues to embrace its tradition, rather than disassociate itself from its glorious history.
Hopefully, I'm just worrying too much and the placards will be back where they belong by the start of the football season.
At that time, I noted that the placards commemorating the 1996 state semifinal team and the 2000 state runnerup team were missing from the wall below the scoreboard, where they had been prominent for several years.
When I first noticed that the placards were missing, I figured that they had been removed during the intallation of the new board, and would soon be put back on the wall.
Now as the summer progresses and they're still not in place, I'm getting worried. Have they been removed for good? If so, why? I hope Solon isn't trying to distance itself from its own past. I hope that Solon continues to embrace its tradition, rather than disassociate itself from its glorious history.
Hopefully, I'm just worrying too much and the placards will be back where they belong by the start of the football season.
Now that I click'd off the 2008 schedule and click'd on 2009 (these computers never forget unless you delete stuff), I see the Comets have scrimmages at home with Warren Harding on Sat. 8/15 at 10:00am. The following Friday, they scrimmage @Brush in the evening at 7pm.
The Tuesday morning 8/11 "thing" that Meta mentioned is probably not a scrimmage but some hybrid program. Now they will have completed 5 days of workouts and at least 2 days of contact practice so contact can be allowed. There are still only two scrimmages permitted but after the second or third week of practice, a JAMBOREE can be held.
Sixty years ago I went to PREVIEWS where the whole Conference would play one quarter contact against each other. A JAMBOREE may be in the future at Solon. Next year it can only be the week before the first game. It can be a varsity game between two teams, two quarters of a game played between four schools or a Freshman-JV-Varsity event of two quarters each between two schools. Sounds like a lot of fun. The band gets a chance to work out and a few more bucks in the kitty. It costs the school a $250 donation to the State to help pay the $700,000 cost of catastrophic insurance.
They have barbecue events down here to go along with the JAMBOREE. You guys may be stuck with hot dogs (In Wisconsin they have brat night)
The Tuesday morning 8/11 "thing" that Meta mentioned is probably not a scrimmage but some hybrid program. Now they will have completed 5 days of workouts and at least 2 days of contact practice so contact can be allowed. There are still only two scrimmages permitted but after the second or third week of practice, a JAMBOREE can be held.
Sixty years ago I went to PREVIEWS where the whole Conference would play one quarter contact against each other. A JAMBOREE may be in the future at Solon. Next year it can only be the week before the first game. It can be a varsity game between two teams, two quarters of a game played between four schools or a Freshman-JV-Varsity event of two quarters each between two schools. Sounds like a lot of fun. The band gets a chance to work out and a few more bucks in the kitty. It costs the school a $250 donation to the State to help pay the $700,000 cost of catastrophic insurance.
They have barbecue events down here to go along with the JAMBOREE. You guys may be stuck with hot dogs (In Wisconsin they have brat night)
Hurri-Comet
New member
Last time I went to a "jamboree", I ended up in the woods with a gorgeous, young lovely, and not too long later we were joined by her 6'4" jealous boyfriend. Oh Me Oh My! 
:blush: What a "scrimmage" that turned out to be.
:blush: What a "scrimmage" that turned out to be.Last time I went to a "jamboree", I ended up in the woods with a gorgeous, young lovely, and not too long later we were joined by her 6'4" jealous boyfriend. Oh Me Oh My!
Hurri-Baby, I'm suggesting a Solon JAMBOREE not the Wheeling JAMBOREE!
You were sure a different SPORTS fan in your 20's than in your 70's :crush: You don't have the foot speed now like then!
So don't forget, tell me the next time you head out to Squaw Rock! :angel: (South Chagrin Reservation)
Last edited:
Hurri-Comet
New member
In the past week Gramps, I've been at the Rock about 5 times. Parked and walk upper trail right above it. Well, I shouldn't say walked, more like hobbled. There seems to be a hitch in my giddyup.
Now you will reply with a story about Squaw Rock I'm sure.
Lets have it.
Last night at Indians game an ex-Solon Comet offensive lineman was ticking me off, He was a bit in his cups,had his arm around Cindy, and was rubbing my neck while he shmoozed with her. Anyway, he is about 6'4'' and BIG! So I stayed cool and collected. He played '74-'76 and then went on to play for Baldwin-Wallace for Tressel. He was born in Canada. Do you have a guess?
Now you will reply with a story about Squaw Rock I'm sure.
Lets have it.Last night at Indians game an ex-Solon Comet offensive lineman was ticking me off,
He was a bit in his cups,had his arm around Cindy, and was rubbing my neck while he shmoozed with her. Anyway, he is about 6'4'' and BIG! So I stayed cool and collected. He played '74-'76 and then went on to play for Baldwin-Wallace for Tressel. He was born in Canada. Do you have a guess?O.K. Hurri
If life & health is a sinusoidal curve, then Hurri-Comet is on a peak. And he's got guts limpin around those squaw rock trails. I think he'll make the Comet games this fall. :clap:
Can't guess what ex Comet/Yellow Jacket from the mid-70's was chillin with him. But I was a student when Tressel arrived and did get to some Finnie Stadium games in the 70's, just not familiar with Solon then. :shrug:
I went on the web site for the Emerald Necklace maps yesterday and it's amazing, I didn't remember how round-about those park roads were. Anyway, 52 years ago my knees allowed me to traverse the park trails so I proposed to my girlfriend at Squaw Rock and it's lasted! :crush:
If life & health is a sinusoidal curve, then Hurri-Comet is on a peak. And he's got guts limpin around those squaw rock trails. I think he'll make the Comet games this fall. :clap:
Can't guess what ex Comet/Yellow Jacket from the mid-70's was chillin with him. But I was a student when Tressel arrived and did get to some Finnie Stadium games in the 70's, just not familiar with Solon then. :shrug:
I went on the web site for the Emerald Necklace maps yesterday and it's amazing, I didn't remember how round-about those park roads were. Anyway, 52 years ago my knees allowed me to traverse the park trails so I proposed to my girlfriend at Squaw Rock and it's lasted! :crush:
Hurri-Comet
New member
Congratulations on that Squaw Rock proposal to you and your beautiful bride. I'm not going to bring my reply down with any more South Chagrin Tales. I'll tell you in person some time. As for the Comet football trivia, the lineman's name is Brian LeBlanc.. I'm sure Metacomet would have guessed.
Metacomet
New member
July is right around the corner. The football season is less than two months away. I guess it's time to talk about the team, its prospects and possible lineups.
To begin, Solon returns 16 full and part-time starters from last year. The Comets bring back all of their QBs, eight of their top nine ball carriers, six of their top eight receivers and 13 of their top 17 tacklers. Inexperience won't be an issue.
In addition, the team will be augmented by some highly-talented kids from last year's undefeated frosh team. Several may start and a couple more are likely to see the field as backups.
I'm also told that the coaching staff is pulling out all the stops to ensure that this team will be successful. They've hired an agility instructor to improve mobility, they've made some exciting additions to the coaching staff (a secret for now) and they purchased a blocking sled to help the linemen get back to basics. Good moves all.
Starting with the kicking game, it's no secret that it's got to get better. Overall special teams play was terrible last year, kicking, blocking, coverage, returns. As Hurri said, Kevin Hicks may punt. He did a little punting last year and was OK. A sophomore named Anthony Restifo started kicking for the freshman team at midseason. He showed a strong leg but was inconsistent. If he's improved, he could be the kicker. If not, another kid will probably be pulled from the soccer team.
Jake Voigt will be the QB, of course. He made all-league last year. He'll make at least all district this year. He's one of the best passers Solon has ever had and he's got plus-mobility. Patrick Kramer and Drew Stankiewicz are standout sophomores who might enable last year's backup, Chris Humphrey, to play some WR this year.
Starting WRs Juan Lemus and Brian Meyerson return. They were solid last year. They should be better this year. Humphrey could be the third WR and he'll be an asset; he was a very good WR as a freshman. Super soph Tres Barksdale, who stands 6-2, should also play a lot. Kevin Hicks might be the fourth WR. Darryl Baldwin and Ryan Rosenberg return at TE. They're both outstanding. Darryl didn't see the ball as much as he should have last year. I hear he'll get the ball more in 2009.
Brandon Nelli, Nick Mastrantoni and Donnie Williams return to the offensive line. I hear that the leading candidates to start this year are Nelli, Williams, Shane Gontarz, Joe Butkovic and junior Sam Camiener. Butkovic has missed the last two years with injury, yet he was the strongest man on the team in spring lifting sessions. He's the leading candidate at center. If he can't go or if someone else falters, more sophomores could emerge with playing time. Nate Hoff started on the varsity D-line as a freshman. Right now, it's unclear if he'll stay on defense, move to the offense, or play both ways. But he's an impact player. Austin Stock is big and athletic and he could play some. Vince Hill is another super talent and he won't be overmatched as a 10th grader.
The backfield should be a first-rate unit. Junior Kyle Hammonds gained over 800 yards as a soph (much like Brandon Shimits) and should be set for a breakout season. C.J. Jackson is just as talented IMO and will give the team a home run hitter in reserve. Senior Austin Hood should provide excellent play at fullback. He's quick enough to play TB and he's a sound receiver, yet he's also a good blocker. Sophs Ryan Schwenke and Jesse Circelli are talented TBs and might get to play in blowout games. The backup FBs might be Jovon Johnson or Tony Davidson.
Last year's Solon defense was not up to usual standard but it should be much better with so many experienced returnees and an infusion of talented youth. Baldwin, Rosenberg and Josh Cobble return at DE. Darryl is one of Ohio's most highly-recruited players. He's a great athlete who does some great things. As a senior, this is his time to be dominant. Hoff was a semi-regular at tackle as a frosh. He'll be fulltime this year, unless he's moved to offense. I don't know who the other tackle will be. Someone from the mix of linemen; maybe Gontarz, Williams, or Camiener.
Linebacker was a weakness last year but the talent is at hand for a standout unit in 2009. Junior Jovon Johnson became a semi-regular late last season and will be a surefire starter this year. Speed is his asset. Another junior, A.J. Hicks, played a lot in the middle in 2008. I think he'll get the other outside spot this year. He was a star track performer this spring and he's got big-time potential. Tony Davidson returns at MLB. But he could be challenged for the spot by Hicks (if another starter can be found for OLB). Vince Hill is another talented candidate. Hill excelled as MLB for the freshman team. He was better as a 9th-grader than Steve Greer, IMO. I'm told that the coaches are leaning toward making Hill a lineman, but I'd love to see him get a chance at LB.
Three starters, Kevin Hicks, Cameron Stuart and Chris Humphrey, return to the secondary. They'll make DB a top-shelf unit for the 2009 Comets. The fourth starter could be senior Kevin Berlocker, or it could be C.J. Jackson. Or it could be Tres Barksdale or Ryan Schwenke, another standout soph. Barksdale is intriguing because of his height and speed. He played safety for the frosh so if he wins a spot, Humphrey might have to slide over to corner. We'll see.
This team should be much, much better than 6-4. Solon will have the speed, power and athleticism to match up with any opponent. For the first time in four years, the Comets should be more talented physically than Mentor. But the onus is on Solon to overcome Mentor and its vaunted system. Brunswick will be loaded this year. The Blue Devils return almost as many players as the Comets do and I believe they'll be our toughest opponent. But they don't have a QB like Jake, a TB like Hammonds or athletes on defense like Darryl or A.J. or Humphrey. The schedule is a mix of tough and weak opponents but if the Comets are to become a power again, now is the time to rise and take their place among the top R1 teams.
Last edited:
Hurri-Comet
New member
Glad to see you back to your old positive self Meta. I'm thinking 10-0 or at least 9-1 this up coming season. :angel: I know I'm doing all my preparation and work to make it to the games. So they better be as good as I think they will. GO COMETS!!!!!
Metacomet
New member
Meta,
Your analysis makes me smile!!!
Thanks...
Let's keep our fingers crossed, jimbo. While the elements are in place for a dynamite team, the Comets still have things to prove.
The special teams must improve. Not just kicking but all aspects. Did special teams contribute to some of Solon's close losses last year? I think so. Mentor and Brunswick, to be sure.
Also, the offensive line wasn't nearly good enough. It should be better this year but that's not a given. Hopefully, the use of the sled will at least get these guys working as a unit again.
I've heard glowing reports about how hard most of the linemen have worked and how much bigger and stronger most have gotten. On the flip side, I heard that a couple really slacked off and lost ground to the others. That's disheartening, because one of them started last year.
If all the kids had put in the effort this offseason, depth wouldn't be an issue at all. Unfortunately, while Solon should have enough good players for two solid lines, depth is still a concern. That's one reason two or three sophs will challenge for starting jobs. Then again, those sophs are talented in their own right, so they deserve consideration.
Last edited:
DontSmileAtMe
Member
shut up
Metacomet
New member
Hurri-Comet
New member
TreBORE was let go. (that's all I know)
Metacomet
New member
TreBORE was let go. (that's all I know)
I'm guessing Trebor is either from Nordonia or Twinsburg. He sure hates Solon. The Comets must have hurt his poor little feelings.
A sophomore named Anthony Restifo started kicking for the freshman team at midseason. QUOTE]
Jeez, now I know why Solon wins so much!! Sophomores on the freshman team, what's next!!
Sorry, Meta, couldn't resist...hate me if you have to...you'd hate me more if I didn't.
LOL
Metacomet
New member
A sophomore named Anthony Restifo started kicking for the freshman team at midseason. QUOTE]
Jeez, now I know why Solon wins so much!! Sophomores on the freshman team, what's next!!
Sorry, Meta, couldn't resist...hate me if you have to...you'd hate me more if I didn't.
LOL
He's a sophomore now; he was a freshman when he was kicking for the freshman team. Ah, you know what I mean.
Metacomet
New member
I wouldn't worry about Nordonia. They decided to run away to the SL as soon as they landed in the NOC Valley Division. They ran away from the WRC because they couldn't beat Solon, which caused that league's breakup. Nordonia is afraid of tough competition.
When did the Knights last beat Solon? Oh yeah, that's right. It was 1985. And this current group of Nordonia seniors dropped a 36-0 squeaker to Solon as freshmen back in 2006.
If I had to rate Solon's opponents from toughest to weakest, it would be:
1. Brunswick
2. Mentor
3. Strongsville
4. Hudson
5. Mayfield
6. Medina
7. Nordonia
8. Shaker
9. Parma
10. Jackson
When did the Knights last beat Solon? Oh yeah, that's right. It was 1985. And this current group of Nordonia seniors dropped a 36-0 squeaker to Solon as freshmen back in 2006.
If I had to rate Solon's opponents from toughest to weakest, it would be:
1. Brunswick
2. Mentor
3. Strongsville
4. Hudson
5. Mayfield
6. Medina
7. Nordonia
8. Shaker
9. Parma
10. Jackson
Last edited:
Hurri-Comet
New member
Lay off Shaker Heights. Shaq's buying a home there. Shaq-er Heights! Paul Newman grew up there on Brighton Rd. I grew up there on Fairmount Blvd. Roger Penske grew up around the block and I delivered papers to his family. And played football with him.
Whatever happened to their football program? And their academics standing? And Shaker Square? Has it really been that long ago?
Whatever happened to their football program? And their academics standing? And Shaker Square? Has it really been that long ago?