Solon Football 2009

brian1227 said:
Patrick your last post proves you dont know football.This nordonia freshmen team you are talking about went 9-1 last year.Nordonia might not beat solon, but we will see.And for your information jake voight wont be best qb on the field , it will be zach lewis.
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Sez you. :rolleyes:

Brian, if most of those guys on last year's Nordonia JV team were juniors, it's no wonder they went 9-1. And that 9-1 record won't mean jack this year. Most teams play mostly sophomores on JV; Solon's JV's only started 3-4 juniors and also started a freshman QB.

Please, do everyone (yourself most of all) a favor. Stop trolling Solon threads. Stop stalking us. Ask Yappi to start a Nordonia forum. That way, you can brag up the Knights all you want and you'll no longer bother everyone else.
 
Nordonia and Hudson are cowards. The SL really? As a Hudson alum I'm ashamed that we are ducking competition that includes Solon, Brunswick, and Strongsville. You have to beat the best to be the best.

I guess now Mentor might be in the NOC!?

Brian you are out of your mind. ---- will freeze over before Zach Lewis is a more productive player then Voight.

To back up what Meta said the last time Nordonia beat Solon Marty Mcfly was going back in time... GREAT SCOTT!!!!
 
We will win this thing this year no doubt in my mind.Brian needs to realize that the Nordonia program is not what it was a few years back. Voight is similar to the QB s that Nordonia had a few years back if not better. This could be a very special Solon tem if handled the right way.
 
An event

Funny things occasionally happen like posts disappearing and of course the big event at UD coming up:

At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of July this year,
the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09.
This will never happen again at UD or Solon or Nordonia or anywhere. :)
 
Grandpa1 said:
Funny things occasionally happen like posts disappearing and of course the big event at UD coming up:

At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of July this year,
the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09.
This will never happen again at UD or Solon or Nordonia or anywhere. :)
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you and your bride are renewing your vows? :cool:
 
ThisNThat said:
We will win this thing this year no doubt in my mind.Brian needs to realize that the Nordonia program is not what it was a few years back. Voight is similar to the QB s that Nordonia had a few years back if not better. This could be a very special Solon tem if handled the right way.
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You're absolulutely right, TNT.

Solon could and should win the Valley Division. The Comets are capable of an undefeated season and a deep playoff run. But for that to happen the coaching staff must be willing to be creative and to make changes in the way things get done.

I'm talking about changes in the way offensive linemen are developed. Also, more attention needs to be given to special teams. Solon must also change its policy of rewarding loyal "program kids" with playing time as seniors. The Comets have some highly talented underclassmen on their roster. The kids with the talent should play, regardless of seniority.

So far, I"m hearing all the right things regarding the program. Let's hope the coaching staff is making needed adustments. For Solon to beat Mentor and Brunswick, it must be tougher and more resourceful than those two.

I've been reading posts on cleveland.com's NOC forum. The Brunswick posters are really flying high. They're talking about the Blue Devils as a Top 3 team in the state, or "the fastest team in Ohio." One other poster jumped on the bandwagon and called Brunswick "the Glenville of the west side."

That optimism is really out of control, IMO. Brunswick is going to be good, real good. But deserving of that much hyperbole? No way. And they're certainly no top three team.

I believe Solon is even faster and more talented than Brunswick. The Blue Devils must break in a new QB and don't have a highly-touted candidate on the roster. Brunswick also must break in a new tailback and five new offensive linemen.

Brunswick will be the preseason pick by the PD and other papers but Solon should have the better team. But the Comets must prove it on the field this year.
 
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kickers

Meta,
How do we start improving our kicking game year to year? To me, this is a real issue since field position and field goals are a real key to winning a game. How do we stop "raiding" the soccer team of their best kickers?? This used to be a real strength of Solon teams (ie. Wasserman, Echan, etc).. This needs to be a top concern for the coaching staff...
Your thoughts???
:cool:
 
jimbo said:
Meta,
How do we start improving our kicking game year to year? To me, this is a real issue since field position and field goals are a real key to winning a game. How do we stop "raiding" the soccer team of their best kickers?? This used to be a real strength of Solon teams (ie. Wasserman, Echan, etc).. This needs to be a top concern for the coaching staff...
Your thoughts???
:cool:
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I can offer suggestions but I don't know how well-pointed they are; since I'm not at practice, I don't know what's been done to develop special teams. I'm not sure if Solon did anything different last year from previous years. But prior to 2008, the Comet special teams were generally pretty good and sometimes outstanding.

I'd like to see Solon hire a fulltime special teams coach. Right now, I think Geilink coaches special teams, among his other responsibilities. I don't even know if some sort of athletic budget restrictions exist that would prohibit this but if not, a special teams coach would be an asset.

I'd use as many starters as I could on coverage and return teams. Of course, Solon did that last year and it didn't help.

I'd start developing kickers from middle school. And I'd convert one of my position players, rather than depending on a soccer player.

I'd have one coach, preferably a former kicker, serve as sort of a roving kicking instructor, working with kids at several levels throughout the program. Championships are won and lost through the kicking game. A resourceful program can give itself an edge over its opponents by stressing this aspect of the game.

Solon has been cavalier about its kicking game for too long. The Comets have lucked out by unearthing great specialists like Kyle Wasserman and Pat Jacobs. But too much is left to chance by the practice of finding a kicker on the fly.

As for problems like coverage and returns, I don't know if Solon didn't spend enough practice time working on those things, or if teaching methods were faulty. But correcting those flaws is something the coaches must do for a successful 2009 season.
 
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Well I heard it a couple of months ago but was sworn to secrecy. But I guess the secret is out so YOWZA-YOWZA-YOWZA!!!!! I don't know how the WGH Raiders guys on Yappi will feel about it, but they will be at the scrimmage in August. Ahhh, they probably know already, there aren't many secrets in High School Football kept quiet in Ohio.

Only problem is now Brian knows. So the World will. :cool:
 
Solon investing

The new asst coach, speed and agility, weightlifting, and sled are all fantastic to see how Coach McQuaide and AD Mark Mcguire are opening up with new ideas and investments toward the Solon V/JV/F football program.
The new asst coach will be assisting the QBs and adding value to the offense this year. We are all excited to see what is to be a VERY exciting season this year!
 
I know one thing, losing those games to Mentor, Mayfield, and Brunswick were appalling to watch the way they turned out. But, that was last year, and hope is renewed. It's really good to hear all the positive banter that's coming out about Comet football-'09! :cool:
 
pep rally

All this talk has got me really excited for this year's team!!
Now, let's just walk the walk....:cool:

GO COMETS!!
 
jimbo said:
All this talk has got me really excited for this year's team!!
Now, let's just walk the walk....:cool:

GO COMETS!!
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I can't rest easy until I see how the linemen play. The scrimmage with Warren Harding should tell us much about this team.

Hopefully, some contact drills will be part of the St. Ignatius scrimmage format. I'd really like to see how our linemen stack up vs. the defending state champs. Ignatius returns a couple of starting linemen and several more key subs, so if Solon should play them evenly or better, we should all be encouraged.

Linemen, linemen, linemen...

Football gods, are you listening? :help:
 
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I was looking up some old Solon football records recently and something I saw struck me: Since 1964, the Comets have never gone more than three years without winning a conference title.

1964 was a watershed year for Solon football. It marked the premier of the Chagrin Valley Conference, which included Chagrin Falls, Orange, West G, Kenston and Twinsburg (Aurora, Chardon and Wickliffe joined in later years).

Solon won the CVC title in 1964. It was the Comets' first league championship since the 1920s. Solon also won the CVC in 1965 and 1966.

Since then, Solon has won league titles in 1970, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

In the last 45 years, Solon has gone three straight years without a conference championship three different times: 1967-1969; 1975-1977; and 2006-2008.

In other words, no Solon graduating class since 1964 has left the school without celebrating at least one conference-winning football team.

If this year's seniors fall short of the Valley Division title, they'll break the 45-year streak of at least one football championship per class.

I believe, however, that these seniors will keep the title-winning streak alive. Yeah, I know. Linemen, linemen, linemen... But somehow, Solon will win out in 2009. :banana: :banana:
 
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demolition man said:
Just wondering where you find such records. I've been interested in such information but don't know where to look.

Thanks.
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The conference championship listings are printed in every Solon football game program. Some of the stuff was in the Solon history football book that Byron Morgan compiled, and which was once sold in the Spirit Store.

The rest just comes from personal recollection. I had a pretty good idea that Solon had hadn't gone four years without a title in my lifetime, so I just looked up the records.

The mid-'60s era when Solon emerged as a championship-type program coincided with my introduction to Comet football. I saw my first couple of Comet games in 1963, when I was in kindergarten at Roxbury.

The first two games were against Orange and Chagrin. I don't remember which was first, except that I know that the Comets beat Orange and lost to Chagrin. Both those teams wore nearly identical black-and-orange unis, which really confused a five-year-old kid.

I remember seeing Solon play teams like Beachwood, Warrensville and Brecksville back then. Those are all teams that Solon hasn't played in years. I remember seeing Solon beat Brunswick in 1967. I didn't even know there was a town named Brunswick until I went to the game.

The 1963-1966 Solon football teams had an aura about them that enveloped the community. Those were the Jim Mandich years. Mandich was like a rock star. He was considered a blue-chip recruit, so he was well-known all over Ohio and beyond. The team and town basked in his glow.

Solon football got a lot of attention because of Mandich. And of course, the Comets were big winners for the first time ever, so the whole community went crazy for the team.

When Solon returned to mediocrity for a while after the Mandich era, it felt like a real letdown. Fortunately, the Comets didn't stay down for long. :)
 
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Darryl Baldwin has commited to Ohio St. Just got the word that he called coach T. and he was in church and gave his commitment to another coach..

Best of luck at C-Bus Darryl. Just take care of businesss this season for rhe Comets. :cool:
 
Congrats to Daryll who is a very special talent and a great kid to boot. Have a feeling this is going to be a very good Comet team.
 
It's great to see Darryl get his decision out of the way. Now he and the Comets can get ready for the start of the 2009 season without that distraction.

Darryl won't be the only Comet to receive a football scholarship. Brandon Nelli was offered by Toledo several months ago. I haven't heard if he's accepted, or if he's gotten any other offers. Does anyone know?

Also, Dayton and at least a couple of MAC schools have shown interest in Jake Voigt. He's got a good chance for a scholly.

In addition, some of Solon's underclassmen have the potential to play major college football some day. Much depends on how they develop but juniors Chris Humphrey, Kyle Hammonds and A.J. Hicks are possibilities. So are Nate Hoff, Vince Hill, Tres Barksdale and Austin Stock among the sophomores.
 
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Congrats to Darryl on making his decision and making it now. He's blessed with special physical size and hope he makes use of it for an education.
:clap:

Others on a squad with chances at college football is what usually is required for a high school team to excell and be special these days. I think the undefeated 2005 squad had at least four players (one coulda, shoulda) in that category.

Good Luck Comets...this season and in your individual futures.
 
I was checking out Ohio Varsity's list of the state's top running backs that IvyCat posted on another thread.

Who's name did I see at number 15? None other than Eric Wilkerson, the one-time stud tailback from Solon's 2006 freshman team, now at Warrensville. Wilkerson managed to get himself run off the Comets' team for general bad behavior early in the 2007 season.

The last I'd heard he was still in Solon schools but wasn't playing football. I have no idea if he played for Warrensville last year but I suspect so, or he wouldn't be on the recruiters' radar.

I'd forgotten all about Wilkerson and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I read his name on Yappi.
 
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Dumb and dumber. That's where I'm going. The list was for seniors- to- be, 2010. Kyle is a junior- to- be. 2011 graduate. My bad.

Best of luck to Eric at Warrensville Hts.
 
Here are some information tidbits I collected at yesterday's 7-on-7:

First, the bad news: It appears that many of last year's sophomores have chosen not to play football this year. I'm told the Comets have only 13 juniors. Most of them are important players, Hammonds, A.J., Humphrey, etc. Unfortunately, however, some talented kids are missing. Among these are guys like DE Ryan Wurst and DT Alex Heffernan. They probably would have been key backups this year and starters on the 2010 defense. Now they're gone and because of that, lack of line depth is still a major issue for this team.

The good news is that Solon has 42 sophomores in uniform. Many of these guys are going to be terrific players but because the junior class is so small, some might get pressed into duty ahead of schedule.

Nate Hoff and Donnie Williams will probably be the starting defensive tackles. Hoff will not play any O-line this year. Williams might play some offense.

Brandon Nelli, Sam Camiener, Joe Butkovic and Shane Gontarz will likely comprise 4/5 of the offensive line. Right now, Nick Mastrantoni is the leading candidate for the other spot. Austin Stock is in the picture, so, perhaps, is Donnie Williams.

Camiener, Butkovic, Gontarz and Stock are all much bigger than last year; Camiener and Stock, especially, have really filled out. Solon's O-line still won't be terribly big but it won't be a runt brigade, either.

It looks as if Tres Barksdale will play WR only. I didn't see him get a snap at safety. He and Kevin Hicks will probably play in the 3-4 receiver sets. Barksdale looked good. He made a nice catch to score a TD.

Juan Lemus played quite a bit at safety, much more than I would have thought. It looks as if he'll be the nickle back.

C.J. Jackson played a lot of corner. He was a safety for last year's JV. He looked pretty good. I was hoping he would have gotten more snaps at TB because he'll be needed. If C.J. can get 7-8 carries a game, Hammonds will be that much fresher in the fourth quarter.

Hammonds made the absolute best catch of the day. He speared a bullet pass from Jake just as he was splitting two Maple defenders. He caught it running full speed at about the 10 yard line and scored on a play of maybe 35 yards. It looked much like the TD pass he caught last year vs. Brunswick.

Sophomores Jesse Circelli and Ryan Schwenke got a lot of PT in the secondary and looked fast and ready to help the team. They also played TB, though I don't believe either touched the ball. But that'll change. They're going to be good ones.

Jovon Johnson looked great at times covering passes. He picked off at least one and had a handful of breakups. He was late on a couple of plays but that will change with experience. He's as fast as many cornerbacks.

Vince Hill played quite a bit at MLB and looked very good. He's grown a lot (I'm told he now weighs 225) but still looks quick. I did hear, however, that he's likely to move to the line. I hope not because he's got a world of potential at LB.

A kid wearing #39 also played a lot at MLB. I have no idea who that was. Justin Sanders? Austin Schlosser?
 
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Who is 39, Sanders, Schlosser

Schlosser moved back to Chicago

#39 is either Michael Dunn or possibly Justin Sanders not sure

Also heard Sanders was on the field, so that could have been him as #39.
 
I'm sorry to hear that Schlosser moved. He's going to be a good varsity player someday soon.

Number 39 must have been Sanders. Dunn wore #42.
 
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