BHRV powers past Solon with explosive first half in state football semifinals

CEDAR FALLS — Too much, too early and just too explosive.

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley’s knack for the big play put it in control and Solon wasn’t able to recover.

The second-ranked Nighthawks scored five first-half touchdowns of 25 yards or more and enacted a running clock in a 42-0 victory over No. 3 Solon in a Class 3A state football semifinal Saturday night at the UNI-Dome. BHRV (12-0) advances to Friday’s championship game against top-ranked Harlan (12-0).

Solon Coach Lucas Stanton said Friday that the Spartans needed to limit those huge plays, but the Nighthawks still managed to produce them.

BHRV scored on six of their first eight possessions, including its first possession. The Nighthawks went 70 yards on just six plays. On fourth-and-1, Landyn Van Kekerix took a direct snap and bolted through the middle of the field for a 45-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.

Tanner Te Slaa and Van Kekerix burned the Spartans for two more scores. Te Slaa hit Van Kekerix for touchdown strikes of 33 and 68 yards for a 21-0 advantage with 9:12 left in the second quarter.

Te Slaa added two more touchdown passes before halftime. He connected with Sam Remmerde for a 25-yard score before closing the Nighthawks’ first half with a 55-yard TD pass to Vance Katzley with 2:21 left.

Lane Schmidt added a 14-yard TD run on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Te Slaa passed for 334 yards, including 282 in the first half, and four TDs. Van Kekerix had 198 total yards, including 132 receiving and 57 rushing before halftime. The Nighthawks amassed 359 yards through the first two quarters and outgained the Spartans 464-136.

Solon managed just 77 offensive yards in the first half against the aggressive Nighthawk defense. Blake Timmons ended with 111 passing yards, hitting Logan Sieverding four times for 41 yards and Jacob Timmons twice for 32.

The Spartans closed an impressive season. They claimed a district title amid an unbeaten regular season. Solon reached the state semifinals for the third time since 2017.

The team was fueled by a team-first approach all season.

“So many guys have bought into that mindset and attitude this year,” Stanton told The Gazette in a phone interview before the semifinal. “I think that’s a big reason for our success.”