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Solon uses Wildcat to spoil Mount Vernon’s First Street Field sendoff
Conlan Poynton runs for 218 yards as Spartans knock off 3A No. 2 Mustangs, 37-20
Ryan Pleggenkuhle
Sep. 15, 2023 11:13 pm
MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon had hoped to send First Street Field off on a high note.
Solon head coach Luke Stanton, a Mount Vernon alum, had his own version of a farewell.
The Spartans, led by Stanton and wildcat back Conlan Poynton, upset Class 3A No. 2 Mount Vernon, 37-20, in the final home football game for the Mustangs at First Street Field.
“It feels great,” Stanton said. “With so much history on this field ... I mean, I grew up playing pickup football games on this field and I was the water boy. It’s just kind of surreal, to be completely honest.
“As much as they wanted to win on this field for the last time, I wanted to win.”
Stanton was an all-district performer for Mustang playoff teams in 2000 and 2001.
With the win, Solon also reclaimed its status as king of Highway 1.
“This rivalry started back in 1962,” Stanton said. “I wanted this more for our kids than for anything else.”
On the field, Stanton’s team wanted it just as much.
Mount Vernon struck first as Joey Rhomberg connected with Evan Brase for a 25-yard touchdown, capping a five-play, 79-yard drive with under two minutes to go in the first quarter.
But quarter No. 2 belonged to Solon.
Facing third-and-19 from its own 39, Tyler Bell found Grant Knipper seaming down the middle for a 53-yard completion. Four plays later, Bell laid out a pass to the corner of the end zone and Nash Kotar made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch for a 16-yard TD, evening the score at 7 apiece.
The Spartans got the ball right back, lining up in Wildcat formation, and Poynton sprinted to the end zone from 58 yards out, giving Solon its first lead at 14-7 with 6:25 to go in the second.
Solon’s pass rush then flexed its muscle, putting heat on Rhomberg and forcing a fumble at Mount Vernon’s 25. Eddie Johnson scooped the rock, sprinted and scored, giving the Spartans a 21-7 lead.
The Mustangs responded immediately as Rhomberg again found Brase, this time for a 75-yard strike.
Brase was dominant in the first half, catching four balls for 165 yards with two scores. He finished the night with 271 receiving yards.
But Poynton couldn’t be stopped, either.
On Solon’s next drive, Poynton found pay dirt, sprinting to the house from 62 yards out, giving the Spartans a 28-14 lead that they took to intermission.
Poynton had 132 rushing yards to go with his two first-half scores.
He wasn’t done.
On the second play of the third quarter, again lined up in the Wildcat, Poynton exploited a hole in Mount Vernon’s defense and scored from 66 yards out, extending Solon’s lead to 34-14.
“We just started running it (the Wildcat) about two weeks ago,” Poynton said. “I just wanted to get every yard for the guy to my left and the guy to my right. My offensive line was huge. I’m just the guy with the ball.”
Poynton finished with 218 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Rhomberg added a 1-yard score with 6:34 left.
Knipper knocked a 33-yard field goal through to round out the scoring.
Solon 37, Mount Vernon 20
AT FIRST STREET FIELD
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: SOLON 13, MV 20
Rushes-yards: SOLON 39-248, MV 22-50
Passing yards: SOLON 153, MV 420
Comp-Att-INT: SOLON 10-13-0, MV 22-42-0
Total yards: SOLON 401, MV 470
Punts-average: SOLON 4-32.5, MV 3-34.7
Penalties-yards: SOLON 4-45, MV 4-40
SCORING SUMMARY
Solon 0 28 6 3 — 37
Mount Vernon 7 7 0 6— 20
MV — Evan Brase 25 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
SOLON — Nash Kotar 16 pass from Bell (Knipper kick)
SOLON — Conlan Poytnon 58 run (Knipper kick)
SOLON — Eddie Johnson fumble recovery 75 run (Knipper kick)
MV — Evan Brase 70 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
SOLON — Conlan Poytnon 62 run (Knipper kick)
SOLON — Conlan Poytnon 66 run (Muffed snap)
SOLON — Joey Rhomber 1 run (Harp kick)
SOLON — Grant Knipper 33 field goal
Individual Statistics
Rushing - Solon: Tyler Bell 1-(minus 6), Brayden Moore 3-1, Barret Schade 2-2, Eddie Johnson 9-37, Milo Ashbacker 3-4, Conlan Poynton 19-218, Team 1-(minus 8). Mount Vernon: Joey Rhomberg 3-19, Jackson Hird 14-56, Jonah Williams 1-1, Team 4-(minus 25).
Passing - Solon: Tyler Bell 9-12-0-141, Conlan Poynton 1-1-0-12. Mount Vernon: Joey Rhomberg 22-42-0-420,
Receiving – Solon: Grant Knipper 3-62, Nash Kotar 4-47, Eddie Johnson 2-32, Keenan Kruse 1-12. Mount Vernon: Evan Brase 8-271, Watson Krob 4-20, Ehtan Wood 4-91, Jase Jaspers 5-39, Jackson Hird 1-(minus 2).