By TYLER HENRY
JC Post contributor
As the high school football season gets underway across the state of Kansas, the Solomon Gorillas will travel east to open their 2022 campaign in Rural-Vista.
The Gorillas dominated this league contest in 2021, handing the Heat a 64-0 loss, but a reloaded Rural-Vista squad will be waiting for them with one of the most loaded freshman classes in recent memory.
“They ran all over us last year and we had 12 or 13 guys out with just one senior so we had a lot of guys playing out of necessity,” Heat head coach Brian Henry said. “This year we have a lot more depth and we can be more selective to get guys out there that can do the job.”
On the Solomon sideline, the Gorillas will be eager to get back on the field after a productive offseason, hoping to see their veteran-heavy squad shine amidst a heated league atmosphere.
“The kids compete against these guys in every sport so they see it as a rivalry,” Solomon head coach Mike Kilgore said. “Any time you open your season with a matchup like this the intensity is going to be high and they’ll be pumped up and ready to go.”
On the field, Solomon will once again lean on the expertise of junior quarterback Spencer Coup, who the Heat will have to find an answer for to avoid a repeat of 2021.
“The quarterback run game is what scares me most,” Henry said. “We’re playing a lot of younger kids that are going to get better with age but this test will be a good deal for us.”
Regardless of the new personnel, Rural-Vista remains committed to their “five yards and a cloud of dust” philosophy, something the Solomon defense will need to neutralize to see the results they want in this season opener.
“They’re going to line up and run the football between the tackles, that’s just what they do,” Kilgore said. “They’re a run-heavy team that wants to lull you to sleep and then hit you with a deep pass every now and then and they like to send everything defensively.”
To effectively move the ball on the ground, the Heat will need to play a much more efficient, mistake-free brand of football than they did in 2021, and will need their underclassmen to acclimate to the speed of the Friday night lights quickly.
“We need to take care of the football and not shoot ourselves in the foot,” Henry said. “We’ve always been a run-heavy team and we like to draw out possessions to shorten the game but we can’t afford penalties because the way our offense runs we don’t have a first and 15 or a second and 20 play.”
While this matchup shapes up to look much different than it did last season, Solomon’s philosophy will remain the same as their 2022 campaign gets underway.
“I want the kids to enjoy the moment and take every snap as a learning opportunity,” Kilgore said. “I’d like to see Spencer take control of the offense and to see our defense fly around and go fast.”
This game should also draw the keen interest of the Rural-Vista faithful, who will get their first look at the varsity edition of one of the most successful junior high teams in recent memory.
“It’s always exciting to play in front of a home crowd,” Henry said. “The hype around these underclassmen is something that a lot of the parents have been looking forward to. They’ll have to go through some growing pains but we’re excited to get them out there.”
Kickoff between the Gorillas and Heat is scheduled for 7 pm at Rural-Vista High School.