SOLON, Ia. — High above Spartan Stadium, printed in large black letters so everyone can see, Solon football’s daily mantra is undeniable.
“Where excellence is tradition.”
The slogan may fit a familiar mold seen throughout programs nationwide, but there are no cliche elements here. A school, a community — and a long list of decorated coaches and alumni — come together to form the Solon brand. The Spartans don’t hope for lengthy postseason runs; they demand them.
Another opportunity for greatness awaits.
Back on championship glory’s doorstep, the 2019 Spartans have a chance to establish themselves as one of Solon’s best. After winning four consecutive titles from 2007-10, the Spartans haven’t appeared in a UNI-Dome finale since. There have been plenty of victories — but no November celebrations. That could change with one more riveting performance in Thursday’s Class 3A title game against Western Dubuque.
“To finally be living this out this many years later is a really special feeling,” said senior wide receiver AJ Coons, who was a Solon ball boy during the Spartans’ four-peat. “We’re just excited for the opportunity to be in the championship game.”
Navigating a long season with lofty expectations can be a daunting task, even if the scores get lopsided at times. Credit Solon’s veteran group for keeping this unit grounded. That’s how you go from anticipating a state title in August to playing for one in November.
A "finish the job" mantra permeated the Solon camp all the way back to preseason workouts. The Spartans' deep senior class wasn’t running from the pain of last year and the campaign before.
Back-to-back undefeated regular seasons crashed hard with playoff despair. In 2017, it was Cedar Rapids Xavier running Solon out of the UNI-Dome in the semifinals. Western Dubuque delivered a similar beatdown in last season’s opening round.
An uptick in focus and preparation took over after that Bobcat loss. Solon knew it had the pieces coming back to end this unfortunate trend. No one was letting this opportunity slip away much too early.
“It starts with senior leadership,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said. “All great football teams have it. Our seniors have done a great job leading by example and setting a standard.
“… It’s one thing to articulate what the standard is. It’s another to provide the example, and that’s what these guys have done. They’ve walked the walk and provided a great opportunity for our juniors to see what it takes to succeed, not just on the practice or playing field but how they conduct themselves in our school and beyond. This senior group has really come a long way. They’ve matured tremendously and completely surrendered to the process.”
Digging into the journey reveals a few pivotal points. As much as coaches love to cruise, there’s lessons to be learned in hurdling adversity before the season is at stake. Solon didn’t have that in 2017 or 2018. Its 20 combined wins those two years came by an average of 34 points. There was no experience with turbulence when things spiraled in the playoffs.
Not this year. An early dogfight against Davenport Assumption sent a September jolt through the Solon squad. Two weeks later, the Spartans saw their mettle tested again in an impressive second-half rally at Washington.
There was no panic then — and there’s been none since, even as things have tightened in the postseason. Two of the Spartans’ three playoff triumphs have come by one score. Prior to that, Solon only had three one-score wins in its last 37 victories spanning three seasons.
“Having those bad plays, we’re just able to shed them off and just keep trucking along,” junior Lucas TePoel said. “We’re thinking about the next play, because that play you’re in is the most important play.”
On the other side, though, is a Western Dubuque squad just as daunting. The Bobcats’ 12 victories have come by an average of 28-plus points, including five straight by more than three touchdowns. Numerous pieces are back from 2018’s runner-up team that demolished Solon in the first round.
It’s a different team, sure. But the Spartans haven’t forgotten that sour feeling.
No one will be satisfied with anything but perfection. Forget that Solon is 3A’s smallest school, nearly half the size of Western Dubuque. The Spartans — and everyone who is or has been associated with the program — aren’t ones to settle. Coming this far doesn’t cut it.
“We’re nine years removed from being in our last title game,” Miller said. “Being in 3A has been a little bit different, there’s no doubt about it. Being in 2A, we were one of the larger schools and had great athletes and great teams. Jumping up to 3A has provided us with a different challenge. Every week, you’ve got to bring it. There’s depth and teams are two-platooning. There are just a lot of things you discount when you’re playing 2A football.
“So this is pretty meaningful. We won it in 2010 when we first jumped up to 3A but now — nine years removed — to have this opportunity and to see how this has developed over the span of the last 10 years of being in 3A is pretty special. It’s just extremely gratifying and rewarding.”
Excellence is expected. It’s on these Spartans to add to the tradition.
“Where excellence is tradition,” Coons said, “that’s just what we try to live by every day.”
Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.