Solon brings rivalry, test to Case

It was one of the final plays of regulation when Ryan Reighard broke his arm last season.

Looking to make something happen in the seconds of a first-round playoff game against Solon, the Washington quarterback took one too many hits and was sidelined for the overtime period.

An interception on the second play of overtime, followed by a Solon field goal, ended the Demons? season in an instant.

Make no mistake, the Demons still remember the loss.

?The first thing I remember is that it sucked,? Washington senior Bryce Sinn said. ?It sucked seeing our seniors lose in the first playoff game. To see them on the ground in tears. I want to get back at them for that.?

However, this week the focus at practice isn?t about who the Washington football team will be squaring off against.

When the schedules were released for the season, the upcoming Friday night marked one of the bigger games for the Demons this season. With the IHSAA redrawing the district lines, Washington and Solon are battling for the same district championship, and with both teams sitting at 1-0 early in the season, this contest could have long-ranging impact.

Demon head coach Garrison Carter doesn?t want his squad getting caught up with the name that will be on the jerseys on the other side of the ball.

?We try not to focus on who our opponent is each week,? Carter said. ?Obviously the kids know it?s Solon week and it?s a big week. We are really trying to focus on getting our kids to get to the best of their ability and if we do that, I don?t think it matters who lines up against us.?

Over the past few seasons, the Washington and Solon football teams have grown quite familiar with each other.

Since 2013, when the Demons made their run to the UNI-Dome, the two programs have met four times, with two playoff match-ups between the teams. In those four contests, both teams have two wins, with each team notching a playoff victory.

?Solon is one of those programs we model ourselves after,? Carter said. ?They?ve been the class of eastern Iowa and Class 3A for the past decade now. It?s a team that we are trying to compete with every year. Now that they are in the district, it?s even more heated and even more of a ?must win.? It?ll be a good measuring stick for both of us.?

That feeling is mutual, according to Solon head coach Kevin Miller.

?It?s a healthy rivalry, and it?s good for both communities,? Miller said. ?Anytime you can develop a rivalry that?s built on mutual respect, that?s a positive. Everyone sees rivalry games as a negative, and it?s not. From our standpoint, it?s great to play against quality competition. It makes you better. That?s what you want to do as a coach and a player. It brings out your best. To deem it as a rivalry game, it?s a good thing.?

Both teams are coming into the contest after decisive district-opening victories, and they both understand the importance of this contest moving forward, especially with only two teams from the district eligible for the playoffs.

?We knew this one had playoff implications and district championship implications,? Miller said. ?Every game does, but in particular, we knew Washington had a great team and that this was going to be a game to concentrate on.?

Carter echoed those sentiments, and noted that regardless of what happens on Friday, the teams need to remember that other teams in the district might have something to say about the Demons and Spartans fighting for a title.

?On paper, coming into the season, this is the game you look at and say ?winner takes the district,? but now you look around and West Burlington is undefeated and Fairfield and Oskaloosa are doing good things,? Carter said. ?You just have to win them all.?

While its only Week 4, the importance of the game isn?t lost on the athletes. ?It?s very important,? Reighard said. ?They are a physical team and last year, I?m not sure we matched that to the ability we could have. This year, we can match their mental and physical ability. We need to play smart and play as a team. We have a lot of good players. We just need to play as a team.?

Scouting Week 4

Last week, the Demon defense turned up its aggressive tendencies, forcing four turnovers in the contest, sparking a 47-12 victory over their rivals to the south, Mt. Pleasant.

The Demons have won three straight games to open the season and their 3-0 mark is the best start in recent memory, while they  have outscored opponents by more than 35 points per game this season.

Defensively, that success has been led by Sinn, who has team bests in tackles (19), tackles for a loss (7) and sacks (4) so far this year.

With Solon becoming such a familiar opponent, he said it is fun to be a part of a budding rivalry.

?We?ve been playing each other the last four years,? Sinn said. ?We beat them out of the playoffs (in 2013) and they beat us (last season). We?ve had two really good practices this week. Everyone?s been focused for this game.?

Offensively, the Demons are led by Reighard?s arm and legs, as he is the district leader in both rushing and passing, combining for 14 scores through three games, something Solon?s head coach has taken note of.

?They have a number of quality athletes that can make plays,? Miller said. ?It starts at the quarterback position with Ryan (Reighard), who can hurt you with his feet and his arm. They have so many different guys who can make plays. It?s tough to prepare for a team as diverse as Washington is.?

When Solon takes the field on Friday, they will be featuring a high number of seniors, who will lead a balanced attack, as they look to continue their success from a blowout win against Keokuk last week.

Senior signal caller Blayze Griffis tossed 186 yards and two touchdowns in the game, while junior running back Kendrick Harris averaged 7.9 yards per carry en route to a 158-yard, 3-touchdown day.

?This year, more than any other year, we are a little more balanced,? Miller said. ?We have the ability to throw the football and we know we are going to have to do that to be successful against Washington. We have done a good job of mixing in the run and the pass, and being more balanced.?

Heroes? Night returns

For the third-straight season, Washington will hold their annual Heroes? night, where the Demons honor those who have served the nation and the community by inviting them to join them for the night.

The festivities will start at the high school at 4:30 p.m. when the parade caravan featuring the heroes will head from the school to the football field.

The caravan will travel south on B Avenue, before turning right on Van Buren Street, finishing the parade at Case Field.

After they arrive, the heroes are invited to join the varsity football team on the field during their warmups and in the locker room during the final pregame speeches.

All Heroes will be recognized during the national anthem, and are invited to stick around for the 7:30 p.m. varsity game, where the Demons will be  wearing special camoflage themed jerseys.

?It?s very special,? Reighard said. ?We have everyone come down and help us go to the field. Then everyone helps us get pumped before the game. It means a lot to us. We respect them and it?s awesome.?