Washington faces No. 3 Solon

Washington picked up its first win in district play with a 42-30 victory over Fairfield last Friday. The Demons traded blows with the Trojans for the first two quarters before their defense forced two punts and had a pair of takeaways in the second half to pull away.

The Demons (3-3, 1-1 Class 3A-4) will hope to carry that offensive production and second half defensive momentum on the road when they take on undefeated No. 3 Solon on Friday.

Washington overcame two interceptions in its win over Fairfield. The Demons have struggled in the turnover department this season, but its offense has continued to churn out strong performances, especially on the ground.

Kael Williams had 241 yards and three touchdowns on the ground Friday. Williams is now up to 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, which is the second most in Class 3A. Washington’s 1,276 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns both rank No. 6 in 3A.

Along with Williams’ legs, the Demons utilized the short passing game well against Fairfield. Sophomore Liam Roberts was dangerous when he got into space, and made the most of his two catches, racking up 51 yards. Both receptions saw Roberts take a quick strike from Williams for extra yards after the catch. The sophomore also had a rushing touchdown against the Trojans.

Not far behind Roberts is Nic Stone, who has 185 yards and a score on 17 catches this season. Stone also added a rushing touchdown against Fairfield when he came in for Williams for one play at quarterback.

Limiting turnovers will be critical for Washington against Solon. Not only will it give the Demons opportunities to match the Spartans offense, but Washington will also face a Spartans defense that is one of the best units at turning teams over.

Solon (6-0, 2-0 3A-4) has picked off opposition quarterbacks 10 times this season, which is the third most in Class 3A and includes two pick 6s. Ethan Ulch leads the team with three interceptions, while Maddox Kelley has two.

The Spartans have also forced nine fumbles, the most in 3A. Junior James Thomsen has a forced fumble and two recoveries, including a scoop-and-score against Fairfield two weeks ago.

Solon’s offense is powered primarily by an efficient passing attack that limits mistakes through the air. The Spartans lead Class 3A with 37 touchdowns, including 15 passing TDs. Quarterback Eli Kampman has completed 67% of his passes for 1,121 yards, 14 touchdowns with one interception. For his performances, the senior has earned a scholarship offer from Drake and received a preferred walk-on offer from Duke.

Kelley, Kaden Hoeper and Cody Milliman are Solon’s primary receivers. Hoeper leads the team with 367 yards and has five touchdowns. Kelley has a team-high seven touchdowns through the air and Milliman has 19 catches for 284 yards and a score this season.

Kickoff between Washington and Solon is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Spartan Stadium. Solon has a 10-3 lead in the series since 2010. The Demons last win over the Spartans was a 33-18 road victory in 2020.