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Comets knock off Mayfield with overtime field goal
(by Steve Novak - November 18, 2009)
Comets knock off Mayfield with overtime field goal
By STEVE NOVAK
Early in Solon's playoff game last Saturday, the fans were talking about Mayfield's 61-yard field goal in the first half.
But they went away from the game talking about Solon's field goal in overtime that gave the Comets a 13-10 victory to advance them to a Division I regional final game Saturday night against Cleveland Glenville at Byers Field at Boulton Stadium in Parma.
Coach Jim McQuaide's Comets (12-0) walked a tightrope for the second straight week in the playoffs. Two weeks ago, they edged Euclid 10-7 in the first round.
Before about 5,000 in Parma, Solon's tightrope walk resulted in an overtime win when Kevin Hicks kicked a 37-yard field goal that sent the team to its first Division I regional final contest since 2000.
The victory sets up a match-up that few of the prognosticators had imagined. Solon will play Cleveland Glenville (11-1), a team that pulled an upset last week by defeating top-ranked and previously undefeated Cleveland St. Ignatius, 30-13.
The Solon-Glenville matchup is in many ways indicative of the very nature of the Ohio football playoff system. It throws together the top eight teams in each region, many of which have not played each other during the regular season.
In this case, it has been four seasons since the Comets have played the Tarblooders, who were Cleveland Senate League champions. In 2005, the two teams met in a second-round Division I playoff game. Glenville got the better of the Comets, winning 34-14 and ending Solon's season. It was the only loss suffered all year by the Comets.
Solon senior quarterback Jake Voigt and his teammates wasted no time in preparing for the upcoming contest. They already were watching film of Glenville on the day after their victory. McQuaide said watching film of Glenville quickly shows how talented the Cleveland team is.
"They're a big team. They're a fast team. It doesn't take a lot of science to see that they're an outstanding team," McQuaide said. "But that's why you play the game. We're pretty good, too. We're 12-0. We're not going to take a back seat to anybody."
In the Mayfield game, Solon took advantage of an early fumble. The Comets recovered the ball and engineered a scoring drive. Solon took a 7-0 lead at the nine-minute mark of the first quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Kyle Hammonds.
Mayfield kicker Carey Spear shocked fans with six seconds remaining before halftime with a 61-yard soccer-style field goal on a free kick that put the score at 7-3. The score was set up by a fair catch following a Solon punt. A free kick comes off a tee and with no defensive rush.
In the third quarter, Mayfield scored on an 18-yard pass play, to take a 10-7 lead.
However, Solon took advantage of good field position at about the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Comets drove inside the red zone, and then left the duties up to Hicks, who kicked a 24-yard field goal to the game at 10-10.
Voigt, who has thrown for more than 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, said he got together with his offensive unit on the drive that led to Hicks' field goal in the fourth period.
"I told them we need to relax, and that we had to do what we've been doing all year," Voigt said. "I told them, 'We're going to win this game.'"
The victory which Voigt had promised his teammates became a reality about 20 minutes later.
Mayfield had the ball first in overtime, but the Wildcats failed to score.
Solon ran three plays in overtime and then turned to Hicks. His 37-yard winning field goal kept Solon in the running for a regional championship and a trip to the Final Four.
Solon also defeated Mayfield during the regular season. In a game played Oct. 2 at Stewart Field, host Solon was a 27-20 winner, marking the only loss for Mayfield during the regular season.
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