By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
As the Solomon Gorillas football team turns the corner into the home stretch of their 2022 campaign, four unique chapters of their season begin to take shape.
In their opening act, the Gorillas looked like a force to be reckoned with, outscoring Rural-Vista and Wakefield by a combined score of 98-16.
The next two games saw Solomon’s role switched from Goliath to David as the Gorillas took on two currently ranked perennial powers in Canton-Galva and Little River, dropping that pair by a combined 12-114 margin.
Solomon kicked off the third chapter of their season with a tough 54-22 loss at the hands of Goessel but will have an opportunity to build some momentum ahead of the postseason finale that will kick off in late October.
“Our kids have been resilient in these first five weeks,” Gorillas head coach Mike Kilgore said. “Our kids are still fighting, they still want it. They’re coming to practice every day wanting to get better and they’re a good team, we just have to keep fighting the fight.”
Solomon won’t face another big test down the stretch, taking on 1-3 Moundridge and 1-3 Herington before a forfeited week eight win is added to their record thanks to Pretty Prairie.
Despite the lack of juggernauts on their remaining schedule, the Gorillas are more than prepared to make a postseason run thanks to the experience gained in weeks 3-5.
“I think those games are really good for us,” Kilgore said. “Over the years these guys have seen those powerhouses come through and the kids don’t see it right away but I think they’re slowly understanding that you have to play the best to be the best. We learn a lot from those games win or lose.”
Statistically, the Gorilla's offense has been very good when they’ve been on their game, led by quarterback Spencer Coup, who averages 100 yards per game passing and still boasts a TD-INT ratio of 9-3 despite facing some of the best defenses in 8-Man.
Coup’s ability to hurt defenses with his legs has been an instrumental part of Solomon’s success as the junior adds 50 carries for 232 yards and two more scores on the ground.
Through their last three games of the season, Solomon will look to fine-tune their game and pick up steam ahead of what should be a fascinating 8-Man DI playoff.
“We need to tighten up our alignments and our keys on defense to make our opponents pay for mistakes,” Kilgore said. “Offensively we’ve done a good job of taking care of the football, we just need to keep grinding out those yards and taking advantage of what the defense gives us.”
While Solomon might be a tough team to read on paper, the grit shown in practice and the tenacity of the Gorillas on Friday nights have become apparent to all in the Solomon community.
“Each one of these guys is going to fight for the rest and that’s what we can hang our hat on every week,” he said. “At any given time on the field these guys are picking each other up and they’re not letting each other fall off.”
The Gorillas will be back in action this Friday when they return to Solomon to host 1-3 Moundridge before traveling to Herington in week seven.
For continuing coverage of Solomon football in 2022 stay tuned to the Salina Post.