What curse? Nordonia football dominates Solon in rushing yards to stay undefeated
MACEDONIA — Solon arrived in the Suburban League this fall, although the Comets will not join the National Conference in football until next season.
Longtime Nordonia fans might have groaned when they heard the Comets were coming.
In the days of the Western Reserve Conference and Northeast Ohio Conference, Solon was Nordonia's football nemesis. Even the Knights' 2001 state runner-up team lost to the Comets in the regular season.
So, when Solon visited Boliantz Stadium Friday, it was the first time the two rivals had met since 2010. It also was Nordonia's first win over Solon this century.
Nordonia turned to its running game late to run away with a 31-12 win over the Comets and stay undefeated through four games.
"You've got to give Solon a lot of credit," said Nordonia coach Jeff Fox. "With the history and tradition of their program, they're still so well coached. They battled and they put us in positions where we had to adjust. We really settled in.
"We can rely on our offensive line and running backs to be physical, the fact Rocco DeLorenzo and Liam Kountz both can carry the ball like that. They did a good job taking control of that game."
Nordonia finished with a 238-60 edge in rushing yards, as the Comets ran only three times in the second half.
DeLorenzo was Nordonia's workhorse, rushing 24 times for 144 yards, but Kountz did the scoring, with two touchdowns and 63 yards on nine carries.
"We just kept hitting the hole and eventually it opened up," DeLorenzo said. "I wasn't really worried about the hits. It's part of the job. You just have to take it get back up."
"It's another one in the books," Kountz said. "We've got to come out and do it again next week week."
Nordonia's offense sputtered in the red zone early. The Knights' first two drives stalled inside the 10 with only a 22-yard field goal by Connell Rafferty to show for it.
Kountz ended that drought with a 21-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.
Solon (0-4) threw everything at the Knights, including multiple fake punts. One of them led to Solon's lone score in the first half when quarterback Luke Kormuth hit Brian McQuaide with a 9-yard touchdown pass.
Kormuth finished 30-52 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns, but also was picked off twice and fumbled.
"I think we're learning," Fox said. "The mantra is that we'll be better in week five than we are in week four and we'll be at our best in week 11 when we need to be. They're fixable mistakes. Solon forced us into some of those mistakes."
Fox said he felt Solon used the trick plays because Nordonia won the battle at the line. With the lead at 10-6 at the half, the Knights threw only five passes after the break.
Kountz gave Nordonia breathing room with an 8-yard TD run midway through the third quarter, followed by Nordonia quarterback Ben Chesser diving in a 2-yard quarterback sneak for a score.
Chesser's longest pass was his last, as he hit Samuel Collins in stride for a 41-yard touchdown with seven minutes left to ice the game.
Chesser finished 10-16 passing for 127 yards with a touchdown and a pick.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Nordonia football leans on running game, runs away from Solon
