HAMMOND | Senior quarterback Austin Solis ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more to rally Bishop Noll from a 21-10 deficit to a 38-21 victory Friday night over visiting North Newton.
While Solis led the Warriors' offense, Noll's defense made key second-half stops en route to the Greater South Shore Conference victory.
A key play came early in the fourth quarter. With the Spartans (4-5, 3-4) leading 21-17 and facing fourth-and-4 at the Noll 47-yard line, North Newton workhorse Chad Schultz lined up to punt but ran on a fake. Noll's defense held Schultz to a gain of 1, and Solis and the Warriors took over.
After Solis hit Jordan Taylor on a screen pass to cross midfield, Noll (4-5, 4-3) faced a third-and-7 when Solis scrambled to the right sideline, then reversed his way left and hit a wide-open Angel Figueroa along the left sideline for a 40-yard touchdown pass that gave Noll its first lead.
On its ensuing possession, again just inside Noll territory, North Newton gave up the ball when fullback Jeremy Jones fumbled and tackle Ahmad Rucker recovered for Noll.
Six plays later, after a fake handoff up the middle, Solis scampered around left end for a 27-yard touchdown run. He later added a 5-yard TD pass to Austin Howard.
Mitchell Payonk kicked a 27-yard field goal and was 5-for-5 on extra-point kicks for Noll.
Noll's defense, which received interceptions from Jason Wedryk and Taylor, held when it needed to in the second half. Schultz carried 34 times for 142 yards for the Spartans, but his 4.1 rushing average was well below his 6.8-yard season average.
Please Wait…