Sunday, November 07, 1999
St. Xavier 49, Moeller 32
Sollmann gets 255 yards, 3 TD's
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Steve Sollmann is just one of the many weapons the St. Xavier offense has. One was enough Saturday.
Sollmann ran for 265 yards and three touchdowns on only 16 carries and threw for another TD to lead the Bombers to a 49-32 victory over Moeller in the first round of the Divison I state playoffs before a packed Ballaban Stadium.
“To beat us, you have to stop Steve Sollmann,” St. X coach Steve Rasso said. “He leaves it all on the the field. He inspires the rest of our guys to play hard.”
Sollmann, a 5-foot-11, 182-pound senior, has 58 touchdowns for his career, one better than is older brother, Scott.
“We kid about it,” Sollmann said. “We don't have a sibling rivalry or anything. I'm sure he's proud of me.”
The Bombers, ranked No.1 the city and No.2 in the state, take their 10-0 record into the second round against Dayton Wayne. Wayne beat Fairfield 18-14 Saturday.
Moeller finishes 6-5. The Crusaders, the No.8 seed, in the Southwest Region, met St. X four weeks earlier. The Bombers won that one 21-19, their closest game of the year.
The Bombers have rolled since, averaging 41.2 points a game. Quarterback Marty Mooney hit hit 15-of-26 passes for 151 yards. Even though Nick Larsen, St. X's second leading receiver, was ill and did not play.
St. X took control from the start. Sollmann broke free for 65 yards on the second play from scrimmage. He scored from the 2-yard line two plays later.
The kickoff following the TD was short and got away from one of the Moeller blockers. Eric Arling recovered at the St. X 37.
But Xavier stalled and settled for Evan Nolan's 37-yard field goal. That gave St. X a 10-0 lead 41/2 minutes into the game.
Moeller needed to respond and did.
The Crusaders went 79 yards in 10 plays. Quarterback Brian Reisert ran it from 10 yards out for the score.
St. X settled for a 30-yard Nolan field goal on its next possession, then went back to scoring six at a time.
Sollmann put them in position with a 23-yard run.
“I think they respected the pass a little too much,” Sollmann said. “Their defensive backs were playing way off the line.”
On the next play, Mooney hit Jeff Bruening on fade route for 9 yards and the TD. The same combo teamed for the 2-point conversion. That made it 21-7.
Moeller drove on its next drive, but missed a field goal.
That gave Sollmann another chance. He broke through the middle for a 66-yard TD romp, giving him 226 yards on 12 carries in the half and making it 28-7 with 2:25 left in the half.
Moeller took the ball on the first drive on the second half and went 80 yards in eight plays. Reisert hit Nick Dabbelt with a nice touch pass for the final 26 and the score.
Reisert completed 12-of-18 passes for 200 yards and ran 25 times for 100 more.
Moeller ....... 7 0 7 18 —32
St. Xavier ....... 10 18 21 0 —49
St. X—Sollmann 2 run (Nolan kick)
St. X—Nolan 37 field goal
M—Reisert 10 run (Murphy kick)
St. X—Nolan 30 field goal
St. X—Bruening 9 pass from Mooney (Bruening pass from Mooney)
St. X—Sollmann 66 run (Nolan kick)
M—Dabbelt 26 pass from Reisert (Murphy score)
St. X—Arling 31 pass from Sollmann (Nolan kick)
St. X—Sollmann 23 run (Nolan kick)
St. X—Herrington 13 pass from Mooney (Nolan kick)
M—Reisert 6 run (kick failed)
M—Dabbelt 7 pass from Reisert (run failed)
M—Reisert 1 run (run failed)
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