Brock Soltow powers Polo over previously unbeaten Hiawatha

Polo Marcos logo

KIRKLAND – The Hiawatha Hawks never gave up fighting, but Brock Soltow and the Polo Marcos were just too much on Friday night.

The Marcos defeated the Hawks 44-32 behind a huge night from the junior quarterback and running back.

Soltow ran up huge numbers on the Hawks. He rushed 33 times for 402 yards with four scores. He also threw for 45 yards and a touchdown.

“I had no clue I had over 400 yards until my dad came and told me,” Soltow said. “It’s awesome. Our offense line came in clutch. I’m pretty happy with them.”

Every time the Hawks started fighting their way back into the game, Soltow and the Marcos delivered a counterpunch.

“It hurts,” Hawks coach Nick Doolittle said. “It’s definitely football for you. Emotions are in it, highs and lows. You love it and you hate it at the same time. I have to give credit to my guys for not quitting.”

Hiawatha Hawks logo

With Polo up 36-14 after three quarters, the Hawks hit two quick touchdowns at the start of the fourth. Chris Korb hit Lucas Norvell for a 28-yard touchdown strike on fourth-and-12 to make it a two-score game.

“We kept pushing, we aren’t quitting,” Korb said. “We’re not going to be quitting. We’ve just got to keep playing like that and it’ll work out in the end.”

After forcing a punt on the Marcos’ next possession, Korb hit another long touchdown pass, this one a 68-yard catch and run by Cole Brantley, to cut the Polo lead to 36-26.

On the next play from scrimmage, Soltow answered with another long touchdown run. Soltow broke through the line and sped 62 yards down the field for the game-sealing touchdown.

“They were a tough team,” Soltow said. “I didn’t think they’d come out pounding like that in the second half.”

Korb went on to score another touchdown late on a 25-yard run, but the game was already out of reach.

Korb finished with 90 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 73 yards and a score.

The Marcos took a big lead into the half with two touchdowns in the final minute of the second quarter.

The Marcos (3-2) had just stopped the Hawks (4-1) on the goal line, so they were deep in their own territory, but Soltow broke tackles behind the line of scrimmage and rumbled for 51 yards. On the next play, he scored on a 20-yard run with 34 seconds left in the half.

The Marcos blocked a punt on the next possession, which led to Soltow’s touchdown pass to Ryelan Lindaas as time expired in the half.

The game had the look of a shootout early, with five touchdowns in the first quarter, but the scoring slowed down from there.

The Hawks scored in the first minute on a 57-yard run by Cooper Fisher on the second play from scrimmage in the game.

The Marcos responded on their next drive with Soltow sprinting down the sideline for 66 yards and the TD with 9:30 left in the first half.