Football: Solomon Fills Dual Role For Saints

STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Matthew Solomon, Shiloh Christian senior, catches a pass during drills Thursday at Champions Stadium in Springdale.

STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Matthew Solomon, Shiloh Christian senior, catches a pass during drills Thursday at Champions Stadium in Springdale.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

SPRINGDALE -- Matthew Solomon is a man of few words.

He prefers to let his play on the football field do the talking, and so far his performances have been a veritable chatterbox the past two seasons.

Profile

Matthew Solomon

School: Shiloh Christian

Class: Senior

Position: Slot receiver/cornerback

Height: 5-6

Weight: 130

Notable: Will be a three-year starter at cornerback for the Saints this fall. … Also starts at slot receiver on offense. … In first varsity game, returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown against Warren. … Was clocked at 4.49 in the 40 this spring.

Solomon, a 5-foot-6, 130-pound senior at Shiloh Christian, doesn't draw a lot of attention with his size, or lack thereof. Once the ball is in his hands, he gets noticed in a hurry, using his 4.49 speed in the 40-yard dash to zip around tacklers.

"Matthew is one of our most versatile players," Saints coach Josh Floyd said last week as the team was preparing for spring practice. "When I think of him, I think of a football player. He just does a lot of things well."

Solomon made an immediate impact for the Saints as a sophomore in his first varsity game. His 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Warren in the Hooten's Kickoff Classic on UCA's purple and gray turf helped the Saints claim a 26-25 victory.

"He's a tremendous weapon on special teams," Floyd said. "On offense, he can run the ball, he can catch the ball. He just does a lot of different things. You love having those guys as a play-caller that you can do a lot of stuff with."

Solomon admits his stature has caused a lot of people to doubt his ability on the field. He said he uses that as motivation.

"God made me the way I am," he said. "I can't do anything about that. I just use the abilities He's given me."

The Saints, coming off a playoff appearance in Class 5A, will move back to the 4A-1 Conference this fall, where they were a powerhouse for a number of years, winning three consecutive state championships.

The move back to Class 4A suits Solomon well, as does being a two-way starter.

"I like it because we'll be playing more schools that are closer to the size we are," he said.

He has been preparing for his increased workload with a tough offseason program that has seen him increase his bench press from 125 pounds to 185 pounds while maintaining his speed.

Solomon said this spring he was hand-timed at 4.49 seconds in the 40 on a track. That speed will be a weapon for the Saints, who return a number of skill position players this fall.

Floyd said they will line up Solomon in the slot on offense where he will be a threat in both the pass and run game.

"We'll move him around a lot," Floyd said. "We want to get him the ball in space where he can use his speed and quickness."

For Solomon, just the chance to prove he belongs on the field is all the motivation he needs to continue to improve.

"I've had some people doubt my size," he said. "I try to make up for it in other areas, like with my speed."

That's an asset that leaves a lot of his opponents speechless.

Sports on 05/20/2014