Following in his sister’s footsteps
Prep running back Solan, brother of former North Bergen softball star, explodes in win over Dickinson
There’s something that’s inevitable when a sportswriter speaks to John Solan, but when other people talk to the St. Peter’s Prep junior running back, he would prefer to have his own identity. "I really don’t like being referred to as Tara’s little brother," John Solan said. "But it happens all the time."
Of course it happens. After all, Solan’s older sister, Tara, is perhaps Hudson County’s best softball pitcher ever. She won more than 90 games in her career at North Bergen High School, which ended with the HCIAA Championship in 1999. Tara Solan spent two years at Dowling College on Long Island and has since transferred to Ramapo.
As John Solan began to make a name for himself last year as a sophomore, disaster struck. In training camp before the season, Solan suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee.
"I was just running normally and it went out," Solan said. "It was a freak thing."
"It was a non-contact play in the open field," Prep head coach Rich Hansen said. "There was nothing going on. It was the freakiest knee injury I’ve ever seen. We had him pencilled in for about eight carries a game to back up (last year’s starter) Cabral Edley. But that all went out the window with the injury."
A torn ACL means reconstructive surgery and months of grueling rehabilitation. Plus, with such a young athlete like Solan, there is no guarantee of complete recovery.
"We knew that Johnny was in for the long haul, but it was such a traumatic experience for him," Hansen said. "He absolutely loves the game, so it was so hard to take that away from him. He was going to do whatever it took to make it back as soon as possible. When he came out of surgery, the doctors were optimistic that he would make a complete recovery, but there’s always concern."
"I was more worried how the knee would be when I returned," Solan said. "I was worried if it would be normal. I was very concerned. I wanted to make sure I got it back to 100 percent."
Solan was determined to make it all the way back.
"There were some weeks when I went to physical therapy four times," Solan said.
"Johnny knew that it was a slow time frame," Hansen said. "He knew that he wasn’t going to come back overnight. He hit the weight room and spent a lot of time there. He crossed his T’s and dotted his I’s and did everything by the book. The rehab went very well."
So much so that Hansen actually believes Solan is faster now than before the surgery – which is almost a little hard to believe.
"I definitely think he’s faster now," Hansen said. "That’s how so ultra careful he was with the rehab."
"I’d say it’s just as strong," Solan said. "I don’t know about being faster."
Hansen was also equally ultra careful when bringing Solan back into the mix.
"We put a limit on everything he did," Hansen said. "His carries were counted and total pass chances were counted. We watched every time he ran."
Solan worked his way slowly. At first, he appeared lost.
"Early on, Johnny didn’t understand the seams and reads," Hansen said. "I think he just needed a grasp of the offense. After all, he hadn’t played in a while."
"Just having the year off set me back a little," Solan said. "I had to get used to it all over again."
During the Marauders’ first three games of the 2000 season, Solan took a backseat to other running backs like Bhima Gaddy, who had a 200-plus yard performance against Bayonne in the third game of the season.
But when the Marauders faced Ferris, Solan was more than ready, rushing for 236 yards on 32 carries.
Last week, when the Marauders faced Dickinson in its annual rivalry, Solan was ready for more, even though he sat out the continuation of the suspended game against Memorial with a slight injury to his healthy right knee.
"I had a little pain in the right knee and since it was sore, I sat out (the completion of a 13-7 Prep victory)," Solan said. "It was better off I didn’t play, because I wasn’t 100 percent."
But Solan was more than ready for Dickinson, rushing for 226 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns, leading the Marauders to a 55-27 victory – in a game where St. Peter’s once trailed 20-0. Solan was named as the recipient of the Tommy Meyers Trophy, given to the Most Valuable Player of the annual Prep-Dickinson contest.
For his efforts, Solan has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week. With the honor, Solan joins his sister (a three-time honoree) as the only brother-sister combination to earn Athlete of the Week honors in the nine-year history of the weekly feature.
"It is pretty unique," Solan said, when informed that he was part of the only brother-sister Athlete of the Week combination. "Now, I can get back at her a little, although she’s still beating me."
Hansen said that Solan is a very unassuming player.
"He doesn’t have a bragging bone in his body," Hansen said. "He’s a very, very quiet kid and he’s always smiling. He’s got this happy look on his face. He’s also a warrior. I always thought he had the potential to be a good back. I’m pleasantly pleased with his durability. He just keeps going. And he really gets better as the game goes on. The more he carries, the more comfortable he gets. I’ve never seen that before."
And now, the knee is an afterthought. He gets it taped tightly by veteran trainer Phil "Doc" Miller before each game and wears a brace only as a precaution.
"It feels fine," Solan said. "I’m just happy to be back and playing."
Obviously, so is Hansen. Both players anxiously await next Friday night’s showdown with North Bergen, which will decide the HCIAA National title. Solan especially wants it, because the game will be played in his hometown, against the hometown high school.
"I’m sure he’s going to be very excited to play in that game," Hansen said.
"It’s a big game for me," Solan said. "A lot of people thought I was going to go to North Bergen, but I had my mind made up in eighth grade that I was going to Prep. So there’s a lot of pressure on me. But I can handle it."
He can handle anything – except being called Tara’s little brother. John Solan is his own person now. Two hundred yards and four touchdowns will do that for you.