The Hawkeyes may be getting more than they bargained for with Solon recruit James Morris.

The versatile athlete, who typically plays running back and linebacker for the Spartans, showcased his quarterbacking skills on Friday night, as he led his team to a 42-7 win over Iowa City Regina.

Morris, who moved from running back to quarterback to replace the injured Wes Sleeper, threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Loveless for the team’s second touchdown, on his only pass attempt of the first half. The perfect spiral found Loveless, who outjumped Regina’s cornerback and then sprinted to the end zone.

“Derrick’s a great receiver, and he made a great play,” said the 6-2 Morris. “It wasn’t a great throw by any means. He had to kind of stop on a dime and come back for it, but it’s cool to air it out; it’s just exciting.”

Even though Solon had won most of its games with ease during the year, many thought this contest would be closer. It was two rival schools, both 7-0, with the winner taking the crown in the district.

It was the perfect script for a miraculous upset by Regina. But on this night, Goliath crushed David.

Morris, a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, was the catalyst all night for his squad, getting involved in four of the team’s six touchdowns.

“That’s James being James, but at the same time, a lot of that starts up front,” said Solon head coach Kevin Miller. “I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage, and we were able to dictate what we wanted to do.”

The line opened up holes all night, allowing Morris to run and scramble for three rushing scores in 11 attempts. His first was a 60-yard scurry to the left side, where he accelerated past the Regina defense after breaking two tackles. He also dashed for touchdowns of 45 and 32-yards in the second quarter to give his team a 28-7 lead going in to halftime.

Yet the score did not reflect the Regals’ first half of play, where they gained 149 yards, including a 42-yard pass play from backup quarterback Tyler Nelson to Braden Lehman, leading to a touchdown just before halftime. With the late score, Solon was cautious about a second-half comeback.

“We were up 28-7 [at halftime], but it very well could have been 28-21,” Miller said. “Defensively, we had some breakdowns.”

In the third quarter, Solon scored two more touchdowns, on a 2-yard run by Andy Ashton and a 44-yard interception return for touchdown by Loveless, to put the game out of Regina’s reach.

“In these types of games, you have to have players step up and make plays,” said Regina head coach Marv Cook. “And they made more plays than we did.”

Solon has now clinched 2A District 5 with its win, and Regina will play an important game at Center Point next week. If the Regals win, they should get a home game for the opening round of the playoffs.

But no matter how this season finishes, Cook is confident that this season’s success is not a fluke.

“We have a lot of youth,” he said. “Our time is coming, no doubt about that.”