Solanco duo will play for Millersville; Columbia’s McIntyre headed to Lebanon Valley
A pair of players who helped resurrect Solanco’s football program the last couple of years will be sticking around the area to continue their college careers.
Two-way stud interior lineman Bryan Boulden and hard hitting linebacker Sam Johnson will stay in the neighborhood and play football for Division II Millersville University, which competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
Boulden and Johnson were key cogs on a Solanco team that went 7-4 overall in 2007 and shared the Section 2 title with Elizabethtown (6-1) and advanced to the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 1991.
Solanco followed that up with a 4-6 mark last fall, but the Golden Mules were in the race for a follow-up trip to Districts right up until Week 10.
On defense, Johnson and Boulden spearheaded a unit that allowed just 252.8 yards per game – 7th-best in the L-L League and 2nd-best in Section 2. With Boulden plugging the middle and Johnson filling the gaps, Solanco yielded just 1,434 rushing yards – the 3rd-least amount of rushing yards against in the league.
Boulden, who will play for the South team in the L-L League Tri-County All-Star Football Game on May 23 at 7 p.m. at Manheim Central, earned First-Team Section 2 All-Star honors at offensive guard and defensive line, and he shared Outstanding Lineman of the Year honors with Lebanon’s Charles Lee.
Under first-year coach Greg Colby, Millersville went 1-6 in the PSAC and just 1-10 overall last fall. The Marauders’ lone victory was against Cheyney.
Millersville opens its season Aug. 28 with a non-conference game at Assumption College.
The football recruiting pipeline from the Lancaster-Lebanon League to Lebanon Valley College is alive and kicking.
After receiving verbal commitments from Elizabethtown standouts Conrad Heisey and Alex Kirchner, Lebanon Valley will inherit the services of another L-L League playmaker.
Columbia senior wideout Yahya McIntyre, who caught 34 passes for 762 yards and six touchdowns last fall for the Crimson Tide, will play for Division III Lebanon Valley, which competes in the Middle Atlantic Conference with Fairleigh-Dickinson, Widener, Kings, Albright, Lycoming, Wilkes and Delaware Valley.
McIntyre’s 34 receptions were 14th-most in the league last season, and he also averaged an eye-popping 22.4 yards per catch, which was tops in the league among receivers who had 20 or more catches.
The 6-2, 180-pounder was decorated quite handsomely after his senior season. McIntyre was a First-Team Section 3 All-Star pick at wideout; he was a Second-Team Section 3 All-Star pick at kick returner; he was an Honorable Mention Section 3 All-Star pick at defensive back; and he was named to the Pennsylvania Football News Single-A All-State Team as a wideout.
Lebanon Valley went 4-3 in MAC games and 6-4 overall last season under coach Jim Monos.
McIntyre will play for the South team in the L-L League Tri-County All-Star Football Game on May 23 at 7 p.m. at Manheim Central.
