Rarely does he touch the football. But Steven Soltysiak manages to impact nearly every play on the field.Whether it’s an interception, deflected pass or tackle, the Wright City senior makes his presence known.“I’m the quarterback of the defense,” asserts Soltysiak.He says his goal is to read and react on every down, doing whatever necessary to disrupt the opponent’s progress.“Every time you look up, he’s around the football,” said Coach Matt Brooks. “That’s what first stood out about him. It was translating onto the field that he was making plays.”This year Soltysiak will also be asked to be an emotional leader for his teammates.Dealing with adversity has become all too familiar for the resilient teenager over the past seven months. Soltysiak is trying to keep his focus on the classroom and field, while coping with troubling circumstances at home.His father, Steve Jr., was diagnosed with colon cancer in late January and has been battling the rigors of numerous trips to the hospital since.“It’s had a big impact heading into the season and definitely taken an emotional toll,” said Soltysiak. “Myself, as well as the team, look to use it as motivation to succeed, not only for us, but for him as well.”Soltysiak has taken on the additional pressure of realizing how special each Friday night will be for his father.“He told me he wouldn’t miss my games for the world,” shared Soltysiak.It’s extra incentive to give 100 percent on every down, knowing his father is watching in admiration.Last season Soltysiak led the team with 57 tackles and seven interceptions.This fall he will be asked to contribute more on offense at running back, but his true passion continues to be defense.“To me there’s more pride in stopping the touchdown than gaining one,” said Soltysiak. “I like hitting people and the intensity from defense more compared to offense.”While his blue-collar work ethic often goes unnoticed to the average fan, he has gained the admiration of his coaches. The free safety has earned consecutive defensive player of the year honors for the Wildcats.“Even if I don’t make the play or big hit, I can still push the play back inside,” explained Soltysiak. “I fill the hole and force everything back to where linebackers can make the plays.”If it wasn’t for his voluminous style of play, it would be easy to miss his 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame among the 21 others on the field.“He’s more than the sum of his parts,” said Brooks. “He works harder than anybody we’ve got in the offseason and it shows.”Last season he rushed for 47 yards on a limited 13 carries.“He had an impact when we got him the ball,” said Brooks.Soltysiak is simply hoping to stay healthy this season, after missing a pair of games with a cracked rib in the middle of last season. As a sophomore, he was sidelined by a concussion.It was also the season he truly developed an interest for his role on defense.“What really pushed me that year was — when we still had Coach (James) Weir; he challenged me at the very beginning and told me how good of a player I could be,” recalled Soltysiak. “Ever since I’ve worked 110 percent in every practice and strived to be the best.”From there, the leadership qualities developed.“It’s very important for me to read the plays and make sure guys are lined up correctly and in exact assignments,” said Soltysiak.He acknowledges his skill set was raw when he began playing.“My sophomore year I had room for improvement, even though I led the team in tackles,” admitted Soltysiak. “I had zero interceptions and pass deflections. My only contribution was as a run stopper.”That one-dimensional role changed last fall.“My footwork was horrible,” acknowledged Soltysiak. “Coach Brooks and Coach (Ken) Brown really pushed me to read the pass over the run and my footwork improved tremendously. I started picking off passes regularly.”Soltysiak is still searching for his first career defensive touchdown, despite once coming close.“My favorite play throughout my career was last year against Winfield,” said Soltysiak. “The quarterback threw a deep pass and I picked it off at the highest point. I stiff-armed the receiver and ran it back 52 yards before getting face-masked short of the end zone.”He credits his improved instincts for sniffing out more passing routes.“Reading the plays is like a cat and mouse game,” said Soltysiak. “If the quarterback opens his hips and turns his shoulders to the right, you know there’s a deep receiver going down the sideline.”This year he will have the opportunity to become more familiar with his own team’s offense.“I think he’s been waiting for the opportunity to show what he can do offensively,” said Brooks.The Wildcats are looking to bounce back from a two-win season, and Soltysiak says the key is a continued desire to succeed.“What really drives us is that we’re a very competitive team,” said Soltysiak. “We always strive to win and get better.”He remembers the playoff run enjoyed by the 2010 team but wasn’t able to impact that success in his youth.Now only two guaranteed months remain during his prep career, and he is eager to make the most of it.“Becoming district champions is our biggest goal right now,” asserted Soltysiak.Then what?"Hopefully, someday, I will get the opportunity to earn a college football scholarship.”

Wright City senior Steven Soltysiak is one of the smallest players on the field, but he makes his presence known on every play.

Bill Barrett Photo.