"Stay ready, so you don't have to get ready" — a mantra that Diseel Solari follows through his football career.
"Freshman year, I was nervous myself", Solari claims. "I really second guessed myself, but once I got on the field, it was all natural."
No fakeouts for the senior quarterback who's 5'8, weighing 175 pounds but stands tall against opposing defenses.
In 2023, the dual threat accounted for over 2,700 yards of total offense, tossing 18 passing touchdowns while getting busy on the ground with 30 rushing scores.
“It’s like playing with a creative player on Madden, everything on 99. I’m not going to lie", says Solari's teammate, Brent Gordon.
Solari also led Cecilia to their first state title game in nearly 30 years, a game where the Bulldogs fells short but for him, he believes they'll be back with a vengeance.
“We definitely winning this year. There’s no doubt. We improved so much after that and it made us more hungry.”
That's a weekend that Solari will never forget. Though he was frustrated from the loss, he soon hoisted the biggest trophy of his life.
“Heartbroken because you just lost the state championship but coming back home to your child, it’s the best feeling in the world... when you can just hold your child.”
Solari's baby girl, River, entered the world on December 5th, 2023. The game was on the 8th. Now, 7 months old, he says nothing compares to seeing his daughter grow up day by day.
“It makes you mature a lot. It makes you not want to go places and party. It makes you just want to chill with your daughter and your family.”
There's no doubt that River is the greatest joy of Solari's life. Pairing that with his first love of football, Solari is ready to put everything on the line to cap off his senior campaign.
“Back to when I tore my ACL, you’ve got to be mentally strong for that. I wanted to give up so bad when I tore my ACL because I saw everybody running around but every time I was with part of my team, it felt like I was there.”
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