Xavier grabs victory for GeraRd “Rod” Walker
Trey Solomon runs for 289 yards and four TDs
as Xavier honors Walker’s memory
By Joseph Staszewski
Flatbush running back Trey Solomon ran for 289 yards and four touchdowns as Xavier High School beat Cardinal Hayes 41–14 at Aviator Sports and Events Center on Saturday afternoon — a victory that honored the memory of Gerard “Rod” Walker, the Manhattan Catholic high school’s beloved athletic director who died of cancer on Sept. 25.
The team had gone to Walker’s funeral on Friday and promised to dedicate the win to the 59-year-old Brooklyn Prep alumnus.
“To lose him is huge,” team coach Chris Stevens said. “To win for him is huge.”
But the victory couldn’t have happened without Solomon. The junior picked up chunks of field at a time early in the first quarter, scoring on a 2-yard run to cap a drive that began with an interception by running back Jimmy Wolfer. They then snatched up a Cardinal Hayes fumble on the Xavier 6 yard line and drove the ball down the field resulting in another touchdown 17 yard touchdown run, giving Xavier a comfortable 14–0 lead. Solomon was also credited for making an astounding 45-yard touchdown pass over the middle to put Xavier ahead 21–0 in the second frame.
Walker never coached Solomon, but the fellow Brooklynite’s positive outlook had a lasting impression on the star running back. “He was always walking around with a huge smile on his face,” Solomon said. “Even when he came in he didn’t have any hair because of the chemotherapy. It was sad to watch, but he was always happy.”
Emotional Xavier crushes Cardinal Hayes
It was an emotional week at Xavier High School, where the entire community mourned the death of beloved athletic director and junior varsity football coach Gerard (Rod) Walker, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 59 following a long battle with cancer.
Varsity football coach Chris Stevens remembers getting plenty of support from Walker when he wanted the Knights to run the single-wing rushing offense eight years ago.
“He was a quarterback in the past,” Stevens said. “It’s not a quarterback offense, but he said it’s the best thing for our kids. He said I’ll put some passes in and we’ll make it fun.”
It’s become a successful formation for the Knights over the years, and running back Trey Solomon gave another example of that Saturday afternoon. The junior completed a dominant performance by rushing for four touchdowns, passing for another and compiling 289 yards on the ground in Xavier’s 41-14 victory over Cardinal Hayes at Aviator Complex.
The Knights (3-1, 2-1 CHSFL AA-A) exploded for a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
Solomon was a tough man for the Hayes defense to stop. The 5-foot-9 dynamo carried the ball 30 times and had plenty of success as the Knights offensive line created some huge holes for him to run through.
“He’s a horse, he’s beautiful, an A-student, sweetheart of a kid and he’s going both ways,” Stevens said. “A couple of weeks back he carried the ball 37 times and I said I had to spread the ball out more, but it’s just so much fun to watch him run.”
Cardinal Hayes (2-2, 1-2) became its own worst enemy in the first quarter. On the initial Cardinals offensive drive, Jimmy Wolfer intercepted quarterback James Richardson at the Xavier 48-yard line.
Solomon piled up 87 yards on the first Xavier offensive series and scored on a 2-yard touchdown to put the Knights up 6-0 with 6:36 remaining in the first quarter.
Hayes appeared poised to tie the game on its next series, but Amir Crenshaw fumbled after making a catch and Xavier recovered at its own 7-yard line at the end of the first.
The yardage just kept piling up for Solomon, who went through the left side for a 14-yard touchdown run. He also used his arm to find a wide-open Connor Sweet in the middle of the field on a 43-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 advantage. Solomon then ended the first half scoring a 4-yard touchdown through the middle for a 28-0 Xavier lead.
Solomon has embraced the workhorse role while starting at defensive back.
“I love it,” Solomon said. “Even in track I run the 800-meter, I come back and run the 400-meter 20 minutes later. I’ll run two miles if I have to.”
Cardinal Hayes scored in the third quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Richard Brooks. Khalil Collier returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown midway in the fourth quarter.
“We’re not doing a good job of defending people right now,” Hayes coach C.J. O’Neil said. “They kept jamming it down our throats. They outcoached us and outplayed us, simple as that. We didn’t execute.”
Wolfer said his team came out fired up just one day after Walker’s emotional funeral service. Every player will wear a small white decal in the back of their helmet with the initials R.W. for the rest of the season.
“It was emotional, it really hit us hard,” Wolfer said. “We knew he was going to go, we just didn’t expect it this soon. He coached me sophomore year. He was great. Nicest guy I ever met in my life.”
