DeQuan June took the first two Cardinal Hayes plays from scrimmage for touchdowns and the rout was on. The shifty, speedy running back eclipsed 200 yards in the first half alone as the Cardinals ran roughshod over Xavier.
“In the beginning, we were kind of confused,” Knights defensive back Chris Castro said. “We didn’t know what was going on. We were looking for answers. And we found one.”
The Xavier defense didn’t allow a point after halftime and the offense, led by sophomore Trey Solomon, did the rest in a wild, 33-32 win over Hayes in a CHSFL Class AA-A game Saturday afternoon at SUNY Maritime. A last-second field goal attempt by Hayes’ Erion Mrishaj was short and wide left and the Knights (4-1, 4-0 ‘AA-A’) are the only team left undefeated in the division.
June, one of the CHSFL’s premier backs, finished with 272 yards on 22 carries and four touchdowns. But Castro came up with the game’s biggest defensive play on Hayes’ final series, chasing June out wide and stopping him for a 4-yard loss to set up 3rd-and-11 from the Xavier 19.
“Normally he always bounces back if he doesn’t see anything, so I was ready for it,” Castro said. “I saw him coming, he was moving backwards and backwards. I saw two of my teammates right beside me to make the hit and then I came up and got him.”
Patrick Huemegni was stopped for a 3-yard loss on the next play prior to the missed field goal. Hayes (3-1, 3-2) led 13-0 and 25-6 in the first half. But the Cardinals defense had almost as much trouble tackling Solomon as Xavier did June. Solomon finished with 214 yards on 26 carries and four touchdowns, the biggest perhaps coming just 10 seconds left in the second quarter to pull Xavier within 32-20 at the half.
The Knights had the ball to start the second half and Solomon continued to pound away, rushing for a 1-yard score to get his team within 32-27 with 5:18 left. Xavier coach Chris Stevens said that’s exactly what he told his players would happen in the locker room at the break.
“You have the opportunity to win the division down by five with a whole quarter to go, I would have said I’ll take it,” Stevens said. “That’s what happened and I look like a prophet.”
Xavier took the lead when Jimmy Wolfer capped another long drive with 3-yard touchdown. It looked like a fumble recovery would seal the game on the next Hayes series, but Solomon gave it right back to the Cardinals on the following play with a fumble of his own. The defense came up huge, forcing Hayes to punt.
“I’m just happy we were able to persevere and overcome everything as a team,” said Solomon, who was Xavier’s primary rusher with Brent Scardapane out (concussion).
From looking at the scoreboard, Xavier’s offense was the star yesterday and that’s what the single wing Knights are known for. But the second half belonged to the defense. June had just 48 yards after the break.
“I said [to defensive coordinator Kevin Kelly], ‘Hey man, you owe me, brother,’” Stevens said with a laugh. “He said, ‘What are you talking about? We pitched a shutout in the second half.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah, touché.'”