In what turned out to be the final game of his storied high school career, Nicky Solomon got the chance to honor a fallen friend.

The Centennial High School senior attackman donned the No. 8 jersey in the Knights’ showdown with rival Lambert in the Georgia High School Association 6A-7A state semifinals. That number once belonged to Jamie McHenry, who was struck by a car and died on a spring break trip in eighth grade.

The team honored McHenry by having a player wear his number throughout the playoffs. It passed to Solomon, who usually wears No. 17, in the semifinal.

“He would have been a teammate,” Solomon said. “The person who had the most heart and played the best got to wear it the next game. I got to wear it and we came back from six goals down, but came up short in overtime. It was pretty cool. I could feel him there.

“It was very special. His parents were there in the stands and I had a pretty good game. It helped me out.”

Solomon did play big, like he did most of his career. He scored five goals and had three assists in the 15-14 overtime loss to the eventual state champs to finish the year with 181 points and push his career total to 684 points. He is the Georgia career points and assists leader and No. 2 nationally. He also brought his game to the Under Armour All-American Game, where his four goals earned him MVP honors.

Solomon is the Warrior/US Lacrosse Magazine South Boys’ Player of the Year.

“I’d rather win the state championship than have the records,” he said. “We came close. Setting records is not the most important thing. It’s cool, but I’d rather be a winner at the end of the day.”

A team captain, Solomon led Centennial to a 19-3 finish. Two losses were to Lambert, the third to state runner-up Lassiter. The Knights won three games against out-of-state teams, including a pivotal trip in March to the King of Spring Classic, where they beat Apex (N.C.) and Bishop O’Connell (D.C.).

“He knew people were watching,” coach Bryan Wallace said. “He didn’t allow himself to have a bad day. He did what was expected with a lot of pressure from other people and a little from being a Solomon. I think that Apex game set him off in terms of how determined he was as a player and for the team.”

Solomon, who committed to North Carolina as a freshman, finished with 86 goals and 95 assists to run his career totals to 293 goals and 355 assists. He is the fifth player to surpass 600 career points, and, according to information at LaxRecords.com, he stands at No. 2 on the all-time list behind former Virginia standout Zed Williams, who finished his career at Silver Creek (N.Y.) with 729 points.

On his way to the No. 2 spot, Solomon surpassed an exclusive club that included his brother, Nathan Solomon (623), who currently plays for Syracuse and was Georgia’s all-time points leader.

“We’re pretty competitive,” Solomon said. “We go back and forth. I just texted him [after I broke his record]. He didn’t talk to me after that. Then he was like, ‘I still won the state championship and you didn’t.’”

Solomon, a pass-first player who’d rather set up the offense than look for his own goals, also finished his career No. 2 on the all-time assists list, behind Michael Sowers (Dublin, Pa.), who had 402.

“The records were going to be broken if, as a team, we did what we did,” Wallace said. “We had an excellent year as a team. We lost three games. We beat every private school on the schedule. We traveled and beat good teams. He’s a product of the success of the entire program.

“He’s the headliner. He’s the next-level player who makes everyone around him better. If we could produce, the records were going to be broken. He played as much as we needed him to. In the biggest games of the year, he showed up like we expected him to.”

Last fall, Solomon joined the Centennial football team as a placekicker, marking his first season playing football. Wallace thought that experience helped Solomon hone leadership skills that carried over into lacrosse.

Solomon, who calls himself a positive person, isn’t sure about that. But it did open doors. He’s been invited to join the UNC football team as a preferred walk-on and will be in camp as a kicker this summer.

“I went on my official visit for lacrosse and the coach let me tour with the football guys,” he said. “They said I have a spot on the team if I wanted to come out. I never thought I’d play football. Having the opportunity to is kind of fun and cool.”

WARRIOR/US LACROSSE
SOUTH BOYS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NICKY SOLOMON

School: Centennial (Ga.)

Year: Senior

Position: Attackman

Coach Bryan Wallace: “He likes playing behind the cage. He scores goals when needed. But he likes the work underneath and prides himself on having five, six assists a game. He makes everyone around him better.”

Also considered: Owen Caputo, Middle Creek (N.C.); Chase Scanlan, IMG (Fla.); Mikey Berkman, West Orange (Fla.); Eric Malever, Woodward (Ga.); Daniel Shumake, Memphis University (Tenn.); Cade Saustad, Highland Park (Texas); Wyatt Schupler, Ponte Vedra (Fla.); Sean Goldsmith, Northwest Guilford (Ga.); Tyler Carpenter, Durham Academy (N.C.); David Sprock, Dallas Jesuit (Texas).

NIKE/US LACROSSE
SOUTH BOYS’ TOP 10

SEASON REWIND

1. Lambert (Ga.), 22-0

Lambert capped a perfect season with a 12-6 win over Lassiter in the Georgia High School Association Class 6A-7A state championship game. The Longhorns advanced to the title game after edging Centennial 15-14 in overtime in the semifinals, which was their only close game of the season. They’ll lose some top players to graduation but return others like standout midfielder Benny O’Rourk and attacker Gerard Kane.

2. Jupiter (Fla.), 21-2

The Warriors beat St. Andrew’s 12-5 in the semifinals of the Florida High School Athletic Association state tournament and then knocked off Bishop Moore 11-8 to become the first public school to win the Florida boys’ championship. Top scorers Benno Janssen (49 goals, 19 assists) and Denver Aranda (41g, 22a) graduate, but Chris Radice (36g, 24a), Trevor Sousa (21g, 10a) and Max Sanderson (25g, 20a) return, along with Dylan Frankhouser (154 ground balls, 73.6 faceoff percentage).

3. Lake Norman (N.C.), 22-2

The Wildcats won their second North Carolina High School Athletic Association lacrosse championship by upending previously-unbeaten, defending champ Middle Creek. They lose leading scorer Matthew Elder (68g), but Tucker Goodelle (49g) and Drew Elder (33g, 79.3 faceoff percentage) return.

4. Middle Creek (N.C.), 21-1

The Mustangs lost the state title and a 43-game win streak in the NCHSAA state championship game, and now they must regroup after losing Owen Caputo to graduation. Caputo scored 93 goals and had 56 assists for 149 points. Jake Caputo (53g, 42a) returns, along with David Baird (43g, 9a), Graham Schwartz (188 ground balls, 78.1 faceoff percentage) and goalie Lance Skelton (157 saves, 62.3 save percentage).

5. The Woodlands (Texas), 22-1

The Highlanders beat St. Mark’s 10-6 to claim their first Texas High School Lacrosse League state championship. No Houston-area team had won a state title since St. John’s in 2006, and it had been 23 years since a public school from the city won a championship. The Woodlands had an impressive run, including a three-game sweep of California opponents on a trip west. The Highlanders’ only loss was to Highland Park in April, and they avenged that in the state semifinals.

6. St. Andrew’s (Fla.), 17-3

The Scots lost to eventual state champ Jupiter 12-5 in the FHSAA state semifinals to end their season. Their other losses were to Oxbridge Academy (Fla.), which they avenged in the regional quarterfinals, and to Boys’ Latin, ranked No. 4 nationally. The Scots lose leading scorer Carl Klepper (46g, 23a) and Justin Lugo (149 saves, 63.8 percent), but return Michael Lizzio (44g, 20a), Anthony Molle (34g, 9a) and Matt Adams (16g, 61a).

7. Lassiter (Ga.), 17-4

The Trojans withstood some early-season losses and then put together a 10-game win streak to return to the state championship game, where they lost to Lambert 12-6. During the season, they earned wins over eventual Tennessee state champ Memphis University School and highly-regarded Louisville Trinity. They’ll lose a number of top players to graduation.

8. Centennial (Ga.), 19-3

The Knights’ season ended with a 15-14 overtime loss to No. 1 Lambert in the GHSA state semifinals. The post-Solomon era begins next season as Centennial will lose Nicky Solomon to graduation. He and older brother Nathan, who graduated in 2016, have been a big part of the Knights’ success in recent years. Colin Hall (68g, 37a) also graduates. Attacker Ryan Siracusa (72g, 36a) returns.

9. Weddington (N.C.), 19-2

The Warriors won the NCHSAA 1A-3A state title for the second consecutive year. Their only losses were to Lake Norman and Middle Creek by a total of three goals. Four of their top five scorers return, led by Anthony Todaro (72g, 42a). They will have to replace graduating goalie Bryce Cheek, who had 151 saves.

10. Bishop Moore (Fla.), 19-3

The Hornets advanced to their first FHSAA final four and championship game, losing to Jupiter 11-8. Their other losses were to Oxbridge Academy and Benjamin. Leading scorer Jake Kiefer (68g, 25a) returns, as do RJ Sanfilippo (48g, 30a) and Brooks Rask (41g, 31a), Hudson Bohn (73.1 faceoff percentage). The Hornets graduate goalie Mike Randazzo (101 saves, 63.9 percent).