University Prep avenges Hilton to reach championship: Top games from Section V semifinals

ROCHESTER — University Prep players like Tavion Byrd and Tyrell Simmons danced around the Rochester Community Sports Complex with their teammates singing, "We goin' to the ship!"

Simmons said he couldn't sleep the night before their Section V Class AA semifinal against Hilton. Not only was a Class AA finals berth on the line. The Griffins had a chance to avenge their only loss.

On Friday, the second-seeded Griffins came alive in the second half as Byrd and CJ Robinson engineered touchdown drives during a 22-14 come-from-behind win over No. 3 Hilton. The Griffins will meet four-time champion McQuaid — a 35-14 winner over Aquinas — in next week's final. In 2022, UPrep defeated McQuaid 36-30 in the regular season. They haven't played each other since.

Kamari Miller and Isaiah Moonschein's defense pitched a second half shutout. Juelz Russell intercepted a pass inside his own 10 early in the fourth. On Hilton's final drive, Simmons played end and safety, recording a sack and then deflecting a fourth down pass in the end zone.

UPrep coach Isiah Young guided his Griffins (9-1) to a second section final in three seasons — UPrep won Class A1 in 2021 — thanks to center Dallas Harris' line leading a 250-yard rushing game and opportunistic passing game. Jayvon Johnson's 28-yard touchdown reception gave UPrep a 15-14 lead. Robinson scored twice. His first was a heads-up play recovering Byrd's fumble in the end zone, then his 25-yard rush gave the Griffins a one touchdown lead with 4:19 left in the third.

Section V's top performances Friday: East's Ervin Wiggins dominates semifinals with 3 TDs

Young praised Hilton coach Rich Lipani's Cadets (7-3), whose offensive line makes them difficult to prepare for. Running back Robert Lowry matched Robinson's 200-yard performance, but Hilton had one too many empty red zone trips to keep up. The Cadets won the 2022 Section V Class A title.

UPrep and McQuaid will meet in the Class AA final at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at Victor.

"The key was to stop them on early downs and match their physicality," Young said. "They're a physical team. They're going to come at you and they're going to hit you. We showed we're just as physical. Everyone knows about all the athletes we have around the field, but we can play that style of football if we need to as well."

McQuaid 35, Aquinas 14

The Knights have won the last four Section V Class AA championships and are now one win away from a fifth.

McQuaid led 10-0 through the first quarter but trailed by four at halftime. Control of the game in the second half went to the Knights, who scored 25 points as the team's defense shutout rival Aquinas.

Freshman quarterback Trent Buttles was the leading rusher for Aquinas with 29 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Darrion Battle, the top Aquinas ballcarrier for the season, had 26 yards on eight carries.

East/World of Inquiry 30, Canandaigua 14

Ervin Wiggins scored three touchdowns during the first half to launch the East High/World of Inquiry Eagles into the Section V Class A final.

The Eagles (10-0), the tournament No. 2 seed, face either No. 4 Brighton, 7 p.m. November 10 at Fairport High. No. 2 Canandaigua, winner of sectional titles each of the last four seasons, is 7-3, including a 31-27 loss to East High/World of Inquiry during the regular season. Canandaigua's other loss this fall was to Section V Class AA finalist University Prep.

Wiggins put East High/Word of Inquiry into the lead on the second play from scrimmage. Senior quarterback Zymier Jackson threw a long pass to Wiggins near the Canandaigua sidelines for a 62-yard scoring play.

Canandaigua answered with a 65-yard scoring drive that took 8:02 in the first quarter. Trey Comella reached the end zone on the 15th play of the possession, from one-yard out on fourth down-and-goal.

The Eagles were ahead 14-7 after Jackson rolled to his right at the Canandaigua 16-yard line and threw a pass into the end zone grabbed by Wiggins with 10:47 to play in the second quarter.

Three plays into Canandaigua's next possession, Wiggins stepped in front of a pass and returned the interception for a touchdown.

Penalties and a short punt set up Canandaigua at the East High/World of Inquiry 25-yard line with 4:19 remaining in the half. Canandaigua made it to the 8-yard line but later turned the ball over on downs.

The next possession for East High/World of Inquiry turned into a touchdown, as the Eagles moved 75 yards during the final 1:25 of the half. A 31-yard reception to Wiggins, plus a catch and carry out of the backfield by Anthony Diaz moved the ball to the Canandaigua 8.

One play later, Jackson took off for the end zone from there and made it, as he hit was hit at the goal line near a pylon with 25 seconds remaining in the first half.

Brighton 35, Victor 13

The Bruins are in position to win the team's first Section V championship after pulling away at No. 1 seed Victor (9-1).

"They are excited for sure," Brighton coach Steve Lian said. "After having to play McQuaid and other teams, and bounce back, they feel that they can play with anybody."

No. 4 Brighton (7-3) trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter when the Blue Devils scored on a halfback pass. Brighton junior Wesley Sturrup returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown.

The return was the first of five unanswered touchdowns scored by the Bruins. Victor was limited to three offensive plays in the third quarter.

Brighton faces No. 2 seed East High/World of Inquiry for the Class A sectional title, 7 p.m. November 10 at Fairport High.

"Now, we have to play against (East High/WOI quarterback) Zymier (Jackson), (receiver) Anthony Diaz and those guys," Lian said. "It's going to be different than playing Victor on the ground."

Honeoye Falls-Lima 26, Batavia 20

Matt Meacham threw touchdown passes to Keaton Yates and Landon Hammond as the Cougars (8-2) clinched a Section V Class B finals berth riding an eight-game winning streak.

Ben Cook and Conor Finn each scored a rushing touchdown as HF-L beat Batavia (7-3) for the second time this season and officially dethrone the champs. The Cougars' beat Batavia for their most recent championship in the spring 2021 season. Batavia won the rematch that fall.

HF-L awaits Saturday's Monroe-Wayne winner. The Class B final is at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at SUNY Brockport.

Attica/Alexander 42, Letchworth/Perry/Warsaw 0

Running back Landyn Thomas led a 371 rushing night for the Blue Devils, who will defend their Class C title against unbeaten LeRoy — a 37-6 winner over East Rochester/Gananda.

Trent Woods returned two of his three interceptions for touchdowns and also scored a rushing touchdown. Sam Strezlec added two rushing touchdowns for the 9-1 Blue Devils.

Attica coach Jeff Cusmano will guide the Blue Devils into their first title defense at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at SUNY Brockport. Their lone loss was to LeRoy.

York-Pavilion 28, Batavia Notre Dame 14

Parker Bonefede threw two of his three touchdown passes to Jake Pangrazio as York/Pavilion (9-1) enters Section V Class D final riding an eight-game winning streak. York won a sectional title in 1990.

Y/P will play Canisteo-Greenwood — a 20-6 winner over Avon — in the Class D final at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 at SUNY Brockport.

“Another Friday night and another gutty performance from the boys, not an easy job to beat a team three times in a year," Y-P coach Kurt Schneider said, "and credit to ND, they are a good squad who played well and gave us a great battle all year. We obviously have some things to clean up, we had too many mistakes, but we still found a way to pull out the win in the end and that's really all that matters. Always, we are going to enjoy the evening and then it's back to the grind."

Pembroke 70, Bolivar-Richburg 30

The top-seeded Dragons successfully defended their 8-Man championship with a perfect 10-0 season.

Tyson Totten, a section champion in multiple sports, ran amuck throughout his 394-yard, eight-touchdown performance to five Pembroke back-to-back Section V titles. Coach Brandon Ricci's Dragons will play Section VI's Frewsburg in the Far West Regionals at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 at Pittsford Sutherland.

Bolivar-Richburg coach Steve Smith's second-seeded Wolverines (6-3) led 16-7 through the first quarter.

Palmyra-Macedon 9, Newark/Marion 7

The Pal-Mac Red Raiders won this matchup between independent teams which are sitting out the Section V tournaments.

Brennan Pipitone, a senior, kicked a 17-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give the win to the Red Raiders.

Dominick Wilson scored a touchdown at the end of a 47-yard run in the first quarter, as Newark/Marion took a 7-0 lead. The Red Raiders scored their comeback in the fourth, beginning with a touchdown run by senior running back Evan Lent.

Pal-Mac (8-0) defeated Newark/Marion (5-4) last week 35-3.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V football: Top semifinals games from Friday Nov. 3 2023