By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
The inherent challenges of coaching at a Rochester charter school make success even sweeter for the University Preparatory Charter (UPrep) Griffins.
“We bus to practice; we don’t have our own field,” Griffins head coach Isiah Young explained. “Day in and day out, there’s something they’ve got to deal with. To come out here and put it all together and bring home a championship, it just means the world. I couldn’t be prouder.”
UPrep’s offense exploded in the second half, scoring 32 unanswered points after being tied with Brighton 8-8 at halftime. The Griffins won 40-8 at Eastridge High School to claim the Section V Class A1 championship, the first sectional title in school history.
“It feels great, man. I feel wonderful,” senior Mark McClary remarked. “After all the adversity we’ve faced the last couple years, we finally got one.”
Todd Gillam Jr. opened the game by returning Preston Wittmeyer’s kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, the last score UPrep obtained until the third quarter. The Griffins led until there were six minutes and 45 seconds left in the first half, when Tahj Jackson took a direct snap in for a goal-line touchdown and passed the two-point conversion to regular quarterback Brennan Clasgens to tie the score.
UPrep’s defense turned in a stout performance, forcing two punts and a turnover on downs in the second half while intercepting passes on Brighton’s last two drives in the fourth quarter. The offense emerged after halftime; Gillam Jr. scored two more touchdowns (from scrimmage this time) while McClary and Christopher Jean each found the end zone.
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The Bruins hadn’t allowed more than 24 points in a single game this season, holding UPrep to 19 points in a two-point win on Sept. 10. UPrep not only scored five touchdowns but also converted all five of its two-point conversions.
“The line was the main key, because we’ve gotta give the quarterback the time to pass the ball and we’ve gotta give the running backs opportunities to run the ball,” McClary assessed. “The line did a great job tonight.”
Considering the close nature of their previous matchup and Brighton’s unblemished record entering the final, a 40-8 final score was not on UPrep’s mind when it got to Eastridge. The defensive strategy of keying on Clasgens and Jackson and preventing most of the chunk plays they have made habit this season fueled the defense to a nearly flawless performance.
“I thought it was gonna be a dogfight,” McClary acknowledged. “But second half, we came ready to play and [Brighton] wasn’t ready to play.”
Sectional playoff success had eluded many of the current Griffins, who fell to Livonia in the second round of the 2019 tournament and lost to HF-L in the 2018 first round. UPrep was not even included in a condensed spring season bracket despite a 5-1 record, which motivated them to win it all seven months later.
Young’s players mischievously executed a water jug shower on him in the waning moments, to the delight of the UPrep fan section. The sub-40-degree temperatures made for a chilly, victorious moment.
“Not at the moment, but about 30 seconds or so it sunk in,” Young recalled. “It was very cold.”
UPrep advances to the state qualifier next Friday, where it will meet Class A2 champion Canandaigua at Webster Schroeder High School.
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