Pickin' Splinters

Rochester's Independent Sports Source

Parks leads second-half rally; Brighton football claims first title in program history

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Game MVP Gavin Parks (13) rushed for 241 and two touchdowns on 21 carries as the Brighton Bruins defeated Canandaigua, 28-7 in the Section V Class A championship from Bob Boozer Field on the SUNY Brockport campus, Saturday, November 16th, 2024. (Photo: STEVEN TWARDZIK)

By PAUL GOTHAM

BROCKPORT, N.Y. — Gavin Parks had already taken his place among the history pages of Brighton High School athletics as the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Saturday evening on SUNY Brockport’s Bob Boozer Field, the senior running back etched his name in Bruins’ lore.

Parks rushed for 241 yards on the night. None more significant than his jaunt late in the fourth quarter.

With Brighton clinging to a 14-7 lead, Parks took a handoff from teammate Grady Hopkin and cut to his right.

He brushed off a would-be tackler before sprinting to the edge and turning upfield.

What happened next is something usually only reserved for fairy tales. Parks scampered along the sideline leaving behind all defenders.

And with each stride one could sense decades of frustration being lifted.

“When you need a play, you give it to 13,” Brighton head coach Stephen Lian said referring to the uniform number worn by Parks. “He takes care of the rest. I just knew he was going to break it for us.”

Parks went 84 yards on the run. After a successful point-after attempt, Brighton had a two-possession lead on the way to 28-7 victory and a Section V Class A championship.

“He’s the best player in Section V,” Lian said. “He’s been the best running back since he put on a uniform for us. He’s the best running back in the history of our school, and we’ve had some good ones.”

Brighton had reached the sectional finals on three separate occasions in the past decade. Each time to be turned away. A year ago, they dropped a 25-8 decision to eventual NYS Class A semifinalist, East/WOIS.

“We’ve been on the other side of that trophy presentation,” Lian said. “A lot of these players, this is their third finals that they’ve been a part of. They’ve been a part of the other side for two years. It’s everything you can do to not to ever feel that again. It’s been everything.”

The frustration helped produce Saturday’s title-winning performance, the first in program history.

“There’s just a feeling that you have when you see your seniors from last year be done with football,” Parks said. “We didn’t ever want to have that feeling, so we’re just going to keep playing and keep winning.”

It didn’t look like a Brighton victory early in the game.

Canandaigua quarterback Drew Williamee scored on a nine-yard keeper to give the Gray Wolves a 7-0 lead with 5:54 to go in the first quarter.

After a stop on defense, Canandaigua (9-2) had another drive into Brighton territory before stalling at the Bruins’ 37.

Still leading by a touchdown, the Gray Wolves drove to the Brighton 24-yard line midway through the second quarter. Williamee dropped back on first down and was hit by Matthew Heininger. The subsequent pass floated in the air, and Brighton’s Queyanu McDermott took advantage for an interception.

A trio of Brighton defenders surround Canandaigua’s Nathan Brinza (8). (Photo: STEVEN TWARDZIK)

Coming out of the locker room at halftime, Brighton took the kickoff and went 63 yards in four plays.

“We were down last week, so our guys never doubted,” Lian said referring to the Bruins 21-20 victory over Monroe. “Offensively, we had a couple miscues, some untimely penalties, some dropped snaps that we knew weren’t us. We knew as soon as we got the ball, we could just do what we do. We’d be fine and that’s exactly what happened.”

Parks started the drive with a 27-yard run and capped it with 25-yard rush for Brighton’s first score of the day.

“We didn’t do anything crazy, nothing that we didn’t try to do in the first half,” Lian said. “It was just, ‘hey, we made the mistakes, the jitters are out, you guys know we’re fine. Just be you.’ We didn’t do anything we haven’t been running all season long. We just came out and executed with confidence.”

“First half we held them in check a little bit,” said Canandaigua head coach Jeff Welch. “That first drive (of the second half) was well-executed. They’re very good. Their scheme is good. They’re very good upfront. They got a really good back, and they just executed in that first drive as they would want to.”

Noah Wagner’s 58-yard punt return set up the go-ahead score for Brighton.

From there, the Bruins needed seven plays to go 32 yards. Heininger scored on third and goal from the one for a 14-7 lead.

Brighton stopped Canandaigua on the next drive, but a 48-yard punt from Williamee hemmed the the Bruins in at their own 10-yard line.

Three plays later, Parks broke into the open to give the Bruins a commanding lead.

“Honestly, I thought I was toast in the backfield,” Parks said. “I got by one kid, and my boy Wes (Sturrup) had the best block I’ve ever seen, sprung me for like 70 yards. That’s good blocking to be honest.”

Hopkin scored the final touchdown on a 28-yard quarterback keeper.

Heininger finished with 11 tackles. Kaleb Matthews had 12, and Zahmar Tookes accounted for six stops.

Canandaigua’s Williamee rushed for 150 yards on 24 carries. Trey Comella had 71 yards on 13 carries.

Brighton (11-0) will face Section VI champion Sweet Home in the NYS Class Far West Regional next Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff at SUNY Brockport.

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