By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Five offensive plays into Friday’s matchup and UPrep’s Gavin White had already rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
And the junior quarterback was just getting started.
White scored four times as the Griffins erased an early deficit and went on to defeat Pittsford, 39-21 in Section V Football action from the Rochester Community Sports Complex.
“He’s arguably the best athlete in New York State,” said UPrep head coach Isiah Young. “He’s a walking touchdown.”
After Pittsford opened the scoring with a five-play 51-yard drive, White took UPrep’s first snap from center and went 64 yards for a touchdown.
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“It’s huge,” Young said of his quarterback’s quick-strike ability. “It’s momentum. They go down and score off the kickoff. On the sideline, you could feel it. It was deflating. Then first play, bang. He’s gone. All of a sudden, the energy’s back up. It can flip a game really quickly when you got a kid like that.”
White’s second touchdown was a 72-yard jaunt that again came on the first play of a drive.
“My coach called the right play,” he said crediting his offensive line that includes returning starters Isaiah Brookins, Cashmere Williams and Vic Saunders. “I saw the gap, and I took it. My pullers, Cash and Isaiah, they made the great blocks, and I just had the crease and I took it.”
Young also noted the UPrep offensive line that created space for White.
“They’re a very solid group upfront. He was running through some pretty big holes. The offensive line had a day.”
That offensive line was able to neutralize Pittsford’s defense.
“It’s a complex defense that Pittsford runs,” Young said of the Panthers 3-5-3. “You don’t see an odd-front often. They were able to communicate well and play as a unit. They bring a lot of pressures and stunts That was really what I was nervous about, playing a front like that.”
The UPrep line cleared the way for White to gain 224 yards on eight carries. His fourth touchdown was from 50 yards out.
Gavin White breaks a tackle in the backfield, gets to the outside and goes 50 yards for his fourth touchdown of the game. PAT is good 1:39 remaining in the third @UprepFball 33-14. pic.twitter.com/arOW5wF9O8
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 12, 2025
“They’re like the mama, and I’m the baby,” White said. “They got to protect me in as many ways as possible.”
A Ja’Meer Walters interception gave UPrep the ball at Pittsford’s 49-yard line. Six plays later Kamari Miller found the end zone. Less than a minute before halftime, the Griffins had their first lead of the game at 18-14. They scored the next 21 points.
Ja’Kai Moss stopped Pittsford’s first drive of the second half with an interception. UPrep went 60 yards in six plays. White scored from a yard out. After a two-point conversion, the Griffins had a 26-14 lead.
“Either we were going to lose, or we were going to fight back,” White said echoing his comments to his teammates at halftime. “We fought back with the same aggression they had and a little bit more.”
White completed 7-of-10 passes for 105 yards.
Briyceton Thomas rushed for 95 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries. Thomas also had eight tackles including three solo efforts.
Thomas Levans III made six catches for 87 yards.
Walters also caught a pass for 15 yards to go with four tackles and an interception. Moss had five tackles to go with his interception. AJ Cotton accounted for three tackles and an interception.
Pittsford’s Brody Pusateri connected with Ashton Hanlon to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead. Two drives later, Jaxon Bernas scored from a yard out for a 14-6 Pittsford advantage.
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