BROCKPORT — The rematch wasn’t exactly a mismatch, but the outcome certainly favored Canandaigua Academy.
The Gray Wolves, whose 2025 season ended with a playoff loss to Brockport, fell behind early then scored four unanswered touchdowns for a 28-7 victory that made the hour-long ride home a bit more enjoyable on Friday night.
And why not? In avenging last year’s Class A semifinal loss to the Blue Devils, Canandaigua also improved to 3-0.
“We’ve got some momentum,” CA coach Jeff Welch said. “We’ve still got to find a way of starting faster and not being so tense, but we’re a young team.”
Indeed, the scoreless first quarter asserts Welch’s observation. Both sides traded punts to start the game and Brockport’s second possession was heading for another when a third-and-8 run was stuffed by the Canandaigua defense. But a personal foul extended the drive and the Blue Devils found their rhythm. Senior quarterback Mason Scott kept the Blue Devils rolling and on the first play of the second quarter, he found junior Giuseppe Marroco for the game’s first TD and a 7-0 lead.
Canandaigua’s ensuing drive stalled and it punted away again. Brockport was set to do the same, but appeared to convert on a fake punt near midfield. An ineligible player downfield on the play negated the clever call and when Canandaigua started its next drive at its own 31 following a punt, it got to work.
With effective runs by sophomore quarterback Austin Kierst mixed in with touches from senior George Mirras and junior Aleksander Hawryschuk, it set up an 18-yard scoring strike from Kierst to Landon Mortier, a sophomore tight end. And after the CA defense forced another Brockport punt, it was Hawryschuk’s 44-yard gain on a screen play that set the Gray Wolves up at the Brockport 12 with 56 seconds left in the half.
Three plays later, Kierst took it in from a yard out for a 13-7 halftime lead after the extra-point kick missed.
From there, the Gray Wolves pushed that momentum into overdrive when Mirras returned the opening kick of the second half to the Brockport 24. He capped the short drive with a speedy run around the right side on 4th-and-8 from the 8 to push CA’s lead to 21-7 following the 2-point conversion.
“That was a big swing,” Brockport coach Paul Carella said. “It was a 13-7 game at that point, and we never kick deep. The call was to pooch it and it was pooched, but the ball took a bounce and we just didn’t cover it well.”
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Brockport was poised to put itself back into contention with a solid drive that nearly set the Blue Devils up at the Canandaigua 15. Junior Wesley Childs, a wrecking ball of a runner, scampered for a big gain but the ball squirted out and Canandaigua senior Lucas Wyand recovered the fumble at the 7-yard line to end Brockport’s threat with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
Childs was injured on the play and did not return. Add in the lost fumble and the fake punt negated by penalty and the Blue Devils were not getting the breaks they needed.
“The game is funny sometimes,” said Carella. “We were in good shape with the big run and the fake punt, but things just didn’t go our way. But hats off to (Canandaigua). They came here and played a great game.”
Carella pointed especially to the play of Kierst for the Gray Wolves.
“We planned for him,” he said. “We wanted to hit him, but he finished strong.”
That strength was on full display on Canandaigua’s drive following the fumble. The young quarterback pulled off several effective runs that helped the Gray Wolves eat clock but the biggest run came on a third-and-16 that set up the clincher. Kierst scampered 32 yards on the play to the Brockport 14 and three plays later, his 1-yard plunge made it a 28-7 game with 5:10.
“He’s a special player,” Welch said of Kierst, who finished with 99 rushing yards on 22 carries and completed 9 of 11 passes for 115 yards. “He’s obviously talented and skilled, but the fire and the competitiveness are what sets him apart.”
Canandaigua forced another Brockport punt with 2:36 left and nearly added another score when Hawryschuk broke free from the Brockport 46 but ended at the 1 when he was tackled. From there, the Gray Wolves ran out the clock.
Canandaigua, which returns home Friday night for a Week 4 game against Greece Arcadia, also got 33 yards on four carries and a 44-yard pass reception from Mirras.
Brockport falls to 1-2 and is on the road next Saturday at Eastridge.
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