by TYLER HATHAWAY
ROCHESTER, N.Y– For most squads, your defense giving up an opening drive touchdown to start the game is nothing but a bad thing.
Victor came into the game and put together an emphatic five-minute drive that spanned 66 yards to take a 7-0 lead. Brighton was trailing for only the second time all season.
However, for Bruins coach Stephen Lian and his team, getting punched in the mouth might have been just what they needed. The two-time defending sectional champions stomped through the regular season and their first playoff game, with most of the starters not seeing the field in the second halves of games.
But on Friday night, Brighton was in for a dog fight.
“It’s exactly what we needed if we’re going to have a chance to go win another sectional title,” said Lian. “That’s going to be a four-quarter game. After not having had one all year, I’ve been nervous about it. I was excited to have one.”
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Lian’s Bruins responded with the complete game he wanted to earn the win. Justin Medina broke off a 35-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter before the Bruins defense got a stop as time expired as No. 1 Brighton (9-0/No. 5 NYSSWA Class A) won a hard-fought battle over visiting No. 4 Victor (6-3/No. 30 NYSSWA Class A) 21-14 in the 2026 Section V Class A1 semifinals on Friday night.
“We knew Victor was an incredible football team,” said Lian. “We knew this was going to be our biggest test so far this year. Luckily, we haven’t had to be tested like this all season, but we were ready for the challenge. We talked about all week how it was going to be a four-quarter game, and really worked on our mindset to prepare for it.”
Brighton led 14-7 going into halftime but was unable to score on either of its first two drives of the second half. It was after Victor tied the game with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter that the Bruins offense regained life, driving 55 yards in two minutes with Medina’s run helping them retake the lead.
All told, the senior finished the night with 13 carries for 144 yards and the winning score.
“I think he’s the best running back in New York,” Lian said of Medina. “Unfortunately for him, the way our games have gone he hasn’t had those gaudy stats because we’ve been resting guys most games. But to have him, we know we always have a shot.”
Medina spearheaded a rushing attack that ended the night with over 225 yards. Fellow running back Zachary Rossingol and quarterback Ethan Bialaszewski each found the endzone on the ground, and finished with 38 and 54 rushing yards respectively.
“It’s not just Medina,” said Lian. “We’ve got Zach Rossignol, and Ethan (Biaslaszewski) running the show. Those guys all compliment each other and are proud of each other. On the big run to win it, when you saw Justin breaking it, Ethan was down the field lead blocking for him. We’ve got a lot of unselfish guys.”
The Blue Devils threatened more in the first half but the Brighton defense was able to get off the field without giving up anything more than the opening drive touchdown. Victor was again moving the ball on its final drive, and got inside the Brighton 40-yard line, but the Bruins forced three incompletions in the final four plays to seal the win.
“Our defense made adjustments when they had to,” said Lian. “Our defensive staff, especially Coach Fox, our defensive coordinator, made the adjustments. We were expecting they (Victor) was going to be in heavy stuff, trying to run the ball. But they went to some empty spread stuff and slung it all over. It took us some time to adjust, but hats off to our staff and players for adjusting.”
One of the big things that helped Brighton take the lead in the first half was fourth down offense. Bialaszewski threw for a first down and ran for a touchdown on two fourth downs on their first scoring drive, and Medina had a 68-yard run on fourth and short on their second scoring drive.
“They’ve played a lot of football,” Lian said of his offense. “I mean, it’s the sectional semis, but these guys have been in sectional games, they’ve been in state playoff games. The lights are not too bright for these kids. So when you ask them to make a play on a clutch situation, they’re not afraid to make the play.”
Medina added six tackles and a sack on defense. Kadyn Buckner had nine tackles, one of which was for a loss. Leo Harris made seven tackles. Colin Rossignol, Valerio Akujuobi, Titus Nebbia, Anthony Julian, and Alberto Atwell all had five tackles each. Biaslaszewski completed six of eight passes for 52 yards.
“I’m so proud of them,” Lian said of his team. “Never at any point did they doubt that they were going to come through. They just made plays.”
For Victor, Eli Ricci ran for a touchdown and threw one to Ben Guiffre.
“Eli Ricci is an amazing football player,” said Lian. “That kid just gave us fits all night. We knew he was going to.”
Brighton will look to earn its third straight sectional championship against No. 3 seed Hilton in the 2026 Class A1 Sectional championship next Friday night at Gates Chili High School.
“I think the common thread is that our kids work hard all year,” Lian explained of how this year’s team is similar to those that won titles. “They spend a lot of time in the weight room, a lot of time in the film room, a lot of time doing whatever we need them to in the off-season. And the bond that they have, this is a year-round, however many years they’re together thing.”
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