Davis Leads Macks to Section VI Class A Title

The third time’s the charm for McKinley.

Since joining Section VI in 2012, the McKinley Macks have reached the Section VI Class A title game at Highmark Stadium three times. Despite losses to South Park in 2019 and Sweet Home a year ago, the Macks were never deterred from achieving their ultimate goal.

In 2025, however, the tide has turned. For the first time in program history, McKinley can call themselves a sectional champion after prevailing over the Health Sciences/BASC/Charter Falcons 38-14 on Thursday night.

“It feels amazing to get this win as a program,” coach Brian Davis said. “We’ve been so close for a couple of years, and to finally get over the hump feels great for the city and the community.”

Davis’ players echoed that sentiment.

“It’s a blessing,” quarterback Kalugn Ford said. “We stick together as a family and a team.

It’s very nice to see the stadium, I appreciate it and we’re going to enjoy this.”

“You don't want to lose here two times in a row – crying in front of your parents, the fans and the cheerleaders,” fullback Jamere Hill said. “That sucked. That's the worst feeling ever in life, and we didn’t want to have that happen again.”

Additionally, the contest served as a way to exact revenge. The Macks fell to the Falcons 44-20 back in Week Five, and Davis knew it would serve as motivation for his roster.

“That loss stung, so we wanted a rematch with them and we got it,” Davis said. “The kids were up for it all week, and I couldn't ask for a better week of practice.

“(Health Sciences) has two really good running backs, and we knew that if we could stop the run and make them pass that we would have a chance at winning. The first game we were shooting ourselves in the foot, and we wanted to try to be perfect this week coming into this game.”

Right from the get-go, the Macks took control of the matchup and never let go. A 17-yard pass from Ford into the corner of the end zone to Cardel Staples in the first quarter and a 56-yard strike from Ford to Tayvon Mullen in the second immediately gave McKinley a two-score lead.

The Falcons’ Kaivohn Pitts answered back on a 50-yard run to daylight a little more than two minutes later, but two more touchdowns – a one-yard punch-in by Hill and another hookup between Ford and Staples from 26 yards out helped the Macks stake out a 30-6 halftime lead.

Staples’ performance – which also included an interception in the second half – cemented his standing as a Connolly Cup finalist, according to Davis.

“If this didn't make everybody a believer that he should be a finalist, I don't know what will,” Davis said. “He played lights-out on both sides of the ball. He's been with us for four years, and it's been proven that he's put in the work and how much he’s changed from his freshman year all the way to his senior.

“He’s a great player and I’m glad we have him.”

Anthony Moore III capped off the scoring for McKinley on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter and Jordan Oliver found Macari Smith from 21 yards away to accumulate the final points of the night for Health Sciences.

Davis, in his seventh season at the helm of the Macks, marveled at how far his program has come.

“My first year here we started 9-0, came to the stadium and lost, and then when Covid-19 hit a year later it pretty much became a rebuilding year,” Davis said. “We literally took those guys that were sophomores – we pretty much had a junior varsity team – and we just had to start all the way from the bottom and build it all the way back up. And the last two years, we’ve shown that we’ve got something here.”

Images/Emily Croisdale ~ WNYAthletics