Macks fall in FWR game vs Brighton

The McKinley Macks’ dream season came to a close in the Far West Regionals on Friday night, falling 42-14 to the Brighton Bruins of Section V at All High Stadium.

The loss ends a campaign that saw the Macks win a sectional title for the first time in school history and is no doubt a bitter pill to swallow for coach Brian Davis and company.

”We were flat and we didn't come to play tonight,” Davis said. “I thought that our speed and our toughness was going to be able to be enough to win but it wasn't. The big thing for us is going be emphasizing the weight room in the offseason.

“But I think we had a really good season in winning a sectional championship. I'm really proud of the guys. They had a chip on their shoulders going into the season and they kept that chip all the way up until the end.”

Right from the beginning, the Macks found themselves down by a large margin and couldn’t overcome it. Less than a minute into the game, the Bruins got on the scoreboard first via a 46-yard touchdown run by Zack Rossignol and followed it up when quarterback Ethan Bialaszewski found both Leo Hopkins and Brandon Kemp from 22 and 46 yards, respectively, to give Brighton a three-score lead.

While the Macks wouldn’t give in – a 14-yard hookup between Kalaugn Ford and Marcus Daniels prevented a shutout late in the second quarter – that was all they could muster. Justin Medina got into the end zone twice in the second half on a pair of short runs and Rossignol picked up his second rushing touchdown of the night from 15 yards away.

Anthony Moore III added a rushing score of his own late in the fourth quarter for McKinley.

Not only does the loss end a fabulous season for the Macks, but it also ends the playing career of Cardel Staples, who had been one of McKinley’s best weapons over the last three years.

“Staples had an excellent career by breaking the school record for most receiving yards in a season,” Davis said. “He's been spectacular. I couldn't ask for more out of a kid to give me for his last year than he did. 

“He did it all for us. Offensively, he played receiver, running back and he could even play a little quarterback for us sometimes. So I'm very proud of him.”

The chip the team carried on its shoulder will need to be there again in 2026, and Davis believes this loss will serve as fuel for his underclassmen to succeed even more.

“I truly believe that our junior class is going to be full of guys who are going to be hungry,” Davis said. “I think they’re going to become a senior class that is going to hold everybody accountable. They're very prideful and we’re going to bring a lot of kids back next year. So that's a positive sign for us going forward.”