QUICK HITS: MCKINLEY MACKS STUN HEALTH SCIENCES, WIN CLASS A

ORCHARD PARK — On a night for surprises and inspired underdogs, McKinley pulled the biggest stunner of all Thursday night, blowing out previously unbeaten Health Sciences, 38-14, in the Section VI Class A championship game at Highmark Stadium.

Senior Cardel Staples, the best Division I prospect to come out of McKinley in years, had 116 yards rushing, two sensational TD catches and a one-handed interception (he also punts). The Macks, now 9-2, won their first-ever sectional title. They’ll move on to play the winner of Friday’s Section V ‘A’ final between East/World of Inquiry and Brighton in next week’s Far West regionals.

In all three games Thursday, an unbeaten favorite that had scored more than 40 points in a rout of its opponent during the regular season came out flat offensively in the sectional final. In the “A” final, it was Health Science’s turn to suffer its worst offensive first half of the season.

The Falcons beat McKinley in early October, 44-20. But the Macks smoked them in the first half Thursday, outgaining them, 224-100, and running out to a 30-6 halftime lead. Kalaugn Ford, who had a combined 3,000 yards rushing and passing in the regular season, tossed three TD passes in the first two quarters.

Staples, who has offers from the University at Buffalo and Wofford, made a leaping catch in the end zone on a throw from Ford in the first quarter. Early in the second, Ford bumped into a teammate in the backfield, then found a wide-open Tayon Mullen for a 56-yard TD that made it 16-0.

After Kaivohn Pitts’s 50-yard TD dash cut the deficit to 16-6, Jemere Hill scored from a yard out to make it 22-6. That score was set up by Ford’s 33-yard pass to a leaping Mullen, who had two catches for 89 yards in the first half after managing just four catches for 40 yards the entire regular season.

Late in the half, Ford heaved the football up toward the left corner of the end zone for Staples, who made another circus catch for a 26-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion by Anthony Moore made it 30-6. Health Sciences, perhaps in shock, fumbled the ensuing kickoff. McKinley recovered, but knelt rather than run another play before half.

Health Sciences (10-1) mounted a modest drive to start the second half. But junior defensive end Kamron Minter, who had a solid all-around game, jarred the ball loose from Amare Ridgeway and McKinley recovered. Moore scored from the 1 on the ensuing drive to make it 38-6, Macks.

Makari Smith hauled in a 21-yard TD pass from Jordan Oliver midway through the fourth quarter for Health Sciences to close out the scoring.

Images/Damone Mayfield ~ Mayfield Media/Special to WNYAthletics