UPrep earns program's second 'Shot at a 'ship': What we learned in Week 10

A television station awarded University Prep's junior running back CJ Robinson a trophy after beating Canandaigua in Week 2.

Robinson held the trophy high to celebrate with his Griffins, but only for a few seconds before some teammates abruptly ended the party.

"That's not the brick!" they said.

Well, nine weeks later, UPrep is one win away from getting their hands on a second Section V brick in three seasons. They'll have to find a way to dethrone John Harding's unbeaten, four-time Class AA champion McQuaid Knights (10-0) first.

Following a win over Hilton in the Section V Class AA semifinals, UPrep coach Isiah Young — who guided the Griffins to their first championship when they won Class A1 in the fall 2021 season — explained how playing for another championship is motivation enough.

"They've got a shot at a 'ship," Young said Friday night. "This is what all the hard work leading up to the season is for. Ain't much need to be said besides that."

The 'Tyrell Simmons Factor'

Young has never seen the coverages senior Tyrell Simmons receives weekly.

UPrep (9-1) discovered ways to be effective when their star receiver is double-teamed. Young called it the "Tyrell Simmons factor." Safety help on the 6-foot-3 Simmons leads to lighter boxes, which has fueled Robinson's 500 rushing yards in two postseason games.

Senior receiver Juelz Russell faces doubles too, but often takes advantage of single coverages alongside Jayvon Johnson and Ja'yvion Sampson when Simmons is the focus. On Friday, Simmons and Russell motioned often to uncover coverages. Simmons made his bread catching screens and flares while Tavion Byrd fed Russell and Johnson downfield to overcome a 14-8 halftime deficit.

Defensively, Simmons couldn't be avoided. At defensive end, Simmons forced a fumble at the goal line on the opening drive and registered a sack on Hilton's (7-3) desperation drive. Two plays later, Simmons moved to safety and deflected a pass in the end zone on fourth down.

"A lot of people think I'm joking when I say it, but I've really never seen some of the coverages I've seen until this year with (Simmons). It's definitely different," Young said. "Everybody wants the ball. ... But to his credit he takes it in stride and does whatever he can to make us win."

Return of the Wildcat?

UPrep brought out the Wildcat as it attempted to extend its lead in the fourth.

Robinson took the shotgun snaps, calling his own number or handing off to Russell on jet sweeps, as Dallas Harris, Dezmere Favor, Alex Laboy and Isaiah Moonschein — UPrep's "heart and soul" who missed Week 8 with an injury — lead blocking before the drive stalled inside the 5.

UPrep — and Brighton — fans may remember Todd Gillam Jr. winning MVP honors of the 2021 Section V Class A1 final after engineering the Wildcat that helped the Griffins turn a tie to a 32-point win.

"It's something we've tried to hold on to so when teams see it, it's the first time they're seeing it," Young said.

In 2022, UPrep began 9-0 before losing the Class AA semifinals. This fall, Robert Lowry's Hilton Cadets beat the Griffins in Week 8, but UPrep's defense won the early downs and turnover battle in winning a 22-14 rematch in the semifinals, clinching a finals berth with its slimmest margin of victory of the season.

Can Rochester city schools crown a champ?

Will East High or Monroe end the Rochester City School District's Section V football title drought?

Zymier Jackson's East Eagles (10-0) will have to find a way to beat Gavin Parks' Brighton (7-3) team in the Class A finals. East's last Section V title came in 2005. Brighton seeks its first title.

Class B's Monroe (9-0) is on a historic run. Messiah Hampton's Red Jackets have outscored teams 444-6. Their Class B finals foe Honeoye Falls-Lima (8-2) is the only team to score on Monroe.

By Saturday night's kickoff, over two months would have past since the Red Jackets were scored on. This marks Monroe's second straight finals appearance, searching for its first title since 1979. HF-L's lone title came in the spring 2021 season.

Wilson was the last city school to win a Section V title when coach Greg Mortier guided the Wildcats to the 2017 Class A crown.

Coach Deuschle retires from Webster Thomas

Webster Thomas coach Scott Deuschle announced his retirement Wednesday.

Deuschle has been the Titans' only head coach through the program's first 22 seasons. He won Section V Class AA championships in 2004 and 2005.

A coach for 27 years total, Deuschle took over the newly formed Thomas program with freshmen and sophomores in 2001 after the Webster schools split. He'll end his career with exactly 100 wins, reaching the milestone with a comeback win over Penfield at home on Sept. 14.

A cancer survivor, Deuschle never stopped coaching after receiving the news of head and neck cancer in the summer of 2022. The Wilmot Cancer Center gave Deuschle a clean bill of health in September. Deuschle and the Webster community recently raised over $4,600 for the Wilmot Cancer Center.

“For those people that are going through this, just fight like hell. It’s daunting and the people in your family that help you. It’s harder on them, I think,” Deuschle told WHEC.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V football: UPrep earns second shot at a championship