October 2, 2026

Cliff Hickman, Canton Repository

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Points pile up as a record falls in McKinley football’s win over Hoover

CANTON — Incredible highlights. Broken records. A Federal League win.

The McKinley High School football team delivered all of that and more in an emphatic 35-7 victory over Hoover on Friday. The Bulldogs improved to 6-1 overall and are a perfect 4-0 in Federal League play.

How good has McKinley been in the Federal League? The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 147-21 in league games this season.

Running back Kyelin West and wide receiver Darius Hill have played a big part in McKinley’s high-scoring offense this season and that continued Friday.

Hill broke the school record for career receptions during the victory over Hoover. Hill caught nine passes for 162 yards, pushing his career total to 109 receptions and moving him past the previous record holder Keith Quincy (107). Hill set the record on a drive that saw him snag three consecutive passes, including a 52-yard touchdown.

“It means a lot to me,” Hill said. “I put a lot of work in to get that record.”

Hill averaged 18 yards per catch in an offense that has been nearly impossible to contain this season.

“That’s an awesome accomplishment,” McKinley head coach Renzy Parnell said. “That’s an all-time record. It’s just incredible. I’m so proud of him. He has worked his butt off to get where he is at. He’s an ultra-talented kid. I can tell you that.”

Hill wasn’t the only Bulldog player to make waves. Running back Kyelin West continued his incredible season with 161 yards and three rushing touchdowns against Hoover. West may have also had the highlight of the season after rolling over the back of a Hoover tackler and exploding through the arms of another on the way to a 76-yard touchdown run.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like that in the course of a high school game,” Parnell said. “I tell you what, the Big 10 schools better start paying attention. The young man is just awesome. It was crazy.”

Teammates are used to incredible performances by West but even they were surprised by the athleticism West showed on that run.

“I was pretty shocked by that,” Hill said. “I expected him to go down after he got knocked off his feet but at the end of the day it’s Kyelin West we are talking about.”

As the calendar flips to October we move into the spooky season. That’s fitting for a Bulldog offense that may have some room to grow. A scary thought for upcoming opponents.

“I thought we played pretty well tonight,” Hill said. “I think we could have been better in some places. I think we could have put more points up but we’ll try to get those plays back next week.”

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Source: Canton Repository