Western New York high school football season preview

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- It's that time of year again.

The opening week of high school football in Western New York kicks off Thursday night and continues into the weekend with dozens of games.

Here's a breakdown of the teams and players to keep an eye on in Section VI and Monsignor Martin football this season.

Class AA

Defending champion: Bennett
Teams to watch: Bennett, Lancaster, Orchard Park
Player to watch: E'Ryan Lawrence, WR/RB, Bennett
Game to watch: Bennett at Lancaster, Oct. 4

Bennett and Lancaster have combined to win the last eight Class AA titles, and there's a decent chance that trend continues.

The Tigers have won the last three championships, downing the Legends in each matchup, and have been the consensus top public school team in the area. Bennett comes into this season having lost some notable talent to graduation in 2023 Connolly Cup winner Ja'Meer Thomas and leading tackler Kahmari Cook, while standout cornerback Demari Clemons and starting quarterback Sherrad Bernard III also departed, transferring to Massillon in Ohio. They do return a Connolly Cup preseason favorite in E'Ryan Lawrence, who led the Tigers in rushing and was second in receiving a season ago, as well as running back and safety Noah McDuffie.

Lancaster, led by head coach Eric Rupp, is bringing back its starting quarterback Alex Krupa and two leading receivers from a season ago, but lost leading rusher Chris Gill to graduation. The Legends will look to make their ninth straight sectional title game appearance this year.

Another team to keep an eye on is Orchard Park, which brings back starting quarterback Brady Ciano, along with its leading rushers and receivers from a 6-4 campaign. Jamestown is coming off a 7-3 season and should not be taken lightly despite losing some notable talent to graduation.

Class A

Defending champion: Clarence
Teams to watch: Clarence, Starpoint, West Seneca West
Player to watch: Bryce Tubin, QB, Clarence
Game to watch: Clarence at West Seneca West, Sept. 27

Clarence is coming off a sectional title last season and looks poised to make it two in a row. Making a run at a state championship is possible.

The Red Devils bring back Western New York's leading passer from a season ago in quarterback Bryce Tubin, who threw for 2,464 yards and 23 touchdowns. That's combined with their two leading rushers, second-leading receiver and a number of linemen all returning as well.

Starpoint returns some talent, most notably linebacker Lucas Lombardo who was second in Section VI with 123 total tackles last season. West Seneca West came within a touchdown of upsetting the Red Devils in last year's sectional semifinal and will likely be a noteworthy challenger.

Sweet Home, featuring three-year starting quarterback Rocco Panepinto who is on pace to break the school's passing yards record this year, could also be a threat to the defending champions.

Class B

Defending champion: Health Sciences
Teams to watch: Health Sciences, Maryvale, Pioneer
Players to watch: Brayden Tryon, RB, Maryvale; Gavin Schwab, QB, Pioneer
Game to watch: Health Sciences at Clarence, Oct. 3

It's shaping up to be a three-way battle for the Class B title this year, as Maryvale, Pioneer and defending champion Health Sciences all boast strong cases to be the favorite. With none of the three playing each other in the regular season, any potential matchup among the three will have to wait until the playoffs.

The Flyers stand out most with the talent they return: a two-pronged rushing attack in Brayden Tryon, who was tied for second in Section VI with 24 rushing touchdowns a season ago, and Isaiah Hill, as well as leading tackler Avery Cruz.

Pioneer suffered a major loss with running back Dalton Giboo graduating, but do bring back his younger brother, Karter, who led the team with 91 total tackles. Panthers quarterback Gavin Schwab enters his senior season after leading Section VI in touchdown/interception ratio (24 to 2).

Health Sciences might have lost the most firepower of the three schools, with electrifying running back Antwan Cesar, who tallied over 1,500 yards last season, and quarterback Shamere Banks both graduating. However, they should still contend with a reloaded roster headlined by running back Kavon Pitts. A rematch of last year's high-scoring season opener with Starpoint and a tough test against Clarence in October should have the Falcons prepped come playoff time.

Lackawanna, featuring standout lineman Sam Ikeguwonu, and Iroquois, led by quarterback Justus Kleitz, are also teams to keep an eye on.

Class C

Defending champion: Salamanca
Teams to watch: Salamanca, Medina, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove
Player to watch: Christian Moss, RB, Medina
Game to watch: Salamanca at Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove, Oct. 11

Salamanca is coming off its first sectional title since 2001, but will have stiff competition from teams on track to improve this season.

The Warriors lost star wide receiver Lucus Brown as well as one of the quarterbacks in their two-pronged attack, Jaxson Ross, to graduation. The other quarterback in that duo, Maddox Isaac, returns for his senior year and will likely get the majority of the workload this season.

Medina returns its star running back Christian Moss, who posted over 1,300 yards on the ground last season, as well as defensive leader and linebacker Brody Fry after falling to Salamanca in last year's title game. The Mustangs did lose starting quarterback Julian Woodworth to graduation, but still seem poised to be the top team in the Class C North division again.

Falconer/Cass. Valley/Maple Grove returns some noteworthy talent after a middle-of-the-standings finish a year ago. Bradyn Fuller is back after leading the Herd in rushing last season along with plenty of receiving talent. They did lose starting quarterback Lucas Sopak to graduation, however, and will roll out a new signal caller this season.

Other teams to keep an eye on include Akron, Southwestern and Portville.

Class D

Defending champion: Clymer/Sherman/Panama
Teams to watch: Clymer/Sherman/Panama, Gowanda/Pine Valley, Franklinville/Ellicottville
Players to watch: Bryce Hinsdale, WR, CSP; Tate Catanese, QB, CSP
Game to watch: CSP at Gowanda/Pine Valley, 7 p.m., Sept. 20

It feels like CSP's sectional title to lose after returning their two biggest playmakers from last year's championship team.

Dual-threat quarterback Tate Catanese and wide receiver Bryce Hinsdale had one of the most consistent connections in WNY last year, as Hinsdale's 52 receptions ranked second in Section VI. That same duo could also produce some history this season: Hinsdale sits at 170 career receptions, 58 shy of the New York State record held by Syracuse CBA's Bruce Williams.

The Wolfpack reached the Class D state semifinals last year before falling to eventual champion Tioga.

Gowanda/Pine Valley has quite the weapon in junior quarterback Carter Capozzi, who tallied nearly 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air last season. The Panthers also return their leading rusher and tackler Cameron Slade, but coming off a 1-5 league record last season, it remains to be seen just how competitive they can be.

Franklinville/Ellicottville is coming off a 7-2 season and should also be a challenger to CSP, but it did lose leading rusher and top offensive weapon Hunter Smith to graduation.

Monsignor Martin

Defending champions: St. Francis (Division A), Bishop Timon (Division B)
Teams to watch: St. Francis, Canisius, Bishop Timon
Player to watch: Elijah Kimble, RB, Canisius
Game to watch: St. Francis at Canisius, Oct. 5

Canisius and St. Francis have done battle in the Monsignor Martin championship game for the last six seasons, with the Red Raiders holding the 4-2 edge -- and it appears a seventh consecutive title matchup could be in the cards.

The Crusaders return Western New York's most highly recruited prospect in sophomore running back Elijah Kimble. He currently holds offers from Michigan, Penn State and Oregon among other colleges. Talented receiver Jahyden Clark is also back for Canisius, but he will have a new quarterback throwing to him after Vincent Zimmerman graduated.

The Red Raiders, led by longtime head coach Jerry Smith, have some notable holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but it's tough to imagine a step back this season with their ability to reload. St. Francis lost running back Terrence Pendergrass to graduation after the MMA Player of the Year totaled more than 1,200 yards and 21 touchdowns, but they do return quarterback Landon Welka who will pass behind one of the strongest offensive lines in the area.

Timon is a program on the rise following an 8-1 season last year that included a win over St. Joe's. Quarterback Dominic Anzalone returns for his junior season and is one of the standout passers in WNY and his top target, wide receiver Gerald McCloud, is also back. The Tigers will play St. Francis and Canisius for the first time since 2019, providing a good litmus test for just how competitive they can be.

Cardinal O'Hara is likely Timon's biggest competition among the smaller schools in the league, but the talent gap between the two feels sizable. Meanwhile, St. Joe's is still seeking a return to glory in Division A as it enters its fourth year under coach Mike Corona.

8-Man

Western New York once again has two teams competing in 8-man football: Frewsburg and Allegany-Limestone. The Bears narrowly defeated the Gators in last year's sectional title game, and the two squads will meet again later this year for a berth in the state playoffs.