2026 Section VI Class A Football Playoff Preview

WNYAthletics | Road to the Section VI Championship

The Section VI Class A football playoffs will see the lone undefeated public school in WNY, a crosstown rivalry and five top-10 quarterbacks in Section VI. 

In A2, Grand Island owns the lone 8-0 record in Section VI, hosting Clarence as West Seneca West earned the top spot in A1, against North Tonawanda who earned their first playoff berth in 12 years. In their first season in Class A, Orchard Park hosts Starpoint and Williamsville North will lock horns against their cross-town rival, Williamsville East. 

First-Round Matchups

A1 No. 1 West Seneca West vs. A2 No. 4 North Tonawanda

The West Seneca West Warhawks were expected to have a solid season with a good passing game, and did not disappoint. So. QB Mason Anderson came on the scene last year as a Freshman and has only taken strides forward, leading Section VI in passing. The Warhawks’ single blemish in divisional play was a close 26-23 loss in Orchard Park. 

The passing attack is the top in the area and they will certainly lean on Anderson and company as he and the outside weapons have shown up week in, and week out.

Interestingly, the Warhawks may be the top seed, however a non-conference loss by one point to the hands of their cross-town rival West Seneca East last week puts a chip on their shoulder to get right heading into playoffs. 

For NT, the Lumberjacks have an opportunity to show they are a legit playoff program. Their 5-3 record has wins over teams that they were better than, however, their three losses came in a bunch against three of the top teams in their class, in Starpoint, Williamsville East and Grand Island. They have won the games they should have, but this game is an opportunity to ruffle some feathers in playoff action.

West may have the marquee Anderson name, but North Tonawanda’s Jr. QB Preston Loncar is nothing to scoff at. Heading into playoffs, he is a top-10 signal caller in WNY and can lead his team to their first win in over a decade. 

Let’s not underestimate old-man momentum, NT has won four games in a row and “old-man Mo” could be wearing blue and red heading into this contest. 

Keys to Victory: West Seneca needs to control the game early and often. The defense has quietly been one of the better units in WNY and can force mistakes with the best of them. For NT, they need to steal possessions and put pressure on West. The Lumberjacks have averaged an interception per game this year, and if they could sneak two turnovers in, this game gets real interesting.

Players to Watch: 

West Seneca West - Alex Quarantello & Bobby Simmons. Everyone knows that Mason Anderson is going to do his thing, but Quarantello and Simmons have the moxy to take over games, on the outside and in the defensive backfield. Quarantello is a ball-hawking safety that has no problem getting his nose dirty and Simmons is an explosive, toolsy sophomore that has a high ceiling. 

North Tonawanda - Preston Loncar & Andrew Cinquino. If NT wins this game, it is the running back/quarterback combo that puts points on the board. Loncar is a solid quarterback and will take care of the football. Cinquino is a nice mix to a pass-friendly team and his 13 rushing touchdowns proves his production. 

Outlook:

West Seneca West can get right this week and continue their impressive play, and North Tonawanda has the opportunity to ride the high of their first playoff berth since most of their team was learning their ABC’s, and earn a big win.

A2 No. 2 Starpoint vs. A1 No. 3 Orchard Park

Quarterback play is going to be the consistent topic of conversation in Class A. Sr. QB David Chase leads Section VI in passing touchdowns and has electric capabilities through the air. This matchup pairs him up against another top-10 passer in WNY, in Jayden Hassett of OP.

OP heads into their first playoff in Class A and look to bring their big-game experience from AA into this year. The Quakers’ single loss was a crazy 28-21 loss to Williamsville North, and this game pins up two 7-1 teams against each other. The defense has allowed just about two touchdowns per game and this is a ferocious front four that is tied for second in the section in the sack category. 

For the Spartans, Chase has led this team up and down gridiron’s throughout Class A. After a week one loss against undefeated Grand Island, Starpoint has rattled off seven wins in a row, the second-longest streak in WNY. Chase has thrown multiple touchdown passes in all but one of his games and in the last three weeks, he has 12 touchdowns to just one interception. On the outside, his go-to has been Jr. WR Cole Steiner who is fourth in receiving. 

Keys to Victory: Starpoint - Get the ball out quick, spread the field laterally against the OP defense.  Orchard Park - Use this front four to wreak havoc just like this past week against Clarence, and force mistakes on the other side. Against a tough QB on the other side, you will need to put the vice-clamp on the pocket. 

Players to Watch: Starpoint: Cole Steiner, Victor Collins. Steiner has been a premiere target and when this team is on, he’s doing his thing. Collins is the leading tackler and is going to need to stand his ground against an efficient OP offense. Orchard Park: Dakota Flynn & John Meka Jr. Flynn has breakout speed and has been the bellcow this season with over 700 yards this year. Last week, Meka Jr. was a problem on both sides of the ball, with a scoop and score, a sack and a receiving touchdown from the tight end position. 

Outlook: On paper, this is a close matchup between the Spartans and Quakers. This will come down to the usual football cliches. Take care of the football, manage the clock to keep it away from the other offense. 

A1 No. 2 Williamsville North vs. A2 No. 3 Williamsville East

Boy howdy, is this fun. Two schools that have deep history and a crosstown rivalry opens up playoff play. 

North has had their ups and downs, but still finds themselves with a 6-1 record against Class A opponents. North has taken care of business against the teams they should have beat on paper, with their only loss coming against West Seneca West. However, the Spartans have hung their hat on an exciting win over Orchard Park and a shutout of Clarence. 

For East, they are coming off of a rivalry win, with a 35-21 Red/Blue win over Williamsville South. The Flames demonstrated a great defensive stubbornness, even with numerous players being called up from Junior Varsity due to injuries. If East can get healthy at the right time, Sr. QB Anthony Martis has what it takes to manage the game to a victory. And, of course, Joe Santoro is the does-it-all man who is one of the best pure athletes around, with speed, pop, punt, tackling, coverage and we even saw him throw for a touchdown this past week. 

Keys to Victory: North - A balanced attack is needed against the East defense. Keep the team on their toes and utilize the run game against a lighter, fast D-line of the Flames. East - Use this defensive line that was on a MISSION last week. We’re talking EIGHT sacks against the Billies and another top quarterback, Phillip Gangi. 

Players to Watch: North - Eamon Mouyeos & Jordan Brown. Brown is a a consistent back who is knocking on the door of a 1,000 yard season and Eamon Mouyeos has been one of the top receiving threats in WNY throughout the entire season. East - Joe Santoro & Evan Drake. Santoro is the straw that stirs this drink on both sides of the ball. When he is rolling, the Flames are hot. Evan Drake is a dude! Three sacks last week against South and he leads this defensive line that causes issues with their speed and agility. 

Outlook: This will be a fun matchup between two cross-town rivals that need to keep it clean between the ears and execute each play individually. 

A2 No. 1 Grand Island vs. A1 No. 4 Clarence

This game features the only undefeated team left in Section VI with the 8-0 Grand Island Vikings. G.I. is undefeated for the first time since 1989! Whenever you are doing something for the first time in 37 years, that is certainly a topic of conversation. 

QB Anthony Mantione is that dude. He’s got the dawg mentality that has made him a threat on the ground and through the air, with over 2,300 yards combined. He has the weapons on the outside to help him stretch the field and the physicality to lower his pads and get a first down with his legs.

Clarence needs a marquee win and this takedown of Goliath would be just what they need. Against top teams such as West Seneca West, Williamsville North and Orchard Park, they have had trouble. 

Keys to Victory: Clarence - The Red Devils will need to keep the ball offensively as much as possible to try to counter G.I.’s offense. Takeaway’s and field management and working with short fields will prove helpful as it usually does. Grand Island - Keep your mentality. You have answered every question throughout the season, maintain your physicality and continue to set the tone. 

Players to Watch: Grand Island: Anthony Mantione & Entire Defense

There’s guy’s and there are dude’s, and Mantione is a dude as we previously established. You can look at stats as much as you’d like, but he has a winning factor that WNY has seen for the last couple of years now. This defense is equally as impressive, allowing more than one touchdown in just two of eight games played this season. Clarence - Harper McKenzie. This receiver is a weapon on the outside and has great one-on-one abilities. If the Red Devils can get creative in getting him the ball in different ways, he can be explosive. 

Outlook: Grand Island’s most impressive win was two weeks ago against Williamsville East and this is another contest that many will give the Vikings the upper-hand, when Clarence is going to give them a game. 

Feature Image Courtesy of Scott Kolis