WNY High School Pre-Season Football Rankings

With the start of training camp next Monday, there's no time like the present to post up my Large and Small school rankings.

Large Schools

Canisius begins the season in the top spot. Returning the top running back tandem in the area is hard to ignore. They lost more then skill to graduation, they lost a lot of leadership too. They did have some noticeable athletes transfer in that will make up for some of what they’ve lost.

St. Francis is almost unrecognizable after seeing the overhaul of talent transfer in. Is there enough footballs to go around? Will the new players click with the kids that have been there? Time will tell but this team is loaded and poised to make a run at the top spot.

Bennett was upset last year in the semi-finals. I’m sure they are still upset about the way their season ended. This will be a super-fast team, determined to reclaim their dominance in AA. Can they?

Lancaster is always in the mix. They will be tough in all three phases of the game as usual.

Jamestown will rely even more on returning Connolly Cup finalist Chase Bonta. The Red and Green are starting a sophomore at QB. With Dominic Gonzalez electing to focus purely on basketball, Jamestown loses a dynamic two-way player.

Health Sciences is back up in Class A and immediately a favorite to win the Section. A solid mix of speed and skill year in year out.

St. Joe’s will be ok. I know they’ve lost some considerable skill and size but they’re still St. Joe’s.

Orchard Park will be a tough out for any Class AA team. Keep your eye on Jayden Hassett, the junior QB is ready to make his mark.

McKinley is looking to make a return trip to Highmark this year. They have all the pieces they need to make another run.

Niagara Falls is overdue for a great season. The Wolverines had a nice showing in their final game last year against Lancaster. This team is BIG and athletic. They mean business.

Other teams on the radar:

West Seneca West – Offensive line is going to overwhelm you. Starting a freshman QB in Mason Anderson, remember the name.

Williamsville East – Might be the most balanced team of all the Williamsville schools.

Williamsville North – The question marks here are defense and depth

Kenmore West – Need to build off of last years success

Clarence – New coach and lost a ton of skill.

Grand Island – Tough team when it matters most. Good QB battle going at camp.

Kenmore East – Big line, solid running game. Feisty bunch.

Small Schools

Lackawanna may have lost one of the premier backs in WNY but they still have guys that can pound the rock. The o-line is still pretty good too and they are on a mission.

Pioneer returns some studs and looking to erase the memory of last years playoff loss. They have a lot of work to do in order to stay at the top.

Timon has arguably the best quarterback in WNY. That’s not just me saying it, just ask the coaches he trains with. When you have a QB as talented as Dominic Anzalone the sky is the limit.

Southwestern/Frewsburg merging this offseason might have been the best thing to happen for these programs. If they can put it all together, reaching Highmark Stadium is a real possibility.

South Park definitely lost some talent but it seems like they have just reloaded. The anchors of the offensive and defensive lines are back. Sparks still in the mix.

Iroquois features one of the top passing offenses in the area. Justus Kleitz starts his 4^th year as the starting QB and already holds a number of school records for passing. Can they stay healthy and be a factor in the playoffs?

Salamanca lost more talent and toughness then any two teams in WNY. The Warriors have been the measuring stick in Class C for years.

Chautauqua Lake/Brocton/Westfield had a break out season in ’24. With Ty Harper leading the charge now and a high powered offense anything is possible.

Eden/North Collins is moving in the right direction. They still have a lot to prove but the ingredients are in the bowl. Time to mix.

Newfane is just a mean, tough, physical team. They take after their leader Mac Capen. You do not want to piss that guy off. And now they’re down in Class D.

Other teams on the radar:

Williamsville South – Amir Ceasar, if you don’t know who that is then you aren’t paying attention.

Starpoint a small school? There’s a ton of raw talent here.

West Seneca East is going to be a problem this year. They have a gunslinger in DJ Benker, could be the missing ingredient. Looking forward to seeing them this year.

Portville/Cuba Rushford/Bolivar-Richburg is going to be a tough, hard hitting team week in, week out.

Gowanda/Pine Valley is ready to make the leap to contender in Class D. Will they? With Carter Capozzi leading the offense that is certainly a possibility.

Franklinville/Ellicottville can’t ever be counted out among the top teams in Class D. Built to punish.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama is now led by Dave Bodamer who is a good man. He coached Clymer before the merger. He knows his team. Still, plenty of talent on the roster, that move up to Class C makes no sense to me, they should have been moved up last year.