SECTION V FOOTBALL: Looking at the Week 1 contests

File Photo The Game of the Week, being streamed live on the Batavia Daily News Sports Network. Attica (now with Alexander) and Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry met in two close games last season.

Without further ado, here is the 2023 high school football season.

Batavia, Attica (now with Alexander), Oakfield-Alabama/Elba and Pembroke will all be coming back and looking to defend their Section V titles, while plenty more teams are looking to be in the mix for a block as well.

Here is a quick look at the Week 1 matchups:

GAME OF THE WEEK

Class C

Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry at Attica/Alexander

7 p.m.

(Steamed LIVE on the Batavia Daily News Sports Network)

The first football stream of the season will come from Attica and you will get a chance to see the new Attica/Alexander team — fresh off of the Blue Devils’ Section V Class C title last fall — to see how this proposed one-year combination will gel.

Attica beat L/W/P in the Class C semifinals in 2022.

If it were just Attica, the Blue Devils would have plenty coming back from its first sectional-winning team, led by the dynamic Landyn Thomas, quarterback Braden Allein and Class C Defensive Player of the Year Case Hill.

Thomas has a monster junior season when he rushed for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns and also led the team with 14 catches for 193 yards and two more scores. Allein was solid under center, going 46-of-94 for 582 yards and four TDs, while Hill paced an impressive defense with 117 total tackles, with six for a loss, 3.5 sacks and an interception.

Also back from the Blue Devils will be the versatile Clayton Bezon (43 carries-274 yards, 3 TDs; 8 catches-74 yards) and running back Sammy Strzelec (59-329, 6 TDs) who emerged as the season went on last fall.

Add in Trenton Woods, Tyler Marino and Dylan Pohl from an always-strong Alexander squad, and this team should be the one to beat this fall in Class C. Woods had a big year for the Trojans last fall at QB and should find himself in another big spot this season. In his first varsity season under center he finished with 254 yards on the ground, while he went 45-of-80 through the air for 915 yards and 15 total TDs. Meanwhile, Marino led the stout Trojans’ defense in interceptions, returning three of them for touchdowns.

The Trojans’ defense was one of the best in Section V last fall, allowing less than 10 points per game.

Bryce Tallman will take over at quarterback for L/W/P from longtime QB Chris Shearing but the team will bring back two key offensive weapons in running backs Bailey Schell and Noah Leitten, who each took turns leading the ground game last fall.

L/W/P should also be impressive on both sides of the line this fall with Hayden Schroeder, Nick Cummins, Richard Hoyt and Ayden Miller all coming back.

Attica edged Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry twice last season - 20-17 in the regular season and 14-10 in the Class C tournament.

Class B

Hornell at Livonia

7:30 p.m.

It’s been a rough go for the former powerhouse Red Raiders who haven’t had a winning season since 2017, including a rough 1-7 campaign last fall.

The Raiders will have a new coach in Izzy Mehr, who takes over for Erik Werner. Werner took over as head coach for Hornell in 2012 after longtime head coach Gene Mastin retired. Mastin led the program three consecutive New York State Championships and staggering 51-game win streak. In all, Werner spent nearly 20 years as a head coach an as an assistant.

QB Logan Snyder and RB Xzaiver Patrick will be two key players back on offense.

Livonia has hovered around the .500 mark each of the last two seasons, including a 5-5 record last year with a loss to Batavia in the Section V Class B semifinals.

The Bulldogs lost a lot to graduation but return a few key pieces, including running back Kyle Weterrings, who led the team with over 800 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns last fall.

Cousin Owen Weterrings will also return in the backfield, while Jackson Trubia will take over under center. The line on both sides of the ball looks to be anchored by Alex Bohrer, Zach Williamson, Carlos Vega-Meyer and Derrick Lane.

The LWP defense was impressive as well last season as it didn’t allow over 17 points in a game after Week 1.

Class C

Bath-Haverling at Le Roy

7 p.m.

Mike Humphrey has become the first Le Roy alumnus to lead the football program and he was handed quite the talented and experienced group heading into this season.

The Oatkan Knights will see a plethora of talent coming back, including their top three running backs in Tony Piazza (92-648, 12 TD), Jackson Fix (105-609, 5 TD) and Drew Strollo (111-582, 6 TDs), as well as senior QB Tommy Condidorio, who was limited to just two games last season due to injury.

Cal Koukides also comes back as the team’s top receiver after 140 yards receiving and a touchdown last fall.

The always tough Le Roy defense will lose leading tackler Jack Tonzi and lineman Ryan Higgins, but will have plenty of force coming back with Piazza, Strollo, Fix and Holden Sullivan all looking to pace the balanced attack.

Le Roy edged the Rams twice last season, 35-32 in Week 1 and 28-20 in the sectional playoffs before it fell to ER/Gananda 22-21 in the semifinals.

Bath-Haverling was up-and-down last fall, dealt with numerous injuries and finished at 4-5 overall.

This season key returnees in Ethan Brotz, Jordan Miller, Dyllan Becker, Ezra Hoad, Lawrence Duncan and Gavin Price look to get the Rams back toward the top in what should be a tough Class C.

Class D

Notre Dame at York/Pavilion

7 p.m.

This should be an interesting one as these two played in a shootout in the opening round of the Section V Class D tournament last season with the Golden Knights prevailing 40-30. However, both lost some talent from last fall.

Notre Dame will be returning QB Jay Antinore this season after he took over last fall, going 33-of-65 for 463 yards and three touchdowns, as well as longtime wide receiver Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished the season with 384 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Jaden Sherwood (6 catches-94 yards, TD) will also be back among the skill position players, though the Fighting Irish will have to replace its top two rushers from a year ago.

One of they keys for the Fighting Irish should be their offensive and defensive lines, which will bring back strong returnees in Joe Trewer, Mavrik Hall and Scotty McWilliams.

On defense Notre Dame will bring back talented linebacker George Woodruff, who led the team in total tackles last season by a wide margin for a team that was in nearly every game.

Y/P was solid last season, finishing at 6-3 before falling to OAE in the Class D semifinals but the Knights will have to replace QB Maddox Timothy and leading rusher Kadin Peete on the offensive end and leading tackler Maverick Coffey on the defensive side.

Brennan Royce will look to guide the defense this fall after he finished with 61 total tackles, while Ryan Brady, Tyler Brady and Liam Ezard also come back for what was a relatively balanced defense last fall.

Carl Szczech returns as the team’s leading rusher from 2022 (51-251, TD) but Ryan Brady will also be in the mix in the backfield. Jake Pangrazio will lead what should be a solid wide receiving core after his 21 grabs for 269 yards and five TDs last fall. Ryan Brady (22-195), Joe Bauer (12-125, TD) and Tyler Brady (11-113) also were in double-figures in catches last fall.

The question will be who will take over for Timothy at QB.

Canisteo-Greenwood at Avon

7 p.m.

Last season the Braves finished at 6-4 and fell in the Class D semifinals to Alexander and this season they will return plenty of talent, led by running back/linebacker Wesley Farley. Farley led the team in rushing with 701 yards and 12 touchdowns on 111 carries at 6.3 yards per tote. Farley also caught six passes for 51 yards, while on defense he was second on the team with 61 total tackles, including four for a loss and an interception.

RB/DB Chris Thompson (58 carries-251 yards, 4 TDs) and WR/DB Remy Greenwood (10 catches-214 yards, 3 TDs) will also be back on the offensive end, while Avon will be looking to replace solid senior QB Richie Brice.

The offensive and defensive lines should be in good hands with Colin Ellsworth, Jayden Whipple, Travis Hollada and Connor Smith all back for another season.

Greenwood (33 tackles) and Thompson (29 tackles) also had solid defensive years last fall as Avon outscored its opponents 288-16.

Canisteo-Greenwood returns to 11-man this fall after going 10-2 in 8-man last season, falling to Pembroke in the sectional title game.

Canisteo-Greenwood spent three seasons in 8-man, going a combined 22-5. Prior to that it had not had a losing season in 11-man since 2011.

8-Man

Pembroke at Red Jacket

4 p.m.

The Dragons return off of their Section V and state 8-Man championships last season and they will be bringing back plenty of firepower to the field, led by the dynamic Tyson Totten. The Section V Eight-Man Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 is back for his final season and he is primed to take it to another level. Setting numerous program records along the way last fall, Totten ran for 3,123 yards at 13.7 yards per carry with 30 rushing touchdowns. Totten also led the defense in tackles.

Lineman Jayden Mast and fullback Caleb Felski will also be back after strong 2022 campaigns.

Pembroke will have to replace quarterback Cayden Pfalzer and big receiver/tight end Chase Guzdek among others.

Pembroke finished at 12-1 last season and outscored its opponents 568-252, including a 46-32 win over Red Jacket.

Red Jacket started the 2022 season slow at 1-4 but rebounded to finish at 6-5, falling to Canisteo-Greenwood in the sectional semifinals.

SATURDAY

Class B

Batavia vs. Norwich (Section IV) at Colgate University

5 p.m.

The Blue Devils will go out of section to face a Purple Tornado team in a cool setting at Colgate University in their first game under first-year head coach Alex Veltz.

Batavia will be looking to defend it’s back-to-back Section V Class B titles and it went 12-1 in the final year of head coach Brennan Briggs, falling to Maine-Endwell in the NYSPHSAA Class B semifinals.

The Blue Devils will see a number of players move into key positions this fall, including Bronx Buchholz moving to full-time quarterback to take over for Ja’Vin McFollins, Mekhi Fortes taking over the running back duties and Cole Grazioplene moving into the top wide receiver spot. Buchholz did see some time at QB last season, going 10-15 for 54 yards, while also rushing for 160 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Fortes ran for 201 yards and two scores, while Grazioplene was the team’s second-leading receiver with over 300 yards receiving and five touchdowns.

Batavia will return a pair of important parts of the lines in the trenches in Sheldon Siverling and Brian Calderon.

Outside of the loss to M-E in the state semifinals, Batavia outscored its opponents 443-116.

Last season Norwich finished at 7-4, falling to the same Maine-Endwell team in the Section IV Class B title game.

Norwich will return junior quarterback Steven Dowdall (106-170, 1,297 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INTs), leading rusher Holden Ryan (252-1,845, 18 TDs) and its top two receivers in Brandon Hagenbuch (21-357, 7 TDs) and Robert Fuller (21-233, 2 TDs) for a potent offense.

The Purple Tornado will also see its two of its top three tacklers back this fall in Jack Barnes (55, 10 TFL) and Ryan (34, 6.5 TFL).

Class D

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba at Geneseo/Mt. Morris

12 p.m.

The juggernaut that has been the Aggies will return with plenty back from its back-to-back Section V Class D title teams, while the Blue Devils look to be in a state of transition after losing a number of important pieces to graduation.

Bodie Hyde will be back for his fourth and final season under center after he went 34-58 for 578 yards and 7 TDs last season while rushing for 1,244 yards and 21 more scores.

OAE will have to replace another in a long line of stud running backs as Noah Currier has graduated and the Aggies will likely go to more of a running back-by-committee. Senior Shaun Alexander will be the leading returning runner (of the running backs) after rushing for 197 yards and a score last season. Avery Watterson (16-137, 4 TDs) will also be in the mix to go with his impressive kicking duties.

The OAE receiving core will definitely have to step up to maintain the offense’s dominance as only a total of five catches from last season return.

The trenches for the Aggies should be in good hands with Angelo Penna, Austin Pangrazio and Ashton Bezon returning.

On defense OAE lost four of its top five tacklers to graduation but will have Hyde (81 tackles), Penna (58 tackles) and Pangrazio (45 tackles) back to lead the way for a team that outscored its opponents 610-134.

Geneseo/Mt. Morris lost the likes of Ryan Whitney and Eghosa Okpefe to graduation for a team that finished at just 1-7 last season but there are high hopes for a team that comes back with many players with varsity experience, including Garrett Straton (offensive/defensive line), Luke Headley (wide receiver/linebacker), Reece Byrnes (quarterback/defensive back), Quinn Granger (offensive/defensive line), Simeon Shepard (tight end/defensive end), Josh DiFranco (offensive line/linebacker), Patrick Hanglow (offensive line/linebacker), Teddy Linsner (running back/linebacker), Kaden Torres (wide receiver/defensive back).

OAE beat Geneseo/Mt. Morris by a combined 140-34 in two games last season.

Johnson Newspapers 7.1