Let the games begin
High school football season opens tonight
OBSERVER File Photo Silver Creek/Forestville's Vince Prinzbach returns to action with the Black Knights tonight as they host Clymer/Sherman/Panama in a nonleague contest.
OBSERVER File Photo Tristen Gibbs and Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton travel to Randolph for a nonleague football game on Friday night. Gibbs replaces his brother Brayden as quarterback for the Eagles this season as they set out to defend their Section VI Class C title.
OBSERVER File Photo Kyan Austin, left, and Gowanda/Pine Valley travel to Cleveland Hill to wrap up opening weekend on Saturday.
OBSERVER File Photo Silver Creek/Forestville's Vince Prinzbach returns to action with the Black Knights tonight as they host Clymer/Sherman/Panama in a nonleague contest.
OBSERVER File Photo Tristen Gibbs and Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton travel to Randolph for a nonleague football game on Friday night. Gibbs replaces his brother Brayden as quarterback for the Eagles this season as they set out to defend their Section VI Class C title.
OBSERVER File Photo Kyan Austin, left, and Gowanda/Pine Valley travel to Cleveland Hill to wrap up opening weekend on Saturday.
Trending
The high school football season kicks off locally today when Silver Creek/Forestville hosts Clymer/Sherman/Panama in a nonleague tilt beginning at 7 p.m. in Silver Creek.
That will start a Labor Day weekend that sees all 13 of the teams in The OBSERVER/Post-Journal’s circulation area in action.
On Friday night, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove will host East Aurora/Holland in a Class C nonleague matchup at Bill Race Field; Southwestern/Frewsburg will travel to Franklinville to take on Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley in a nonleague matchup; Randolph will host Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton in a nonleague matchup at Raymond Van Wie Stadium; Salamanca will host Springville in a Class C nonleague matchup at Veterans Memorial Park; Cattaraugus-Little Valley, under new head coach Kory Gross, will travel to Bolivar-Richburg to take on Portville/Cuba-Rushford/Bolivar-Richburg in a nonleague tilt; Fredonia will visit nonleague Alden; Dunkirk will host Class B2 foe Depew; and Jamestown will travel to nonleague Williamsville North.
Opening weekend concludes Saturday as Gowanda/Pine Valley visits nonleague Cleveland Hill.
Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton is the lone returning Section VI champion locally after the Eagles beat Southwestern/Frewsburg 21-0 in last season's Class C title game. Jamestown lost to Bennett 32-14 in last year's Class AA championship game.
RETURNING PLAYERS
Eight players from last season's OBSERVER/Post-Journal All-Star team return this season, including five seniors and three juniors.
Jamestown's Andre Graham, a senior offensive lineman, was named a Class AA First-Team All-Star. He helped anchor an offensive line that paved the way for nearly 2,400 rushing yards.
Dunkirk's Aries Cheverez, a senior defensive back, was named a Class B2 First-Team All-Star.
Southwestern/Frewsburg's Oscar Harris, a senior kicker, was named a Class C South honorable-mention selection. He made 51 of 55 point-after kicks and a 27-yard field goal. Three of his 66 kickoffs went for touchbacks. Harris also punted 11 times for 413 yards and one of his punts was downed inside the 20-yard line.
Southwestern/Frewsburg's Zach Markham, a senior linebacker, was named a Class C South co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was in on 55 tackles, including 23 for a loss, and had seven sacks. Markham also defended two passes and intercepted one while forcing two fumbles, recovering five fumbles and scoring a touchdown.
Gowanda/Pine Valley's Kyan Austin, a senior defensive back, was named a Class D First-Team All-Star. He was in on 27 tackles, intercepted four passes, recovered two fumbles and scored a touchdown. Austin also caught 37 passes for 483 yards and seven touchdowns.
Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton's Tristen Gibbs, a junior linebacker, was named a Class C South First-Team All-Star. He was in on 100 tackles, including 15 for a loss, defended three passes and intercepted one, forced three fumbles and recovered two. Gibbs also ran 35 times for 231 yards and three touchdowns, but will be the Eagles' quarterback this year after the graduation of his brother, Brayden.
Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton's Aiden Woodis, a junior defensive back, was named a Class C South Second-Team All-Star. He was in on 31 tackles, defended three passes and intercepted five, returning one for a touchdown. Woodis also caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown, and returned 11 kickoffs for 230 yards.
Silver Creek/Forestville's Vince Prinzbach, a junior offensive lineman, was named a Class D co-Offensive Lineman of the Year. He anchored an offensive line in front of a Black Knights' attack that ran for 1,430 yards and 11 touchdowns while also throwing for 983 yards and 10 touchdowns.
CALENDAR
The eight-game regular season concludes Oct. 22-24.
Section VI playoffs will begin the following weekend with championship games scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12 and Friday, Nov. 13 at the University at Buffalo's Broadview Stadium.
This year's Far West Regionals will be hosted by Section V on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association West Semifinals will be Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28 at Cicero North Syracuse High School.
State championship games are set for Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5 at JMA Wireless Dome on the campus of Syracuse University.