Ahead of the final week of the regular season, 15 teams from Section III are ranked in the state poll this week, compiled by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

The defending Section III Class AA champion, Cicero-North Syracuse (6-0), moved up one spot this week to rank No. 3 in the state. And for the first time in three weeks, a second Class AA team is ranked from Section III: No. 26 West Genesee (5-1), which is in the midst of its most successful season since 2011.

Class A has remained stagnant in terms of representation all season, with Whitesboro (6-0) and Indian River (6-0) remaining Section III’s two teams. This week, Whitesboro ranks No. 9 and Indian River ranks No. 12. If both Warriors teams were to win this week, the earliest they could meet in the postseason would be the sectional final, which Whitesboro has won three-straight years.

The highest ranked team in Section III remains Class B’s Skaneateles (6-0), which remains at No. 2 behind five-time state champion Chenango Forks of Section IV. The Lakers just won their most recent game, 49-14, over Solvay. Cazenovia (5-1) moved up one spot in the poll this week, to No. 21. Marcellus (5-1) moved up three spots to No. 27, and Oneida (5-1) dropped six spots to No. 30 after its first loss of the season to Cazenovia.

Class C’s rankings feature four Section III teams, the highest-ranked of which is in the rankings for the first time. Holland Patent (6-0) checks in at No. 6 in the state. The Golden Knights just beat Utica Notre Dame handily, 42-14. That loss dropped UND (5-1) to No. 12 in the state. General Brown (5-1) ranks at No. 14 and Lowville (6-0) comes in at No. 16. General Brown travels to Lowville for a marquee matchup Friday night.

In Class D, Herkimer (5-1) moves up three spots to No. 4. Onondaga (4-1) moved up a spot to No. 7, and Dolgeville (3-2) dropped three spots to No. 8.

Eight-man football, which has two weeks of the regular season to go, features three undefeated teams in Section III, all at 4-0: Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, Bishop Grimes and Weedsport. A-P-W takes on the Cobras next week in their final week of the regular season.

Published on October 10, 2018 at 10:15 am

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3