(Health Sciences is 4-0 to start the season / Photo: Harry Scull,BuffNews)
Large Schools
1. Park (A) - The Pioneers are off and rolling once again, starting the 2020 campaign with four consecutive victories over UPrep, Middle College, Lew-Port, and South Park. Monday night they make the trip to McQuaid, the two-time defending Class AA champions from Section V.
2. Canisius (A) - The bleachers get pulled out on Delaware Avenue for the first this season as the Crusaders open their season against McKinley (2-0 with wins over St. Francis & Will South), on Tuesday, along with games on Friday & Saturday against Holy Cross & Lew-Port as part of the Keenan Classic at Canisius.
3. Health Sciences (A2) - The Falcons are already 4-0 on the year and champions of the Canisius College Tournament after scoring a pair of big wins over St. Joe's & Middle College. This year's version of the Health might be the best one yet - a deep team with lots of size & chemistry, and a floor general in Javaughn Jones that makes it all go.
4. Lew-Port (A2) - The Lancers led Park by a point at halftime, before a 21-2 third quarter run derailed any chance they had. They'll look to enter the win column on Tuesday at Grand Island before heading to Canisius this weekend.
5. St. Joe's - Opened the year with a 13-point comeback win over McQuaid and followed that up with an impressive 11-point win over Orchard Park, before falling to Health Sciences on Saturday night. The Marauders are off to Aquinas on Tuesday night and host St. Dominic & Holy Trinity over the weekend.
6. Amherst (A2) - After cruising past Williamsville East by 18 points to flex its early season ECIC II muscles, Amherst got off to a rocky start at Niagara Falls on Friday night, before some halftime adjustments, along with the scoring tandem of Jaylen Stewart & Nick O'Neil, carried the Tigers to a dramatic 16-point comeback victory.
7. East (A2) - The 3-0 start for East includes three double-digit wins over South Park, Frontier, & Iroquois. On Wednesday they host Middle College in a December battle with potential Yale Cup Trophy implications.
8. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines rebounded nicely from their loss to Amherst with a rout of defending CHSAA Class B state champion Cardinal O'Hara on Saturday, behind a 39-point eruption from Jaemon Turner. NFL play opens this week with a visit from Ken West and a trip to Lockport.
9. Orchard Park (AA) - Unranked in the preseason, but owners of a 17-point statement win over Class C state finalist Middle College on Saturday night and the #8 spot in this week's rankings. The Quakers open league play this week with a visit from West Seneca West.
10. Williamsville East (A1) - All four of the Flames' games have been routs to start the season. Will East rolled past the likes of Starpoint, Newfane, and Clarence, but found themselves on the wrong end of things in their home opener versus Amherst. They visit West Seneca East on Thursday, but will first look to make history with a trip to Olean on Tuesday night.
Small Schools
1. Olean (B1) - Time for Court to come correct! The Huskies go from unranked by me in the preseason, to their rightful spot atop the small school poll, after extending their home winning streak to 80 games with a thrilling overtime win over Jamestown - due in large part to a 46-point outburst by Covi James. I didn't even have Covi James on my preseason Player Watch List and if I wasn't my own boss, I'd fire me for both the rankings and the list! All I can do now is place Olean in the top spot and implore you to please WATCH COVI JAMES...I know I can't wait to! Olean hosts Class A1 favorite Will East on Tuesday and visits Depew on Saturday.
2. Middle College (C1) - Despite the 1-3 start to the season, I'll keep the Kats here where I think they belong because I don't think there's another small school that would have faired any better against Park, Health, and Orchard Park, with the possible exceptions of Olean and Tapestry. Yale Cup action really heats up for Middle College this week with a trip to East and a date with South Park.
3. Tapestry (C1) - Lost by just four points to Jamestown over the weekend, before rebounding with a win over Southwestern. The Thunderhawks will certainly have a chance to move up from number three this season. If it seems like Tapestry & Middle College are on a collision course for a meeting in the postseason in Class C1, that's because they are. Book it.
4. Cardinal O'Hara (B) - The Hawks led at Niagara Falls at halftime on Saturday night, before the Wolverines chewed their wings off. O'Hara doesn't schedule any cupcakes, so they'll have several chances to redeem themselves this season, beginning with a trip into the Amherst Jungle to face a Tigers squad who beat Falls the night before the Hawks lost there.
5. Iroquois (B1) - After a tough one-point tournament championship game loss to Ken East the night prior, the Chiefs faced East the following afternoon and fell for the second straight game. Despite the losses, Iroquois looks like a very tough out in ECIC III & Class B1 and face a huge test in both when East Aurora comes calling on Friday night.
6. Allegany-Limestone (B2) - The Gators have started 1-0 heading into a week with visits from Pioneer on Monday and undefeated Salamanca this Wednesday.
7. East Aurora (B1) - The Class B1 Semifinalists from 2019 open their season with a home game against Roy-Hart Tuesday night, before focusing on a huge early season league battle at Iroquois that should bear major implications on how the ECIC III race is won.
8. Fredonia (B2) - The Hillbillies are 2-0 to start the year, including a win over CSAT in their season opener on Wednesday. Fredonia travels to Harborcreek on Tuesday and hosts BASCS on Thursday.
9. Timon (B) - Two lopsided wins to begin the season over Global concepts and City Honors had the Tigers ready to compete with Williamsville North on Saturday, which they did in a six-point loss. They face an extremely athletic opponent in Section V power UPrep on the road Monday night.
10. Randolph (C2) - The defending champions of Class C2 open their season on Wednesday night when they host CSAT.
-centercourt
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