The Section VI postseason begins Tuesday evening with 5 First Round matchups between Class A2 & Class C. The winners move on to participate in the Pre-Quarterfinal Round, which begins on Wednesday night at 7 pm, the same night Lancaster visits Niagara Falls in a Class AAA Semifinal. Thurday continues with more pre-quarterfinals in Classes B & C, along with one quarterfinal in Class D between Sherman & Clymer. Between Friday & Saturday, 28 Quarterfinal games will decide which teams move on to #BuffState and JCC for the semifinals.
Got all that? If not, see all the postseason matchups with dates, times, & locations, along with updated results at Bracket Central 2025
Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the Pre-Quarterfinals, Quarterfinals, & Semifinals, and project the classifications with the best championship game, along with sleepers, some winning streaks, & predictions.
** Please note that many of the games below are based on my predictions of who will win in prior rounds.
Most exciting brackets, top to bottom:
9. Class D
8. Class A2
7. Class AAA
7. Class AA1
5. Class C
4. Class A1
3. Class AA2
2. Class B1
1. Class B2
- Why is Class B2 the most competitive bracket? Where would you like me to start? Ok, sure I’ll start with the #10 seed from Silver Creek. You might’ve heard of these guys call the Black Knights, winners of 6 of their last 8 games. While some teams struggle to muster 47 points in an outing as a unit, these guys have a player that can offer that up in a single game performance (Brady Eick) while knocking down 10 bombs from downtown.
- The number #9 seed in the bracket is Falconer, who you might remember from last season at #BuffState when they hoisted a championship plaque at center court, after winning this classification. They’ve been playing possum all season, that was until they walked into Salamanca two weeks ago and knocked off the top seeded Warriors on their home floor. They get their postseason started by taking the trip to Cheektowaga where they will Mingle with JFK.
- The #7 seed is Allegany-Limestone. The last time they took the court they were knocking off a team called Randolph, you might’ve heard of them. This is a school that runs player intros like it’s an NBA All-Star game with a pyrotechnic show, and to end the season, the Gators started playing like all-stars. More on this team shortly.
- Tapestry has the #6 seed and has won 5 of their last 7 games, which includes victories over Holland & Global Concepts.
- Wilson is a prime example of why this bracket is so good and it has nothing to do with it being a gorgeous summer town featuring Niagara County's greatest restaurant. The #4 seed in this bracket has the distinction of defeating not only the #2 seed from this bracket already this season, they’ve also knocked off the #2 seed in Class A2 from Maryvale. Undefeated against Canada & Section V as well this year, the Lakemen are literally the only team that can boast victories over two #2 seeds, along with an unblemished record of success internationally & against Rah-cha-cha.
- Eden enters the bracket as the #3 seed and is the only Section VI team with 3 different players with multiple games scoring 25+ points. Last season, no one even saw them coming until they were playing for the sectional title. This just might be the season no one can stop it from happening.
- MST has victories in 9 of their last 11 games, with the losses coming to teams classified above them. They also collected 4 victories against large schools during that streak. Balance, size, scoring, & athleticism… The Wolves have all of it at the #2 seed.
- Just like last year? Well, not exactly, they got bumped up a classification in the 11th hour last season. But similar to last season, the Warriors are the top seed in the bracket and enter the postseason looking to avenge a recent loss on their home court for the right to get to #BuffState. These guys were the last team in WNY without a local loss and for 3 consecutive seasons, they have played on Championship Saturday, while winning a pair of Far West Regionals.
Sleepers from each bracket
AAA - Lancaster (#3 seed): So there’s only three teams in this bracket, but every classification needs a sleeper, and as the lowest seed, the Legends have been just sluggish enough to sleep on. Or have they? Let me ask you this… Has your team scored 100 points in one game this season? Because Lancaster has, and after going over the century mark, they claimed victory. On the road. One other thing while you’re getting comfortable fluffing pillows over there, these guys got Hart and some of that fancy fake hair. Times two. I’m talking about Hartwigs, that’s right Justin & Ryan Hartwig. Good night now!
AA1 - Clarence (#5 seed): The Red Devils are 11-9 on the season, but they are 11-5 in their last 16 and 7-2 in their last 9 games. The only two teams to defeat Clarence since early January were ranked large schools. They open with a quarterfinal game against Williamsville North. Guess who won the last time those two teams played? And don’t act like you knew any of the information I just provided, because I know as well as you do, that you’ve been busy sawing logs on these guys. Wake up people!
AA2 - Williamsville East (#7 seed): I know what you’re thinking. They are a .500 team on the season, they're .500 in their last 4 games, and in their last 6 games. The .500 Flames. So inconsistent this year you started calling them Williamsville Least? Maybe you haven’t seen the games I’ve seen! I was there when Kirill Sorkin set Main Street on fire in early January. I was also there when Sorkin torched the place on Hopkins Road, going 9/9 with his flamethrower in the 1st half that night (and that thing had some reach). I was also there at #BuffState last season, the one before that, and the one before that. You get the drill. All these guys do is entertain at the end of the season and if you don’t reach for a double dose of no-dose, these Flames will burn the Sports Arena down, and no one will be playing semifinals there!
A1 - Pioneer (#5 seed): There are 4 teams seeded ahead of the Panthers in this classification. They will begin their quest for glory at Cheektowaga, a team they picked up a recent victory against. It was 1 of 8 victories in the last 10 games for Pioneer. The #3 seed in the bracket is Williamsville South, who Pioneer split with last season during league play. The #2 team in the bracket is Amherst and while the Tigers hold the head-to-head advantage this season in the nonleague game played by the two, the locals in Yorkshire believe Coach Ellsworth was just playing a little possum that night in anticipation of a rematch under the bright lights. The #1 seed in the bracket is Grand Island . Just getting over that Grand Island bridge takes a while, much less driving out to Yorkshire to scout a game. Too tired to make that long trip out to Yorkshire? Thought you'd just stay cozy at home and watch them on Livestream? Sounds like everyone sleeping on Pioneer.
A2 - Lew-Port (#6 seed): The Lancers tried their hand at the sleeper roll last season, but they were unprepared for the assignment. They’ve come into this season with a new approach on getting teams to sleep on them… Start a bunch of underclassmen, including two freshmen, and try to keep the rotation under 6 foot tall. So they are a large school with a young team from a place out in the middle of nowhere Niagara County called Youngstown. I need to lay down.
B1 - Fredonia (#6 seed): Two years ago, Uncle Elmer and the Hillbillies were the sleepers that woke everybody up. Two seasons later, they have embraced that role so much that they are throwing games left & right to enter sectional play with a lower seed and continue to earn the distinction of sleeper. It’s an interesting way to play things, but when you have to boil your own water as often as they do, you’ll get used to doing things a little differently. If you are foolish enough to sleep on these guys again this season, Greg Larson will put your picture on X while he’s pumping out the daily police report photos.
B2 - Allegany-Limestone (#7 seed): Why do we continue to sleep on these guys every year? My best guess is it’s because Gators lay silently in wait. Sure, the results have been up & down, and the overall 12-8 record includes losses in 4 of their last 6 games. However, the school's is all-time lead scorer is back in the lineup and I don’t think you’re going to find another team in WNY willing to compete harder. It was just three seasons ago that these guys were in a state final four. Maybe if you weren’t wasting so much time standing in line at Starbucks trying to wake up with some morning brew to wake up, you’d remember that, sleepy guy!
C - Ellicottville (#6 seed): Everyone thinks of Ellicottville as a skiing destination for tourist and winter enthusiasts, with an enchanting Hallmark movie-like village. But I know it to be small town USA, full of a community of people that care about each other and come together during tough times. I also know it to be a place where the basketball team there believes in each other, and the coach believes in them. Four straight victories for the Eagles, who have been through much together recently, heading into the postseason. If the drool starts running down your mouth before you get your alarm set, you just might sleep through the greatest story of the season.
D - Sherman (#5 seed): You ask Sherman? And I say sure man! These guys haven’t lost a game in the month of February against the team that wasn’t named Westfield or Panama. They are a quarterfinal win away from dancing at JCC, and their opponent from Clymer is a team they just beat. Get this team to the semifinals and we just might find the folks from Panama are so exhausted from planning a victory parade that they started nodding off just before tip...
Top 8 Pre-Quarterfinal Games
8. Southwestern vs East (B1)
7. Roy-Hart @ Riverside (B2)
6. Burgard @ Springville (A2)
5. Silver Creek @ Allegany-Limestone (B2)
4. Portville @ Tapestry (B2)
3. Newfane @ Bennett (B1)
2. Barker @ Ellicottville (C)
1. Dunkirk @ Lew-Port (A2)
Top 12 Quarterfinal Games
12. Bennett @ Olmsted (B2)
11. Tapestry @ Eden (B1)
10. Southwestern @ Akron (B1)
9. Clarence @ Williamsville North (AA1)
8. Medina @ Alden (B1)
7. Starpoint @ Health Sciences (AA2)
6. Pioneer @ Cheektowaga (AA1)
5. Ellicottville @ Franklinville (C)
4. Fredonia @ Middle College (B1)
3. Allegany-Limestone @ MST (B2)
2. Williamsville East @ Ken West (AA2)
1. Falconer @ Salamanca (B2)
Most Exciting Potential Semifinals
10. BASCS vs Depew (A2)
9. Akron vs Medina (B1)
8. Health Sciences vs Sweet Home (AA2)
7. Olmsted vs Middle College (B1)
6. Salamanca vs Wilson (B2)
5. Cheektowaga vs. vs Grand Island (A1)
4. Allegany-Limestone vs Eden (B2)
3. Lockport vs McKinley (AA1)
2. Williamsville South vs Amherst (A1)
1. Randolph vs Westfield (C)
Most Exciting Championship Games
5. Class B1
4. Class AA2
3. Class B2
2. Class A1
1. Class AAA
Winning streaks heading into sectionals
Panama: 10 & 16 of the last 17
Akron: 9 & 19 of the last 20
Grand Island: 7 & 19 of the last 20
Eden: 7 & 8 of the last 9
Westfield: 5 & 18 of the last 19
Maryvale: 5 & 11 of the last 12
Amherst: 5
McKinley: 14 of the last 15
Franklinville: 11 of the last 12
Middle College: 7 of the last 8
Williamsville South: 7 of the last 8
Health Sciences: 6 of the last 7
Albion: 6 of the last 7
Ellicottville: 5 of the last 6
Olean: 5 of the last 6
North Tonawanda: 5 of the last 6
Predictions
AAA - Niagara Falls
AA1 - Lockport
AA2 - Health Sciences
A1 - Amherst
A2 - Olean
B1 - Akron
B2 - Salamanca
C - Randolph
D - Panama
-🏀centercourt🏀
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