The twists and turns which come with sports seasons are part of the appeal of it all.
When the unexpected unfolds, it can leave fans with jaws dropped or heads scratching.
The East High/World of Inquiry Eagles are one of the two new No. 1 ranked teams in the Democrat and Chronicle Super 10 polls. But the Eagles find out this week whether their season is over with a win or if they can play in the Section V Class B final Nov.14.
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East High/World of Inquiry won its tournament semifinal, 14-6, over No. 1 seed Monroe last weekend. But after defeating the 2025 state champion, the Eagles are waiting for a ruling from either Section V or the New York State Public High School Athletic Association after Monroe and East High/World of Inquiry players engaged in fights on the field.
Meanwhile, the Rush-Henrietta Royal Comets, the new top-ranked team from a large school, know that they are playing No. 2 Pittsford in the Section V Class AA final, 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Saint John Fisher University.
The large schools rankings include teams in Class AA and Class A. Class B, Class C and Class D teams are eligible for a spot in the small schools Super 10.
Democrat and Chronicle writers Justin Ritzel, Jeff Uveino and James Johnson determine the rankings. Each reporter ranks the top 10 large schools and small schools teams in Section V.
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The No. 1 teams on each list receive 10 points, the No. 2 teams receive nine points, the No. 3 teams receive eight points and so on.
Section V football Super 10, large schools
Rush-Henrietta senior Imani Wagstaff leads the team out onto the field to take on University Prep during their Section V football game Friday, September 18, 2026 at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School.
1. Rush-Henrietta (9-1) – Class AA – 28 points (1 first-place vote) – Last week: 2.
Meet again: The Royal Comets are headed for their first Section V championship since 2021, if they can defeat Pittsford in the Class AA final. Rush-Henrietta is the only team to defeat Pittsford this season, 26-19, Sept. 10. Quarterback Brendan Mangone completed less than half of his 23 passes, but two were touchdowns versus one interception. Imani Wagstaff Jr. scored another touchdown while gaining 137 yards on 22 carries.
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2. Pittsford (9-1) – Class AA – 27 points (1 first-place vote) – Last week: 3.
Meet again: If Pittsford defeats Rush-Henrietta in the Class AA final at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at St. John Fisher University, the Panthers will win their first sectional championship as the Panthers. Pittsford, a finalist last season, has won eight games in a row going back to its 26-19 loss at Rush-Henrietta on Sept. 10. Jesse Jablonsky became Pittsford’s single-season receiving yards record holder last week. His total is 902 yards on 57 catches.
3. Hilton (8-2) – Class A – 21 points (1 first-place vote) – Last week: 4.
Next: Hilton faces fellow sectional champion Canandaigua for a spot in the Class A state tournament. The Hilton Cadets, who are the Class A1 champions, have to get past Class A2 champion Canandaigua, starting 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at Saint John Fisher. There is a strong chance the Cadets decide to test how well the Canandaigua defense deals with Tyler Reger. Hilton’s top running back was the Most Valuable Player of the Class A1 final after he finished with 155 yards with a touchdown on 29 carries against Brighton.
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4. Brighton (9-1) – Class A – 21 points – Last week: 1.
2026: The Bruins were denied a third Section V championship in the last three seasons by Hilton in last week’s Class A1 championship game. Senior running back Justin Medina made a strong case as Brighton’s most valuable offensive player. Medina scored 19 rushing touchdowns (21 overall), while averaging 10.2 yards per carry and finishing with 1,102 rushing yards. Colin Rossignol was the team’s leading tackler with 61.
5. Canandaigua (9-1) – Class A – 18 points – Last week: 5T.
Next: A matchup with Hilton, 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at Saint John Fisher, to decide which team moves on to the Class A state tournament. Both teams are section class champions. Aleks Hawryschuk, a 6-foot-1 junior, romped to four touchdowns with 206 yards on 36 carries against Greece Athena last week.
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6. Victor (6-3) – Class A – 15 points – Last week: 7.
2026: Season ended against Brighton during the Section V Class A1 semifinals. Among Victor’s statistical leaders were junior Eli Ricci (670 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 rushing touchdowns), sophomore Luke Johnson (385 yards, 3.9 per carry), senior Jackson Mead (24 receptions, 333 yards, 13.9 per catch, 3 touchdowns), senior Caleb Kelley (89 tackles) and junior Crosby Mott (3.5 sacks).
7. Churchville-Chili (7-2) – Class A – 11 points – Last week: 10.
2026: Lost to the Hilton Cadets during the Class A1 semifinals. The most impressive win for the Saints might have been Oct. 16 during the first round of the postseason tournament. Churchville-Chili defeated Spencerport, 27-7, two weeks after the Saints edged the Rangers, 29-28.
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8. Fairport (4-6) – Class AA – 15 points – Last week: 5T.
2026: The Red Raiders revived their season and reached the Class AA semifinals after losing their first four regular-season games, including a 35-7 home loss to Rush-Henrietta. Fairport then defeated Penfield, lost 20-13 to Victor, shut out McQuaid 28-0 and defeated Penfield 35-0 in the Class AA quarterfinals. Pittsford ended Fairport’s run with a 23-7 semifinal victory.
9. Greece Athena (3-6) – Class A – 5 points – Last week: 9.
2026: The Trojans advanced to the Section V Class A2 final, where Canandaigua ran off to a 35-6 win over Athena. When the regular season began, the Trojans went backward to an 0-3 record. They did win back-to-back games during the regular season, Sept. 26 at Spencerport (40-24) and Oct. 2 versus Irondequoit (34-28). Then, Athena did it again in the A2 tournament, 49-35, at No. 2 seed Brockport and, 43-41, at No. 6 seed Irondequoit.
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10. Webster Schroeder (3-5) – Class A – 3 points – Last week: Not ranked.
2026: Schroeder was knocked out of the postseason by a 28-27 loss to Hilton, the eventual Section V Class A1 tournament champion. There were other close losses for the Warriors: at Schroeder to No. 1 ranked Rush-Henrietta (13-14, Sept. 4), at No. 5 Victor (14-0, Sept. 25) and at No. 2 Pittsford (16-22, Oct. 16).
Also received votes: McQuaid (4-5, Class AA), Brockport (5-3, Class A).
Section V football Super 10, small schools
East’s Tymere Gilbert rushes into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half against Rush-Henrietta during their Section V non-league football matchup Friday, October 23, 2026 at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School.
1. East High/World of Inquiry (7-2) (3 first place votes) – Class B – 30 points – Last week: 2.
What’s next: The Eagles, as of Nov. 10, were practicing, while waiting for a ruling on whether the Eagles will be allowed to play in the Section V Class B championship game. Even if given a green light, the Eagles are sure to be missing starters because of the players’ actions during fights with Monroe players after the tournament semifinal. If the 14-6 win at Monroe on Nov. 7 was the end for East High/World of Inquiry, the team’s defensive players were the stars of the season finale.
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Tymere Gilbert, who scored a touchdown on a short run, had 10 tackles, including a sack among two tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Taye Brown Jr., the team’s quarterback, made six tackles, while Anthony Lucas had seven, with two sacks. Jamie Anderson Jr., a 2025 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester lineman, led the pack with 10 tackles, including five sacks. Josh Calderon had two sacks.
2. Monroe (8-1) – Class B – 27 points – Last week: 1.
2026: Monroe might not win a popularity contest around Section V, particularly after the fights that followed its semifinal against East/World of Inquiry. But there’s little question the Red Jackets put together one of the section’s most impressive two-year runs.
The Red Jackets put together a 20-game winning streak before it was ended by East/WOI, 14-6. The 2025 Monroe Red Jackets were the first football state champions from the Rochester City School District. The 2026 Monroe roster includes a handful of players who are prospects for college Football Bowl Subdivision teams, including James Brumfield who established himself as a standout on both defense and offense. Terrell Cunningham Jr. reset the Section V records for passing touchdowns (93) and passing yardage (7,713) in a career this fall, after throwing the most touchdown passes in a Section V season (39) in 2025.
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3. Hornell/Arkport/Canaseraga (9-1) – Class C – 24 points – Last week: 3.
Meet again: If Hornell/Arkport/Canaseraga is to win its first Section V championship as a merged team, it will have to find a way to win against the only team it’s lost to this fall. LeRoy/Caledonia-Mumford, a team that also plays in Livingston County/Genesee Region Division, defeated Hornell/Arkport/Canaseraga on Sept. 18. There is little doubt that the Hornell/Arkport/Canaseraga defense must do something with the LeRoy/Cal-Mum running game. A 35-7 win last week during the Class C semifinals provides a clue or two that Hornell/Arkport/Canaseraga’s offense is fine.
4. LeRoy/Caledonia-Mumford (9-1) – Class C – 21 points – Last week: 5.
Meet again: The LeRoy/Caledonia-Mumford Rivals, who seem to climb whenever an opening appears in the Super 10, will see if they can win their first Section V championship as a co-operative team. The Rivals have now defeated every opponent they’ve faced this season. They avenged their only loss last week by beating Alexander/Pembroke 20-0 in the Class C semifinals. The Rivals downed Hornell/Arkport/Canaseraga, 47-32, Sept. 28. Runs by quarterback Brady McClurg worked very well for the Rivals, as he had five rushing touchdowns, while gaining 155 yards on 26 carries.
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5. Honeoye Falls-Lima (7-3) – Class B – 17 points – Last week: 7.
Next: The Honeoye Falls-Lima Cougars hope it is the team’s first Section V championship since the unusual spring 2021 season. That would be the second title in team history. There is a possibility that HF-L wins the Section V Class B championship without taking the field at Saint John Fisher University, as opponent East High/World of Inquiry could remain disqualified from the tournament for players’ actions during fights with Monroe players last weekend.
6. York/Pavilion (9-1) – Class D – 16 points – Last week: 6.
Meet again: Defeat Batavia Notre Dame for a second time this season in the Section V Class D championship game, and York/Pavilion has its first title as a merged team. The victory Sept. 25 over Batavia Notre Dame was a seven-point margin, 14-7. Trent Englert delivered the key play, a 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Jake McEntire, when he wasn’t tackling 14 ballcarriers, helped scratch out 80 yards of offense on 11 carries.
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7. Alexander/Pembroke (8-2) – Class C – 8 points – Last week: 4.
2026: The 2025 Section V Class D champion was eliminated from this season’s tournament by LeRoy/Caledonia-Mumford, 20-0, during last weekend’s semifinals. Something began to sap the Defenders’ offensive firepower mid-October. Alexander/Pembroke scored 13, 38, 14 and zero in the team’s final four games, including in the Class C tournament. This stood out because the Defenders rolled to a 6-0 record, scoring 28, 36, 41, 41, 29 points and 22.
8. Wayne (7-2) – Class B – 6 points – Last week: 9.
2026: Fell to Honeoye Falls-Lima of the Monroe County league last week during the Section V Class B tournament semifinals, after losing a 14-0 lead. The Eagles were 5-1 against other members of the Wayne-Finger Lakes league, helping to earn the No. 2 seed in the class tournament.
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9. (tied) Batavia Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen – Class D – 5 points – Last week: Not ranked.
Meet again: Reverse the results of a 14-7 loss to York/Pavilion on Sept. 25, and Batavia Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen has its first Section V football championship as a merged team. Parker Moore was effective enough for Batavia Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen to turn to the junior to carry 39 times for 177 yards. Mackoy Hall made a team-high 10 tackles, six solo, and was one of five Batavia Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen defensive players to get a sack. James Lamb had a fumble recovery, and eight tackles, six solo, two for loss of yardage with a sack.
9. (tied) Attica (7-3) – Class D – 5 points – Last week: 8.
2026: The Blue Devils suffered a season-ending loss to Batavia Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen, 28-21, during last weekend’s Class D tournament semifinals. Attica was on a six-game winning streak. Team statistical leaders through nine games include sophomore Brody Clark (695 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, 55.8% completion rate), junior Landen Nagel (506 rushing yards), senior Blake Kines (6 touchdowns), senior Mason Jackson 6 touchdowns and freshman Bentley Geedy (5 touchdowns.).
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Also received votes: Canisteo-Greenwood (6-4, Class D), East Rochester/Gananda (6-4, Class C).
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Two new No. 1 teams shake up Section V football Super 10
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
