Section III features top 10 teams in all five of New York’s classifications after the release Wednesday of the state football poll by the New York State Sportswriters’ Association.

Cicero-North Syracuse (5-0) remains the only Section III team ranked in Class AA, moving up two spots to No. 4. The Northstars haven’t lost to a Section III team since the 2016 sectional final.

Whitesboro (5-0) and Indian River (5-0) stayed put in Class A, checking in at Nos. 10 and 14, respectively. Whitesboro takes on state honorable mention Pine Bush (3-2) this weekend.

Skaneateles (5-0) remains at No. 2 in the state in Class B, the highest-ranking team from Section III. The Lakers trail only five-time state champ Chenango Forks in the poll. The defending Class C state champions, Skaneateles has encountered no trouble after moving up a class this year.

The Lakers are joined in the Class B by Cazenovia (4-1), which comes in at No. 22. There are also two newcomers to the Class B rankings: No. 24 Oneida (5-0) and No. 30 Marcellus (4-1). Oneida takes on Cazenovia on Friday night.

General Brown (4-1) fell to No. 14 in the Class C rankings after its first loss of the season. Utica Notre Dame (5-0) moved up a spot to No. 7. Lowville (5-0) moved up two spots to No. 16. And Canastota (4-1) dropped 10 spots to No. 18 after its first loss.

In Class D, Dolgeville (3-1), Herkimer (4-1) and Onondaga (4-1) are ranked. They come in at Nos. 5, 7 and 8, respectively. Frankfort-Schuyler fell out of the rankings after its second loss of the season.

And while the sportswriters did not rank eight-man football teams this season, three Section III squads remain undefeated at 3-0: defending sectional champ Bishop Grimes, along with first-year eight-man teams Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and Weedsport.

Published on October 3, 2018 at 12:13 pm

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3