St. Joe's vs. Canisius: Vote, comment & follow the action with Prep Talk Live

The biggest battle between the biggest rivals in Western New York.

It's a football game, it's for the championship, and it's at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

It's Canisius vs. St. Joe's. For the 76th time overall, for the first time for a playoff championship.

poll by twiigs.com

Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., following the 5 p.m. League A title game between Cardinal O'Hara and St. Mary's. O'Hara, the co-No. 9 school among small schools, beat St. Mary's, 32-12, in Week Seven (Oct. 17).

poll by twiigs.com

WE ARE LIVE ONLINE AT PREP TALK LIVE for both of tonight's games.

The feature kicked off during last weekend's Section VI championships at The Ralph and fans -- from near and far -- seemed to love it. It's a great way to catch the action from the games as well as some great photography by The News' Mark Mulville. I'll be keeping track of the action as part of my record-keeping for the game; I'll be able to allow comments early on, but I'll have to concentrate on the action when things get dicey (with the game and my deadline).

St. Joe's will conduct its usual online radio broadcast.

Some background: St. Joe's is 6-4 and ranked ninth among large schools in Western New York. Canisius is 5-5 ranked unofficially 11th in Western New York as the only team outside the top 10 to receive votes.

Canisius beat St. Joe's, 41-28, in Week Five (Oct. 3). St. Joe's has won five straight since. Here's my live blog account from that game. 

St. Joe's leads the all-time series, 43-29-3. Canisius has won the last four in a row between the rivals.

Canisius has never won the playoff title since the format was re-started in 2002; the Crusaders made the last two championship games but lost both times to St. Francis.

St. Joe's has won two playoff titles, with back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006. Canisius has not won a outright League AA championship since 1980; it was part of three-way ties in 1997 and '99.

This is the first time in the league's 12 playoff championship games that the final is St. Joe's vs. Canisius. Wow.

You've voted in the poll. Now tell us why in the comments section below.

See you for the kickoff (and my pick) at Prep Talk Live.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Comments

[Milt Latimer]

If one were to just look at what happened on the field against sweet Home this year, they might a different outlook. SH vs Clarence 35-16, Lake Shore 28-8, Iroquois 44-23 34-6, Grand Island 51-30 20-13, West Seneca East 18-13, Aquinas 33-7. Based on that, where would you place Aquinas in a VI A?

Still not quite sure where? Sweet Home outgained Aquinas 452-161, Time of Possession was 32-16, and Aquinas had 83 yards passing, and 19 carries for 78 yards. In Iroquois' first game against Sweet Home, Chiefs had the 32-16 TOP, 158 yards passing, 36 carries for 158 yards, and they were trading scores with Panthers through 3 quarters. Grand Island stood toe to toe with the Panthers, as well leading 22-20 in the 3rd quarter of their first game and giving them a battle at the Ralph. I'll even offer the Chiefs 34-6 loss, as they had 112 yards of offense in a brutal "wind game". VI teams could move the ball more easily on Sweet Home than Aquinas. Canisius had 168 yards on Aquinas, and 88 of that was from Eman scrambles.

Bottom line, there is alot of good football in VI right now. The best in Section V is behind VI right now. The best in V also ran through MMA.

hoopster-in your top 10, didn't #9 beat #7, and #7 and #8 beat #3? seems there isn't alot of difference between them. :-)

[What?]

At the time that both CHS, NT and OP played Jamestown, they weren't considered a "bad" team. It's easy to say now they are a bad team. Just like Kearney was a "good" team early. The season was young for all those teams and they all thought and had hopes for success. Jamestown lost some close games early...in particular they were taking OP to the wood shed and faded late. NT had their hands full with them in the opener before pulling away.

Try to stay with the conversation Fran. Also, if you know anything about football, AQ's kryptonite is exactly what SH does, spacing out their team and using athleticism against them. Same as CHS, except they haven't finished the job on AQ. Sooner than later they will. Also, other section teams play SH tough because they see them every year. Familiarity breeds comfort that lends to closer games. People here have seen what SH does. By contrast, the styles of football in Rochestr is much like AQ's...more smash mouth although AQ tried to employ some multiple wide formations this year (not with success) so AQ isn't going to practice or see that style of ball except for a week when their scout team tries to emulate SH which because AQ doesn't have the athletes that SH has it is hard to prepare for it. Both SF and Joe's (until this year) employed that same type of two back system that plays right into the hands of AQ. CHS was the only one that used the single back, multiple offensive look against them and has racked up huge offensive statistical games over 3 seasons, 600 yards in year 1, over 500 last year and 400 this year but can't get over the hump. A so called HS expert should be able to understand how a local team may play SH close compared to someone who NEVER sees that team or that style of offense but 2x's per year. Just like McQuaid plays AQ close...familiarity.

[Fran]

Pylon
I am not punishing or discounting anyone. I am simply giving my opinions of how good I think they are. This blog is here for us to give our opinions. I have stated my reasons for forming that opinion. So, winning the MMA, IN MY OPINION, is not a huge accomplishment. Had Canisius beaten Aquinas and won the MMA, noone would be doubting how good they were. But they didn't beat AQ, and in fact were clearly inferior to AQ.
I don't expect die hard self-absorbed Canisius fans to agree with me. But there is evidence out there to support my "silly" opinions

[Fran]

JAMESTOWN AGAIN!!!!!
Jamestown is a bad team. If it will further this discussion, I will concede that Canisius beat Jamestown by more points than OP and NT. Will you concede that there were Section VI A teams who gave Sweet Home better games than Aquinas?
So you can hang your hat on a common opponent who stunk, and I will hang my hat on a common opponent who year after year waltzes through the MMA.

[Pylon32]

They won a 3 team league????

Wow, that is terrible. So blame them for their league? They can change that? So you want to punish and discount them due to the league? Wow. Ok.

[What?]

But discount CHS beating Jamestown more handily and impressive then both NT and OP. Oh wait,CHS ran up the score. Sweet Home run up the score on AQ? Did AQ have a bad game? SH did against Grand Island. Fran, you are rediculous. CHS is barely top 10? That is plain stupid. It is arguable that any team above them could beat them. I know GI couldn't and NT with thier 1944 Wing T??? Right. The SIZE of CHS line, thier speed at all skill positions, the calliber of defensive players...all 6'0 190 or bigger. You're kidding me.

You trying to spew that garbage; Sweet Home and CHS would be a war. Very similar offenses--but CHS outsizes them. Say what you want about an opening season game; but anyone realizes that teams are better at the end then they are at the beginning. Your "logic" of how CHS did vs AQ doesn't wash unless you add in how CHS did against Jamestown vs NT and OP. Why is that comparison not used?

Just silly. Let's play the games on the field and we don't have to have this silly talk.

[Fran]

Just a quick correction to my post, when I said I saw all the VI teams multiple times, I meant the VI teams we are considering for the Top 10.

[Fran]

Canisius won the championship of a three team league. Their win was impressive ONLY in that context.They were clearly the best of those three teams, and that is the only conclusion I took out of that game.
But I have seen them play more than just that game. And I have seen all the VI teams play multiple times. IMO Canisius is barely Top 10.
And do not discount the significance of the Sweet Home-Aquinas result. It is CLEARLY a legitimate reference point to use in comparing Canisius to the Section VI A teams.

[tony]

Wideout81, let's keep it real. Coach Tundo said it himself. When asked why he won't schedule StJoes or StFran to a non-league game he stated that he knows that some of his good young players will be contacted shortly after they are seen and that there is a good chance that they will be with Joes or Frannies the following season. If that is not recruiting then what is?

If you guys aren't satisfied with your league and you are tired of traveling, why don't you start an I-90 conference with other privates from other cities like Rochester and so on?

You will never be in Section 6. Quit complaining about rankings and live with the facts that you recruit and it makes for an unfair playing field!

[I was Impressed]

I have been watching WNY football for 20 years and I have to say after watching the replay of the CHS Joe's game on Timewarner last night, that CHS team is VERY impressive.

I read on here and it seems a lot of people have hate for the privates, but those were two well coached teams but CHS was superior, in particular their offensive scheme.

How can anyone rank teams ahead of one who won a championship??? I don't think CHS should be above NT or Sweet Home, they won sectional titles, but the other schools on there? Will South, Iroquios, Hamburg, etc. Having seen them all play, and being a graduate of Maryvale HS, I'm more of a Section guy, but you have to give a team it's due. CHS deserves a top 4 ranking.

[Wideout81]

EVERY student at all private schools is recruited. There is an inherent difference between the privates and publics in that the privates must persuade people to spend thousands of dollars on an education. The recruiting directors at these schools call students and have high school "fairs" to sell their respective schools. Privates do not have a set district from which to draw students. They have to market themselves to fill their schools with the best students possible. However, to suggest that these schools go out and actively pursue athletes from other schools is a huge assumption to make. Success sells itself. When a program starts turning out more college players every year than any other program, players with college aspirations take note. When athletes can pick their school, they're going to pick the one where they will have the most success. People on this blog constantly refer to Pringle and Gaines from CHS as examples of recruiting. Isn't it possible that Pringle saw where the Joes program was headed, and decided that he wanted to play for CHS. Thats not recruiting, thats a player making a choice with his future in mind. The catholics should not be punished just because anyone is allowed to apply. The same is true of Gaines. Maybe, just maybe, he saw 8 college players come out of CHS and realized that playing at Will South probably wasnt the best thing for his future in football. Well both players were right if this was their thinking because theyre both going to be playng on Saturdays next year. The same happened at St. Joes several years ago when they were dominating. There is no evidence to suggest that Coach Harris, O'Connor, or Smith have ever actively recruited football players. There is an inherent difference between the catholics and publics. Students can take advantage of this to give themselves the best chance to succeed. This is not recruiting, get over it.

[hoopster]

Bias and colored visors!!

That's what I see from my unbiased perch as a high school football fan.

I have no pig in the poke, unlike fans beating their chest and proclaiming the superiority of Section VI teams over fans of Canisius, Joe's and Frannies, who have rightly and largely sat on the sidelines, while the chest thumping has been taking place.

Just the week before, supporters of other VI teams were trying to downplay GI's success against Sweet Home in order to promote their team and downplay GI's rise in the polls. Now the same people, with full shaded and colored visors on, are using the SH/AQ game to prop up VI teams vis-a-vis Canisius and Joe's.

These same people said the week before that SH played its' worst game of the year while trying to tamp down GI. I'll buy the argument that SH played its' worst game. Nonetheless I have to give major props to GI, who but for a couple mistakes in the 2d half may have pulled off the upset. My take is that GI prepared SH for the AQ game and put them in position to handily defeat an excellent team. It can also be said imo that SH probably played its' best game of the year against AQ and AQ played its' worst.

Frankly, it's a classic case VI supporters trying to have their cake and eat it too.

If you truly believe VI teams are superior then prove it where it counts...ON THE FIELD!!!!! Play the games!! If you continually come up with excuses and apologies for not playing MMA teams, then suffer the consequences I say when it comes to polling. Thus without further adieu my top 10:

1. NT
2. SH

A lot of distance between those two and the rest of the pack.

3. GI They dropped some close ones at the beginning of the year, but rebounded and showed tremendous character in bouncing back. Simply put they were playing the best football, with the exception of #s 1 and 2 of course, at the end of the season when it counted most. They earned this spot!!

4. Canisius They did everything asked of them this year. They easily beat a St. Joe's team that was playing tremendous football coming into the finale. Unlike any team below them, they won a championship by defeating a huge rival in perhaps the biggest game in the history of their storied rivalry!

5. OP No marquee wins. IMO living off prior year's reputation and success. Handled easily by NT, no shame there, which puts them ahead of.....

6. Lancaster Lose 54-7 to a local team and forfeit the benefit of a big win over OP earlier in the year;

7. Hamburg they defeated #

8. Will South which easily defeated #

9. Iroquois

10. St. Joe's/Riverside Both deserving of a top 10 nod.

Just one man's opinion. Great year to all!!! Now onto hoops season where the teams compete on the court, which is one of many reasons why hs hoops is eons ahead of hs football as the premier scholastic sport in WNY.

[Fran]

Guest
When you say Aquinas is "considered a top 5 team state wide", who exactly are the people doing the considering?
I have to think you are referring to the state wide writers who don't even see most of these teams play.
If you saw the Sweet Home - Aquinas game Friday, you saw that Aquinas wasn't anywhere even close to competing with SH. There were teams in Section VI this year who did compete with SH. Clearly there are a number of VI A teams that are better than Aquinas.
Now this is my opinion, formed by WATCHING these teams play. It is not based on past performance or reading articles from the other side of the state. That is how the state polls are done.
I understand all you MMA fans need to prop up Aquinas, but this is the wrong year to play that card. When SH took them to the woodshed, they essentially took the MMA with them.

[freethrow]

milt gets ten points for that last comment... very logical point right there that i never even thought out but its true..... but one thing milt i wud put OP and Lancaster tied at 3 and flip flop at 4... but u had me dying with that 4-8 part...
listen who cares about what CHS does.. if people tink they recruit then they can think that.. i personally dont care because in the end it comes down to faculty and staff and whoever else is involved that has to sleep at night or look in the mirror or even look at MMA trophy and ask them selves...Did we win this the fair and right way? was it natural selection that landed these kids here? or speciation(recruiting).........

[Milt Latimer]

Guest- The Maxpreps ranking system is a computer model. It places a heavy premium on strength of schedule during the course of beating an opponent. All one has to do is look at the strength of schedule of Canisius and St Francis, etc to see what happens to Aquinas when they beat them. The computer fails to realize that losing 60+ to an Ohio school shouldn't necessarily make your strength of schedule any better or worse. If Grand Island or Amherst were to have St Ignatius or Mooney on their schedule, Sweet Home's wins over them would look that much better. Its a false positive effect in the computer. Sweet Home was undefeated and had beat Aquinas last year...but the computer doesn't recognize that and still has Aquinas above them. Its the 19.7 vs 10.1 strength of schedule that weighs SH down.

[41]

I hear that Fran watches the WWF! That might explain a little.

[Guest]

according to fran, aquinas would be the sixth best team in wny. they have consistently been considered a top 5 team state wide this decade. maxpreps lists them as the number two team in the state this season. in the two games against sweet home, sweet home has been the superior team but that doesn't mean that other wny teams would fare similarly. i'm not an aquinas fan but that logic presents a greatly exaggerated view of the true status of section 6 football

[tah414]

I'm kinda new to reading these but it sounds(?) like James hit a nerve.

[coach n]

Hey pylon, did Pringle leave Joes cause CHS offered a class not offered at Joes? Juimmy Gaines left North after his sophomore cause for better classes. Dude they were RECUIRTED! It's OK, we know they do.

[Sid]

If you "Private" backers would just admit that Private Schools recruit public kids then all of this would probably go away. Privates will NEVER be apart of section 6, NEVER!!!!!!!!!Trust me on this one. NEVER!!!!!!!

[Pylon32]

James Faust or whomever you are since you are doing a very poor job of satire.

1. Your comments are idiotic.

2. If you think the CHS coach recruited kids illegally or unethically, say how he did it. What he show up to their house? Pay them money under the table? Break rules? He held a gun to the heads of players and parents and MADE them transfer?

3. Look in the mirror and take off the rose colored glasses. Maybe the school has academics others dream of, maybe there are better opportunities. Fact is you (nor I) know. You are being cynical and insulting the families that made their choices for their son's and the personal circumstances they have regarding it. Just plain ignorant.

4. You don't know what the CHS coach makes and it isn't any of your business anyway. Are you paying his salary? Why do you care? Every person on the planet should try and earn what they can for their familes. If you want to give your salary back or to someone, let me know. I'm sure there are many people or charities that will be glad to take whatever you want to give up.

[James Faust]

I think Notre Dame ought to look at the Canisius coach for the soon to be open position as head coach. He is a great international recruiter and has shown great talent in raiding the rival schools for talent. Can you imagine grabbing some USC talent and bringing them to South Bend? I just don't know if ND can pay him what Canisius does.

[Milt Latimer]

Top 10 as I see it (I even took off my red colored visor):

1 NT
2 Sweet Home
(Top 2 could swap before all is said and done)
3 Lancaster
4-8 GI, Iroquois, Hamburg, Will South, and OP (Flip a coin, pick cards out of a hat, ask your dog, play a simulation on Xbox, or choose by geographically closest to you) (OP's 14-0 win over V A Victor puts them in this mix)
9 Canisius (Aquinas common foe puts VI A teams in favor)
10 (tie) Riverside, St Joe's (we'll call this the split Mulhern vote)

[Milt Latimer]

I have two words for all that think potential Division I (II/III) players translates to wins...Bishop Kearney!

[Top Ten]

Top 10

1 – Sweet Home – edged ahead of NT with dominant performance vs Aquinas
2 – North Tonawanda – survive and advance for the Lumberjacks
3 – Orchard Park – lacked offensive firepower, not a bad “down” year
4 – Grand Island – a great finishing kick (literally) down the stretch
5 – Lancaster – good season, still smarting from the ending at Ralph Wilson
6 – Hamburg – upstart Bulldogs were a surprise
7 – Williamsville South – couple close losses hurt resurgent Billies
8 – Canisius – finished what they started last year
9 – Riverside – a chance to avenge only loss coming up vs Burgard
10 – Iroquois – another solid year for the Chiefs

#1 still up for grabs with Sweet Home and NT moving on to the semifinals. Had NT in that spot since Lancaster beat OP, but the Panthers snuck ahead by the slimmest of margins after this week. Canisius may have top 7 talent, but they won a very mediocre league with a .500 record and didn’t get top 7 results vs Kearney, Walsh, and Cathedral Prep. Riverside is not better than Canisius, so they are stuck behind them.

[Fran]

You said, "Name nother program that will place over 20 kids in Div 1 1AA and Div 2 in 3 years"
Here is the answer, wait for it.....
AQUINAS!!
Yes, the team that beat you but was DESTROYED by Sweet Home. I guess all the D1 players aren't a true indicator of how your team performs on the field.

[Transparent Observer]

Fran,

are you devoid of understanding? I'm not comparing Jamestown to Aquinas but the head to head match up and the double standard you all use. CHS an also ran. Name nother program that will place over 20 kids in Div 1 1AA and Div 2 in 3 years. Wait for it...
none. Say what you want, they develop players and they have a top notch program. An "also ran" whatever. sounds like section 6 hate to me. YOu are not being reasonable at all. So you want to tell me the Iroquois and W South would beat them? If you are you are on drugs. I'm glad the people that count know the difference.

[freethrow]

THANK U FRAN UR SUCH A LIFE SAVER....Everyone knos i keeps it real im not biased at all at the same it just so happens that the team i root for is same team i use to play for... listen i have nothing against the MMA i love the MMA when it comes to them playing each other but when people say that Sweet Home blew aquinas out because of a game plan then it makes me question their intelligence

[Fran]

Transparent Observer
You tell someone they are losing credibilty, and at the same time you are comparing Jamestown to Aquinas???
Those two schools are presently on different ends of the football universe. Beating JAMESTOWN is your claim to superiority? Now that will cost YOU some credibility.
Twist and turn all you want, but the bottom line is, that by beating Aquinas like a rented mule, Sweet Home has made Canisius an also ran in WNY.

[Milt Latimer]

unknown...the last team besides Sweet Home to beat Aquinas was Corning East in 2006 State Class A semis. Aquinas had gone unbeaten in 2007, winning the State Title, and unbeaten regular seasons in '08 and '09 before falling to the Panthers.

[unknown]

2nd team, Milt could proabably help me on this one but besides Sweet Home; Iroquois only lost to Aquinas 7-0 with 6 turnovers with their back-up quarterback and the year before i beleive beat Aquinas or whoever from section 5 to get to the semi-finals. That year St. Francis lost big to Aquinas. We could only compare common opponents not these teams that the public schools will never face. By the way, who was the last team besides Sweet Home to beat Aquinas?

[Milt Latimer]

2nd team- Why is not feasible to group the 4 teams behind Sweet Home in Class A as teams that would compete favorably against Aquinas? Based on performance this year, one can certainly state that. Since Aquinas outclassed MMA, simple methods of deduction could lead most to believe those 4 teams would achieve a similar level of success.

[2ndteam]

Unknown and unknowing, the only school the MMA teams could not compete with is Sweet Home. The others, Will. South, GI, Hamburg and Iroquois would be in the same group as the MMA teams. This was somewhat of a down year in the MMA and I still believe that it would be very even games between the leagues except for Sweet Home.
How can you even comment on the level of competion of teams they play from Ohio and Penn. when you never been out of your own backyard. Those teams are in a whole different level than any team around here. There's a reason why no team from NYS is national ranked and teams from Ohio and Penn. are. They have for decades taken HS football training year round and most have full-time coaches, not teachers who also coach. Only recently has WNY HS teams taken football training year round seriously, thanks to coaches like Tundo, Jankiewicz, Faller and Jantzi. This is why section 6 is starting to get past section 5 and win state titles.
Good luck to Sweet Home in the states but please don't try and group the rest of the "A" teams in their class.

[Transparent Observer]

freethrow,

You are Losing credibility now. History of running up the score? Wow are you a lemming? Just go along with what some people that don't know what they are talking about?

Addressed by Coach K and another poster who wisely stated the obvious. Look I don't see how you guys want to compare AQ but not Jamestown? So did Sweet Home run up the score today? See where your logic has holes. You guys are funny. YOu want it one way, your way..guess it's Burger King mindsets that rule the roost here. I'm out. Thought there could be some unbiased football talk. Guess not.

[unknown]

I agee with the last few posts, MMA schools could not compete in the top tier of class A this year being sweet home, Iroquois, Grand Island, and Hamburg. I am sick and tired of hearing how tough a schedule that they have to play out of state when none of them had to play sweet home twice or Grand island or Will South. Come on people stop thinking the grass is greener in ohio and pennsylvania catholic schools. Do we have to win 3 or 4 state championships again to prove it and keep up the good work section 6 and do not let the catholics in becasue you obviously have a good thing going.

[Milt Latimer]

hoopster- You can't understand why we use the Aquinas game as a measuring stick?

We use it as a measuring stick because its our only frame of reference. The top tier publics don't play the MMA schools (no need to go into that again), so we need to have some sort of common foes scenario to look at. The facts from looking at games are that both Grand Island and Iroquois gave Sweet Home more competitive games this season than Aquinas. If you throw the "win against each other" teams of Hamburg and Will South into the mix, its not inconceivable to speculate that all 5 of the top VI A teams might have beaten Aquinas, as well. Considering Aquinas used MMA as its regular season practice dummy.

Cmon...lighten up. If Milt were to post a "War and Peace" novel breaking down every single possible matchup in a game, I'd be crucified on here. A little stab at Coach Kay...someone had to do it! :-) Although I'm shocked, there wasn't any analysis comparing how each team retrieves the kicking tee after a kickoff or the type of towels used to wipe down footballs.

As for coming down from Mount Milt...did just that, as I was charged the same price of admission as the peasants to enter the Ralph.

[freethrow]

Hey transparent im sorry but ur opinion based on what CHS did to Jamestown Compared to what NT and OP did doesnt count because in other blogs CHS has a history of runnin up the score on opponents..And how can u use
Jamestown as a comparison? Why wud u wanna use Jamestown as a comparison... how stupid wud i sound if i went up to somebody bragging that they beat jamestown by 20 and then my team beat them by 40??? u cant compare blowouts

[Fran]

I have seen all these teams play. That is what I am basing my opinions on. Not scores, not a storied past. Sweet Home crushed Aquinas. Canisius was not close to BEATING Aquinas this year. They kept the score close for awhile but I never once had the feeling Canisius was going to win. Please don't bring up last year's game, it has no bearing on this year.
So IMO, Canisius barely cracks the top 10.

[dave]

Where is the live blog for the Southwestern game?

[Transparent Observer]

Unbelievable...which way do you guys want it? You attribute your opinion of a ranking based on what a team has done in their storied past. OP as a number 3 team? Why? They weren't good this year, neither was the Iroquois. It is based on how a team is playing "now." Did you guys even see CHS play Thursday? No one could have stopped them. Where is Ferrentino and Coach K. I can't wait to read thier observations about it. Eman is flat out incredible. As for logic of MMA Aquinas, what about what CHS did to Jamestown vs what NT and OP did to them, but alas more amnesia by you guys. Haters

[Fran]

Canisius/MMA fans can spin this all they want (they are doing gymnastics with it). But Sweet Home's crushing of Aquinas leaves little doubt about who the best teams are.
Having seen Aquinas play 4 times this year, including last night, they would be the sixth best team in WNY. In order:
Sweet Home/NT
NT/Sweet Home
OP
Lancaster
Grand Island
Hamburg
Aquinas
Will South
Canisius/Iroquois
I think you could reasonably shuffle 3,4,5 in any order, but I think the rest are right on.
For the poster who said that the MMA teams prepped Aquinas to take on Sweet Home, you were right. The lousy MMA teams made Aquinas underestimate WNY football once again.

[outsider]

Guys quit flip-flopping every week. last year Sweet Home was he best large school team and this year is the same. Sweet Home is 2-3 tds better than NT just like they were against OP in 2008.

[So tier FB 02]

Milt u beat me to the punch, so sweet homes beat down of Aquinas proves that the MMA schools are a little behind the sec VI schools. Not to take anything away from MMa schools but i think section six is as good as ever from AA-D. Unless NT puts up a game like last week i think its back to number 1 for Sweet Home. Lets make it 5 for 5 this six.

[unknown]

hoopster, that would be intelligent. So section 6 would be like section 5 and have MMA schools recruit the athletes from the public schools like aquinas and always be in the regionals. Why do you think Aquinas has 300 pound senior lineman year after year. Have you ever seen a public school have 300 pound seniors 5 years in a row. I think not! They will not be in section 6 so stop worrying about.

[freethrow]

hoopster u kno that with the toning down of the schedule its impossible now for some teams to play non league games against MMA. and i believe alot of the coaches alot of the coaches in section 6 find no point in playing MMA teams because a MMA team that they beat or lose to might not help them at the end of the season rankings for the commom opponent criteria.
U know why they cant be let into the section and its because like keith said its like the apples in the oranges.

[hoopster]

Milt, it are posts like that, which have earned you the moniker Milt "Blathermore"! You can be insightful and even charming at times, but your streak of arrogance and smugness come shining through when you climb Mount Milt. I suppose when you have a football field named after you it is only natural to think you're better than everyone and have an inflated cranium. Come down off Mount Milt and join the rest of us inferior common folks Milt!

Coach K has been one of the best people to post on this blog. He treats everyone with respect, there is a lesson there for you Milt, and intelligently discusses what he sees and provides his opinions, which agree with him or not, should garner everyone's, except Milt of course, respect. I suppose Milt's Coach "Kay" reference shows a bit of jealously that someone other than him might make lengthy posts about WNY football.

As for who should be ranked where, I find it laughable that people are trying to use Aquinas as a measuring stick to compare and contrast MMA teams and Section VI squads. Laughable because the latter, insert Milts' list of excuses/apologies here, refuse to play MMA schools with a couple notable exceptions. That is, of course, the only true measuring stick, and one public schools refuse to allow.

Finally, if Section VI teams are so superior then why won't they play MMA teams? Or better yet, why don't they allow them into the section?

[Milt Latimer]

Post Game Wrap Up...brought to you by Coach Kay

Sweet Home proved what many thought to be true all along. Section VI Class A is even better than MMA. After Aquinas blew through the MMA by a 151-21 margin, a public school made them look like a JV program.

Both Grand Island and Iroquois scored over 20 on the Panthers this season. Aquinas, the de facto MMA Champ three years running, can barely move the ball against a public school Class A program.

[freethrow]

HEY i hope the MMA is gettin tips on how to beat Aquinas

[oldtimer]

coach k, great write up. The explanation about the concerns that Canisius was running up the score humor me. It seems to come up on this blog often. Does it really matter what the other teams does, or doesn't do? Most HS coaches are sensitive to this and do what they feel is best for the opponent but they have to focus on their own team too. Nobody knows all the scenarios surrounding his team as well as the HC. The fans are the ones who seem to have a hard time with it. Note to fans, media and parents...worry about your own kids, your own program and let the other coach take care of his kids and his program. There are many factors that go into playing time. What famous college coach said it's not my job to make sure the other guy's team can stop us? Sportsmanship is important but who is playing or who is passing at what point in the game is a waste of energy. If you mistreat people it will eventually come back to bite you, same goes with coaching.
If we get beat 50-0 and the other coach feels he needs to keep his starters in so be it. He has to answer to his own players and parents. In the mean time we will go to work and try to get better. Next time around it might be our turn.

[Keith McShea]

The Coach K Pregame Breakdown has been proudly brought to you by buffalonews.com

Check out the poll - 50 percent Canisius, 49 St. Joe's.