Section VI Football unveils its 2019 schedule

Are you ready for some football?

The Section VI Football Federation unveiled its schedule and divisions for the 2019 season, which will kick off Sept. 5 with two games followed by a 22-game Friday night slate Sept. 6 and nine games Sept. 7.

Highlights of the schedule include:

- Defending state Class D champion Clymer/Sherman/Panama opens at Sherman at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 7 against Maple Grove in a rematch of last year’s sectional final.

- State Class A runner-up West Seneca East opens at Amherst at 7 p.m. Sept. 6.

- The Thursday games to open the season feature Niagara Wheatfield visiting North Tonawanda and Bishop Timon-St. Jude heading to Elma to face Iroquois.

Timon’s first three opponents are nonleaguers against Section VI teams with Akron visiting Tifft Farm on Sept. 13. The Tigers visit Wilson on Sept. 20.

Public schools also agreed to play nonleaguers versus St. Joe’s and Cardinal O’Hara. St. Joe’s hosts Bennett on Sept. 14. The two opened the season against each other last year. McKinley visits O’Hara on Sept. 21.

While Frewsburg will play eight-man football with Section V teams in a still-to-be-determined schedule, it will visit Maple Grove in a Week 7 nonleague game. The Red Dragons agreed to play the eight-man game on Oct. 18.

Other items of note:

- Each classification will begin postseason in Week 8. Last year’s division breakdowns based on enrollment numbers resulted in Classes AA and D playing eight-week regular seasons and beginning the playoffs with Week 9 semifinals, while Classes A, B and C had quarterfinal games during Week 8.

- With 20 teams in Class B, the section opted to divide into four divisions with five teams. The top two finishers in each division make playoffs.

- Class A returns to two divisions of eight teams. Class C will consist of South and North divisions as usual. Class D bulks from four to six teams with the top two receiving a bye into semifinals.

- Class AA consists of nine teams, including three-time defending champion Lancaster. Frontier and Jamestown return after dropping to A-1 last year. Williamsville North departs Class AA for A-1.

See the full schedule here, https://bit.ly/2UhcRCl.