A month away from New York State public high schools entering the 2026 fall season, Section 4 Athletics has released an early high school football schedule.
Roster changes and teams’ leadership will be confirmed at an annual meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The meeting will be followed by the Southern Tier Football Coaches Association’s first annual golf tournament, set to take place at the Links at Hiawatha Landing.
Many veteran stars return this upcoming season with high expectations. Josh Kweller, Vestal’s star quarterback who enters his senior season as Vestal’s all-time leader in passing yardage, is a prime example.
Along with the question of how veteran players like Kweller mix with new waves of talent, the question of which Section 4 teams will take center stage begins with Week 1’s opening game on Sept. 4.
Ahead of the summer weeks and preseason training of the season that set the tone for the fall, here’s a list of a few top Section 4 matchups that may name top teams, settle seasonal rivalries and highlight key players.
Class AA – Division I
Class AA Teams: Corning-Painted Post (Corning), Elmira, Ithaca
Class A – Divison II
Class A Teams: Binghamton, Horseheads, Union-Endicott, Vestal
Class B – Division III
Class B Teams: Johnson City, Maine-Endwell, Owego Free Academy (Owego)
Class C – Division IV & V
Class C Teams: Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Norwich, Oneonta, Susquehanna Valley, Waverly, Whitney Point, Windsor
Class D – VI, VII
Class D Teams: Bainbridge-Guilford/Harpursville/Afton, Delaware Academy (Delhi), Deposit/Hancock (Deposit), Greene/Oxford, Groton, Newark Valley, Sidney, Spener-van Etten/Candor, Tioga, Trumansburg, Walton/Downsville, Watkins Glen/Odessa Montour
2026 Section 4 Varsity Football Week 1 Schedule
Game schedule for Class AA, A, B, C and D varsity football teams, Week 1:
Game times are subject to change.
Week 1 | Sept. 4-5
Corning at Cicero-North Syracuse, TBD
Elmira at Liverpool, 6 p.m.
Ithaca at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, TBD
Horseheads at Rochester Aquinas, TBD
Union-Endicott at Utica Proctor, 1:30 p.m.
Vestal at Rome Free Academy, TBD
Binghamton vs. Chenango Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Johnson City at Henninger, 1 p.m.
Maine-Endwell at Webster Thomas, 4 p.m.
Owego vs. Chenango Forks, 7 p.m.
Norwich vs. Cazenovia, 7 p.m.
Waverly vs. Port Jervis, 6 p.m.
Susquehanna Valley at Schuyler, 6 p.m.
Whitney Point vs. Holland Patent, 7 p.m.
Windsor at Skaneatles, 6 p.m.
B-G/Harpursville/Afton vs. Newark Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Deposit at Trumansburg, 7 p.m.
Delhi at Tioga, 7 p.m.
Greene/Oxford at Oneonta, 6 p.m.
Sidney vs. Groton, 7 p.m.
Walton/Downsville at Liberty, 1:30 p.m.
8-Man | Week 1
Teams: Dryden, Elmira Notre Dame, Lansing, Moravia, Newfield, Thomas A. Edison, Unadilla Valley, Unatego/Franklin/GMU
Dryden vs. Moravia, 7 p.m.
Elmira Notre Dame vs. Thomas A. Edison, 7 p.m.
Lansing at Unadilla Valley, TBD
Newfield at Sherburne-Earlville, TBD
Unatego/Franklin/GMU vs. South Lewis, 6:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Naming top Section 4 varsity football games for the 2026-27 season
Reporting by Aniya Sumner, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Aniya Sumner, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin | USA TODAY Network
