The official start of high school practices in New York for the 2026-27 school year was Monday, Aug. 17. A look at some of the stories, teams and athletes to watch during the fall season in preparation for competition.
Elmira, Corning football programs near 100 wins
The highest classification for Section 4 football has been dominated by Corning-Painted Post and Elmira High School since the mergers of Corning East-Corning West, and Elmira Free Academy-Southside in the early 2010s.
Both programs are within reach of 100 victories heading into the 2026 season.
Corning has won 91 games and five Section 4 titles since its inaugural 9-1 season in 2010.
Express football got started the next year. The Express needs just two wins to reach 100, with current head coach Jimmy McCauley (95-47) the winning coach for all but three of those victories after taking over in 2012.
Elmira goes for four sectional titles in a row
Speaking of Express football, Elmira enters this fall riding a wave of three consecutive Section 4 championships, all coming via victories over rival Corning.
Last year’s championship came courtesy of a 53-18 win over Corning in which Elmira topped 500 yards on offense.
Elmira is seeking its eighth sectional championship since the program started.
Tough openers for Elmira, Corning, Horseheads
Elmira, Corning and Horseheads each face formidable foes on the road to open their football seasons.
Corning takes on traditional state power Cicero-North Syracuse at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4.
Elmira also heads to the Syracuse area that day for a 6 p.m. contest against a Liverpool team coming off a 9-2 season.
Horseheads travels to eight-time New York state champion Rochester Aquinas for a 1:30 p.m. meeting on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Also on the schedule Sept. 4 is an eight-man matchup between Thomas A. Edison and host Elmira Notre Dame, set for a 7 p.m. start. Don Wainwright is the first-year head coach at Notre Dame.
Other opening week contests:
New look for STAC playoffs
The Southern Tier Athletic Conference has changed its format for conference championships in all sports that feature them, going from a single team champ to large school and small school titlists.
That will most notably impact sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball, which previously had semifinals that included all four division champions, followed by an overall title contest.
This fall will see a large-school championship game and a small-school championship contest in volleyball, along with boys and girls soccer. Cross country, golf, cheerleading and tennis will also crown multiple champions.
Horseheads, Corning chase girls soccer repeats
Horseheads has its sights set on a third consecutive Section 4 championship in girls soccer after beating Vestal, 2-0, in last year’s AA final.
The Blue Raiders hadn’t won a sectional title before sharing the crown in 2024 with Vestal, which earned the right to play in the state tournament by beating Horseheads in the penalty-kick shootout. Last year Horseheads made its first appearance in the state tourney, falling 3-2 to Warwick after a spirited comeback bid.
Corning secured a seventh sectional championship last season, playing Ithaca to a 0-0 tie in the Class AAA final. The Little Red took the shootout by a 5-4 margin and advanced to the state tournament.
Express boys soccer comes off big season
Elmira claimed both the STAC West and Section 4 Class AAA championships in boys soccer in 2025, finishing with a record of 12-2-3.
The Express have earned back-to-back sectional titles under Derek Hamilton, who is over 170 career wins entering his 21st season as head coach, a run that started at Elmira Free Academy before it combined with Southside.
Among the key departures for Elmira is all-state midfielder Luca Capilli, now a freshman at Division I Mercyhurst University.
Corning, Horseheads defend volleyball titles
The preeminent girls volleyball programs in the Elmira-Corning region hail from Corning and Horseheads, both of which added to their considerable number of sectional titles last season.
Corning repeated as Section 4 Class AAA champ with its victory over Ithaca.
Horseheads took the Class AA title by beating Vestal.
Horseheads, Storm boast swimming title streaks
Two of the more impressive championship streaks among Elmira-Corning region teams belong the girls swimming & diving programs at Horseheads and Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour.
Horseheads has won the last six Section 4 Class A championships.
Watkins Glen/O-M, also known as the Schuyler Storm, enters the season with nine consecutive sectional championships in Class C.
Corning remains a Section 4 force in cross country
Corning’s boys cross country team, which has four New York state titles among its impressive credentials, comes off a 2025 season in which it swept the team titles at the STAC championships and the Section 4 Class A meet.
The Corning girls will seek to return to the top of Class A competition in Section 4 after Ithaca denied the Hawks a seventh consecutive sectional title last season.
Corning will kick off the season by hosting the Corning Cross Country Relays on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Watson Woods in Painted Post.
Elmira stood tall in boys golf last year
Elmira High golf has enjoyed some of its strongest success in recent seasons. After capturing its first STAC tournament title in 2023, the Express secured the Section 4 Class A championship last season behind a third-place finish from Aiden Ranck.
Elmira’s season also included the STAC West title behind a 7-4 mark in dual meets and a third-place showing at the STAC tournament.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Preseason primer for 2026 Elmira-Corning region fall sports
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
