Thursday finals: Beacon defeated Saugerties 49–6 to reach 6–0. Tri-Valley defeated Pine Plains/Rhinebeck 46–32 in the first AG Bowl to improve to 4–1. Follow Friday’s 13-game board →
Original pregame preview • Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Week 5
Week 5 starts tonight with two games and two different questions: Can unbeaten Beacon tighten up defensively, and can Tri-Valley keep building momentum in eight-man football?
Saugerties at Beacon Game Center · Tri-Valley at Pine Plains/Rhinebeck Game Center · Game Night board
6 p.m.: Saugerties at Beacon
Beacon High School • Saugerties 2–2 • Beacon 5–0
Beacon comes in at No. 11 in the October 7 Power 40. Saugerties is No. 22. The Bulldogs just beat New Paltz 63–34, but that final only tells part of the story. Beacon led 40–34 at halftime and then shut the Huguenots out in the second half.
That second-half response is what we want to see carry into tonight. Beacon has already shown it can win a shootout. Sustained defensive stops would strengthen the argument that it can challenge Port Jervis in Class B.
Saugerties comes off a 33–0 loss to Port. The Sawyers get an immediate chance to show what they learned against unbeaten Beacon, another leading Class B opponent. Keeping drives alive and avoiding an early deficit would give them a chance to make Beacon uncomfortable.
What to watch: Beacon’s defense in the opening half, Saugerties’ ability to finish possessions, and whether the Bulldogs can control the game without needing another shootout.
Read the full matchup preview → · Follow the Game Center →
7 p.m.: Tri-Valley at Pine Plains/Rhinebeck
Stissing Mountain Pine Plains High School • Tri-Valley 3–1 • Pine Plains/Rhinebeck 2–2
Tri-Valley is No. 34 in the new Power 40 and comes off a 22–12 win over Rockland. Pine Plains/Rhinebeck is No. 38 after losing 62–20 to unbeaten Pawling.
For Tri-Valley, this is a chance to stack wins before next week’s scheduled matchup with Sullivan West. For Pine Plains/Rhinebeck, it is a chance to respond immediately and give its defense a better result to build on.
What to watch: Whether Pine Plains/Rhinebeck can limit scoring runs, and whether Tri-Valley can turn its latest win into a consistent road performance.
The weekend starts here
Tonight opens a 20-game slate. Friday brings Valley Central–Middletown, NFA–Pine Bush, Wallkill–Washingtonville and Minisink–Lourdes. Saturday includes Highland–Marlboro in the Black and Blue Bowl and unbeaten Burke Catholic’s trip to Chester.
Read Coach I’s picks for all 20 Week 5 games → · Read the Power 40 explanation → · Find every Week 5 kickoff →
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