October 16 update: Lourdes–Cornwall has moved to Saturday, October 17, at 1 p.m. See the current Friday guide and weekend changes →
Section IX’s biggest Week 6 matchups are not just local talking points. They bring together programs already drawing statewide attention.
The New York State Sportswriters Association rankings after Week 5, as reported by Section Nine Football on October 14, recognize 15 local programs. Burke Catholic holds the highest placement within its classification at No. 2 in Class D. Pawling is fourth in eight-man.
Here is the full local picture—and how it connects to the games ahead.
Where Section IX stands
| Classification | Numbered rankings | Honorable mention |
|---|---|---|
| Class AA | Middletown No. 16; Newburgh No. 23 | — |
| Class A | Washingtonville No. 30 | Goshen; Our Lady of Lourdes |
| Class B | Port Jervis No. 10; Beacon No. 20 | — |
| Class C | — | Dover; Highland; O’Neill |
| Class D | Burke Catholic No. 2 | Chester |
| Eight-man | Pawling No. 4; Sullivan West No. 7 | Eldred |
These are rankings within separate classifications, not one statewide all-class list. Honorable mention is not a numbered ranking.
Middletown–Newburgh: the comparison gets a direct answer
Friday’s 6 p.m. meeting brings 6–0 Middletown and 5–1 Newburgh onto the same field. Middletown has allowed eight points per game. Newburgh has won five straight by at least 31 points.
The shared opponents make the argument interesting: Middletown beat Cornwall 22–21 and Pine Bush 28–13; Newburgh beat those teams 31–0 and 48–13. Those margins give Newburgh a case. Middletown’s unbeaten record gives the Middies theirs. Neither comparison replaces the head-to-head result that is coming.
Both enter 2–0 in Class AA qualifying games. The immediate stakes are a class win and a head-to-head result—not a championship awarded in October.
Read the full Middletown–Newburgh preview →
Beacon–Port Jervis: unbeaten challenger, direct test
Beacon is 6–0. Port Jervis is 4–2 and has outscored Saugerties and Red Hook 89–7 over its last two games. Austin Mack’s return adds another receiving option alongside Amato Natale’s contributions on the ground and through the air.
Beacon answered questions about its defense by allowing six points across its last six quarters. Carrying that improvement into Glennette Field is the next assignment. Friday’s 7 p.m. meeting gives these teams a direct Class B comparison, rather than another week of judging separate schedules.
Read the Beacon–Port Jervis breakdown →
Class A: watch more than one field
Lourdes at Cornwall is not a meeting to dismiss because Cornwall is 3–3. Both offenses have scored 99 points across their last two games, and Lourdes arrives 5–1 with five consecutive wins. Saturday’s 1 p.m. game tests whether either defense can interrupt that scoring pace.
Saturday brings Wallkill at 5–1 Goshen and Minisink Valley at Washingtonville. The Wizards have beaten Goshen 37–7 and Wallkill 35–7 in consecutive weeks. Goshen responded to its Washingtonville loss by scoring 44 against FDR. That gives both Saturday matchups a recent performance standard to measure against.
Read the Lourdes–Cornwall preview →
The smaller-school games carry their own stakes
O’Neill beat Dover 20–0 on Thursday after both had secured Class C playoff places. Seeding still matters: the top seed receives a semifinal bye. Highland remains part of that race and hosts Chester on Friday.
In eight-man, Sullivan West hosts Tri-Valley with both teams at 4–1, while unbeaten Pawling hosts an Ellenville team that just held Millbrook to eight points. Burke hosts Rondout Valley on Saturday after a 35–15 win over Chester.
The state recognition is worth noting. The preparation still has to hold up against the opponent on the schedule.
Rankings are not the playoff bracket
The state poll does not assign Section IX playoff seeds. Qualification, class or divisional results and the handbook’s tiebreakers determine that process. A strong ranking does not clinch a title-game appearance, and the absence of a ranking does not eliminate a team.
Coach I’s picks for all 21 games → · Complete Week 6 schedule and coverage → · Playoff rules and tiebreakers →
Ranking source: Section Nine Football’s October 14 report of the NYSSWA rankings after Week 5. Records and recent results: KOT845’s linked matchup previews and Week 5 review. Analysis is KOT845’s; no future ranking movement is guaranteed.
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