Afternoon update: All five played 1 p.m. games are final. Read the results and playoff stakes →. The matchup analysis below was written before kickoff; Lourdes–Goshen remains ahead at 7 p.m.
Five games at 1 p.m. One more under the lights in Goshen. Saturday’s Section IX football schedule crosses five playoff races, and the closest calls on Coach I’s card are right in the middle of it.
Saturday, October 24: Follow the scores · Standings · Send a score. Beacon–Poughkeepsie will not be played: Beacon receives a forfeit win and is 7–1. No on-field score is assigned.
Saturday’s kickoffs
| Kickoff | Matchup / Game Center |
|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Valley Central (5–2) at Pine Bush (2–5) |
| 1 p.m. | Red Hook (3–4) at Saugerties (3–3) |
| 1 p.m. | O’Neill (5–2) at Highland (5–2) |
| 1 p.m. | Eldred (4–2) at Tri-Valley (4–2) |
| 1 p.m. | Millbrook (4–2) at Pawling (6–0) |
| 7 p.m. | Lourdes (5–2) at Goshen (6–1) |
Pregame records and kickoff times reflect KOT845’s October 23 listings. Check the host school for late changes. Friday’s games are not included in these Saturday teams’ entering records.
VC–Pine Bush: the pick that could flip
Playoff stake: A Valley Central win clinches an AA playoff berth in KOT845’s current qualifying calculation. Pine Bush still has Monroe-Woodbury next week; today’s result changes the cut line that Monroe must chase. Track the AA race →
Valley Central has just won a 12–7 game against Monroe-Woodbury. Pine Bush put up 34 in its win over Kingston. That leaves a clear question at Pine Bush: can the Vikings make the Bushmen play at their pace, or does the home offense force VC to find more points?
Both beat Kingston by almost the same margin—VC 20–7, Pine Bush 34–20. The comparisons pull in different directions elsewhere. Pine Bush stayed closer to Middletown, while VC had the closer game against Lourdes. Coach I’s pick is Valley Central, with room for this one to go the other way. Keep the AA standings open alongside the score; the full-season record and qualifying record serve different purposes.
Red Hook–Saugerties: almost nothing between the comparisons
Playoff stake: A Saugerties win secures a Class B berth in KOT845’s current qualifying calculation. A Red Hook loss eliminates the Raiders. Follow the Class B race →
Red Hook beat New Paltz 36–12. Saugerties beat the same opponent 36–14. Their Beacon losses were almost identical, too. There is little separation in those scores, which makes the first few possessions worth watching rather than treating either team as a clear favorite.
Coach I gives Saugerties the slight edge at home. Red Hook’s ability to keep its offense moving after last week’s win is the challenge to that pick. This is a Class B qualifying matchup, with both teams trying to improve their place in the race.
O’Neill–Highland: matching records, a direct answer
Both enter 5–2. O’Neill comes off a 20–0 shutout of Dover; Highland comes off a 38–14 win over Chester. The Raiders have won their last three played games by a combined 78–22. Highland has shown it can stay in a tight game, including its 14–7 loss at Marlboro.
The Huskies need to protect the ball after interceptions hurt them against Marlboro. O’Neill needs its recent defensive control to travel. Coach I is taking Highland. Both programs have secured playoff places in KOT845’s current calculation, so follow the qualifying standings for positioning rather than reading this as an elimination game.
Two eight-man games deserve a second screen
Eldred and Tri-Valley enter with matching 4–2 records. Both are in the eight-man playoff field. Their winner takes second place in Division 1 and hosts an opening-round game; the loser finishes third and travels. Sullivan West has already won the division and earned a bye. Follow the bracket watch →
Pawling is 6–0 and welcomes Millbrook, which enters 4–2. The Tigers beat Ellenville 42–8 last week. Millbrook’s task is to sustain enough offense to keep Pawling from controlling the afternoon. Coach I’s pick is Pawling. The winner takes Division 2 and a first-round bye; the loser finishes second and hosts an opening-round game. Ellenville holds the third spot. See the full six-team field →
Save Saturday night for Lourdes–Goshen
Playoff stake: Goshen clinches a Class A Division 2 place with a win in KOT845’s current calculation. Lourdes needs a win to stay alive; a loss eliminates the Warriors. See the division race →
Read the full preview: Lourdes scored 41 and still lost. Goshen gets the next test.
Lourdes scored 41 at Cornwall and still went home with a loss. Goshen beat Wallkill 38–16 to open its division schedule. Now the Warriors visit a 6–1 team with a chance to get their own qualifying race moving again.
The Warriors’ offense is why Coach I picked Lourdes. Their defense is the part that still has to answer. Goshen can make that choice uncomfortable by sustaining drives and limiting how often Lourdes gets the ball. This one kicks off at 7 p.m., after the afternoon slate, giving the 845 a standalone Class A game to finish the weekend.
Your toughest pick? VC–Pine Bush, Red Hook–Saugerties or O’Neill–Highland? Join the conversation on Instagram at @kot845.media, then follow the Game Centers for the result.
Read every Coach I pick · Explore the playoff picture · Send a game note or stat correction.
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