Class AA has three games Friday, and every team has something to defend or something to change.
Valley Central visits Middletown. Newburgh visits Pine Bush. Kingston visits Monroe-Woodbury. All three are scheduled for 6 p.m. on October 9.
KOT845’s editorial order entering the week is Middletown, Newburgh, Valley Central, Kingston, Pine Bush and Monroe-Woodbury. Friday gives those teams a chance to strengthen that order—or make us reconsider it.
Here is where I stand
I have Middletown and Newburgh at the top of AA until somebody gives us a reason to change it. VC has earned the right to challenge that. Kingston has a real opening against Monroe. Pine Bush has shown enough fight that I want to see what it does with another shot at a top team.
There has been plenty to talk about. Friday gives us results. I am not moving teams because a game sounds interesting; I want to see who can finish it.
AA by the numbers
| Team | Record | Points scored | Points allowed | Scoring average | Allowed average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown | 5–0 | 137 | 41 | 27.4 | 8.2 |
| Newburgh | 4–1 | 187 | 60 | 37.4 | 12.0 |
| Valley Central | 4–1 | 129 | 92 | 25.8 | 18.4 |
| Kingston | 2–3 | 99 | 87 | 19.8 | 17.4 |
| Pine Bush | 1–4 | 121 | 181 | 24.2 | 36.2 |
| Monroe-Woodbury | 0–5 | 54 | 161 | 10.8 | 32.2 |
Through five games, before Week 5. Averages are points per game; totals include non-league games.
Middletown has allowed the fewest points of these six teams. Newburgh has scored the most. Those are two concrete reasons the challengers have work to do. But Friday puts every team against an AA opponent, where head-to-head results can tell us more than overall records.
VC can challenge the top directly
Middletown is 5–0. Valley Central is 4–1. Both enter 1–0 in division play. A Vikings win would give VC a head-to-head result against our No. 1 team and leave it 2–0 in AA.
That would require a serious review of the rankings. A close loss could show progress, but a win would provide the strongest evidence that VC belongs in the championship conversation.
Middletown can answer by beating a team that has earned four wins. The Middies’ defense has set the standard through five games; Friday tests whether it can keep setting it.
Pine Bush can make Newburgh’s next week more complicated
Newburgh is 4–1 and Pine Bush is 1–4. The Goldbacks have won four straight. A Bushmen win would bring both teams to 1–1 in division play and give Pine Bush a head-to-head result with real weight.
Newburgh is scheduled to visit Middletown the following week. A loss at Pine Bush would change the discussion around that meeting before the teams reach kickoff. A win would keep the Goldbacks building momentum.
Pine Bush has shown enough offense in stretches to make its response worth watching. Friday asks whether the defense can supply the stops needed to turn that into a major win.
Kingston can turn an opportunity into a result
Kingston is 2–3. Monroe-Woodbury is 0–5. Both are 0–1 in AA. The Tigers have an opening against a team that has struggled to score recently, but the Crusaders are at home and won last year’s meeting 48–14.
A Kingston win would bring the Tigers back to .500 overall and give them their first division victory. A Monroe win would give the Crusaders something they badly need: a result to build on before facing Valley Central and Middletown.
This matchup tests how much the gap between these programs has changed. The records make it interesting. The possessions will decide it.
Recent history leaves room for surprises
Last year’s results were Middletown 36–14 over VC, Newburgh 56–6 over Pine Bush and Monroe 48–14 over Kingston. But go back one more season: Kingston beat Monroe 12–10, and Pine Bush lost to Newburgh by only a point, 27–26.
That is why I am interested in all three games. We have seen big gaps in these matchups. We have also seen two of them decided by a possession. Friday will show which version these teams can produce now.
Kingston’s opportunity → · VC’s test → · Pine Bush’s response →
What an upset would change
| If this happens | Division records afterward | The immediate question |
|---|---|---|
| VC beats Middletown | VC 2–0; Middletown 1–1 | Does VC belong above Middletown in our editorial rankings? |
| Pine Bush beats Newburgh | Pine Bush 1–1; Newburgh 1–1 | How far should Pine Bush move after beating our AA No. 2? |
| Kingston beats Monroe | Kingston 1–1; Monroe 0–2 | Can the Tigers carry that win into the remaining AA schedule? |
These are individual game scenarios, not a projected final standings table. Official standings and playoff positions follow the division rules and tiebreakers. Our rankings are editorial judgments.
Coach I’s picks remain Middletown, Newburgh and Monroe-Woodbury. Three different challengers have a chance to make those picks wrong. That is why this Friday matters across the whole division.
Follow standings and tiebreakers → · Follow Game Night → · See KOT845 rankings →
Results and schedules checked October 8, 2026: Middletown · VC · Newburgh · Pine Bush · Kingston · Monroe-Woodbury. Matchup analysis is KOT845 editorial opinion.
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