Friday final update: all 13 games are complete. Middletown is 6–0, Monroe-Woodbury has its first win, and Highland, Dover and O’Neill have clinched the three Class C playoff places.
Read the full Friday wrap and every final → · Saturday’s five-game guide →
Original Friday pregame guide
Friday, October 9, 2026 • Week 5
Thursday belongs to Beacon and Tri-Valley. Now Friday brings 13 games, with all six Class AA programs in action and four Class A matchups that can change the conversation heading into the second half of October.
Nine games kick off at 6 p.m. Four more begin at 7 p.m. Use Game Night for the scoreboard, the Watch Guide for stream information, and the individual Game Centers below for matchup coverage.
Thursday’s results set the table
New: Beacon Is 6–0. The Defense Gave Us the Response We Wanted. Read the Thursday follow-up →
Beacon 49, Saugerties 6. The Bulldogs improve to 6–0, and Saugerties falls to 2–3. After allowing 34 points to New Paltz last week, Beacon held the Sawyers to six. That is the defensive response the Bulldogs needed as the Class B conversation continues.
Tri-Valley 46, Pine Plains/Rhinebeck 32. Tri-Valley improves to 4–1 after winning the first AG Bowl. Pine Plains/Rhinebeck falls to 2–3. The Bombers led 26–22 at halftime before Tri-Valley turned the game around. Read the Tri-Valley follow-up →
Tonight’s clinching watch
Read the full explanation: O’Neill and Dover Can Clinch Tonight. Both Scores Matter. →
O’Neill and Dover can both clinch Class C playoff spots tonight if BOTH win: O’Neill must beat Spackenkill at 6 p.m., and Dover must beat Rondout Valley at 7 p.m. That would put both at two class wins, with Rondout finishing 1–3 and Spackenkill unable to finish above one class win.
An O’Neill win alone is not a guaranteed clinch. If Rondout wins tonight, a later three-way tie between O’Neill, Dover and Rondout can still reach the points tiebreak. Follow O’Neill–Spackenkill → · Follow Rondout–Dover →
Spackenkill must win to stay alive. A loss would leave the Spartans at 0–3 in Class C with one class game left. Highland and O’Neill would already have two class wins, and the Dover–Rondout winner would also have two, filling the three spots.
Sullivan West’s weekend path: a win over Fallsburg tonight plus a Rockland Central win over Eldred on Saturday would secure a top-three Division 1 spot.
Beacon is already in. The Bulldogs have secured a Class B playoff place; their seed and hosting position are still to be decided. Chester and Burke Catholic also have places in the two-team Class D championship field.
Open the simplified standings and live clinching watch →
Class AA: three games, one night
Valley Central (4–1) at Middletown (5–0), 6 p.m. The Vikings have earned their place in this conversation. Tonight tests how close they are to the unbeaten Middies. Middletown has a chance to reach 6–0 before next week’s scheduled meeting with Newburgh.
Read the Valley Central–Middletown preview →
Newburgh Free Academy (4–1) at Pine Bush (1–4), 6 p.m. Pine Bush played Middletown to a 7–7 halftime tie last week before losing 28–13. The Bushmen now need to turn those encouraging stretches into a complete game against another top contender.
Read the Newburgh–Pine Bush preview →
Kingston (2–3) at Monroe-Woodbury (0–5), 6 p.m. Kingston can get back to .500; Monroe-Woodbury is still seeking its first win. The records give this game urgency on both sidelines.
Read the Kingston–Monroe-Woodbury preview → · Can Class AA flip tonight?
Class A: can the leaders keep separating?
Wallkill (3–2) at Washingtonville (4–1), 6 p.m. Washingtonville comes off a 37–7 win over Goshen. Wallkill gets a chance to interrupt that momentum and strengthen its own position.
Goshen (4–1) at FDR (2–3), 6 p.m. Goshen needs a response after its first loss. FDR can get back to .500 by handing the Gladiators another setback.
Minisink Valley (2–3) at Our Lady of Lourdes (4–1), 7 p.m. Minisink is responding to a 49–20 loss to Cornwall. Lourdes comes off a 52–35 win over Warwick. Can the Warriors slow Lourdes, and can Lourdes pair its scoring with more defensive stops?
Warwick (0–5) at Cornwall (2–3), 7 p.m. Cornwall can build on last week’s 49-point performance. Warwick is still looking for the result that turns its season in a different direction.
Keep the rest of the board in view
Monticello (1–4) at Poughkeepsie (0–5), 6 p.m. Monticello finally broke through against Liberty. Tonight is an opportunity to stack wins; for Poughkeepsie, it is a chance to take its own first step. Read why this game matters to both programs →
Red Hook (2–3) at Port Jervis (3–2), 6 p.m. Port followed its Erie Bell loss with a 33–0 shutout of Saugerties. Red Hook comes off a 32–20 loss to Marlboro and now faces another demanding road test.
O’Neill (3–2) at Spackenkill (2–3), 6 p.m. O’Neill comes off a 23–8 win over Rondout Valley; Spackenkill lost 31–25 to Chester in a game decided late. Both have a chance to change the direction of their October.
Also follow Sullivan West at Fallsburg at 6 p.m., followed by Rondout Valley at Dover and Millbrook/Webutuck at Ellenville at 7 p.m.
Read all of our Week 5 coverage
Matchup previews, Coach I’s picks, rankings and the playoff storylines behind this weekend.
- Can Class AA Flip Friday? Three Games Could Change the Conversation.
- Pine Bush Pushed Middletown. How Will It Show Up Against Newburgh?
- Valley Central Is 4–1. Is It Ready to Close the Gap on Middletown?
- Is Kingston Ready to Beat Monroe-Woodbury? Friday Is a Chance to Close the Gap.
- Thursday in the 845: Beacon’s Defense and Tri-Valley’s Next Step
- Coach I Picks Week 5: All 20 Games, With Three Tough Calls
- Inside the Week 5 Power 40: The Reason Behind Every Spot
- Monticello–Poughkeepsie Isn’t About the Top of the Standings. That’s Why It Matters So Much.
- Middletown Is 5–0. Valley Central Is 4–1. Friday Is a Real Class AA Test.
- Week 5 Class Rankings Explained: Highland Takes Over, Washingtonville Leads and Port Holds Off Beacon
- Week 5 Is Here: 20 Games Put Section IX Into Midseason Separation Mode
- Beacon Is 5–0. Thursday Gives Saugerties the First Shot at Ending It.
- Class A Is About to Separate: Four Week 5 Games Put Eight Teams on the Board
- Seven Week 5 Games That Can Move the Section IX Playoff Picture
- Five Teams Under Pressure in Week 5
Every Friday kickoff and Game Center
All times Eastern. Schedule changes will appear on the full schedule.
6 p.m. — nine games
- Kingston (2–3) at Monroe-Woodbury (0–5) — Game Center →
- Valley Central (4–1) at Middletown (5–0) — Game Center →
- Newburgh Free Academy (4–1) at Pine Bush (1–4) — Game Center →
- Goshen (4–1) at FDR (2–3) — Game Center →
- Monticello (1–4) at Poughkeepsie (0–5) — Game Center →
- Wallkill (3–2) at Washingtonville (4–1) — Game Center →
- Red Hook (2–3) at Port Jervis (3–2) — Game Center →
- James I. O’Neill (3–2) at Spackenkill (2–3) — Game Center →
- Sullivan West (3–1) at Fallsburg (0–5) — Game Center →
7 p.m. — four games
- Warwick (0–5) at Cornwall (2–3) — Game Center →
- Minisink Valley (2–3) at Our Lady of Lourdes (4–1) — Game Center →
- Rondout Valley (2–3) at Dover (3–1) — Game Center →
- Millbrook/Webutuck (3–1) at Ellenville (2–3) — Game Center →
The weekend continues Saturday
Read the full five-game Saturday guide, with kickoff times and playoff context →
Three games begin at 1 p.m.: Pawling at Onteora, Highland at Marlboro, and New Paltz at Liberty. Eldred visits Rockland Central and Burke Catholic visits Chester at 7 p.m. Friday does not finish the Week 5 story.
Follow the race as results come in
Standings and tiebreaks · Playoff Lab · Power 40 · Coach I’s Week 5 picks
Standings use completed results and the qualifying games for each race. The October 7 Power 40 is our editorial ranking; team records update as finals are posted.
At a game tonight? Submit through MyKOT845 with the teams, score, quarter and time remaining. Mark a final clearly, and send kickoff changes or corrections there too.
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