THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 · WEEK 2
Tonight’s kickoff slate
6 p.m.
#4 Washingtonville (2–0) at #3 Newburgh Free Academy (1–1)
#20 FDR (2–0) at #12 Kingston (1–1)
#21 Saugerties (0–1) at #28 Liberty (0–2)
6:30 p.m.
#18 Highland (2–0) at #26 Rondout Valley (1–1)
Pregame records. Rankings from the September 15 Power 40.
Follow tonight’s scores and Game Centers →
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What to watch
Week 2 is not waiting for Friday.
Four Section IX football games open the week Thursday night, and every one carries something different into kickoff. There is a top-four matchup in Newburgh, an unbeaten FDR team trying to prove its start is more than early-season dominance, a direct Class C game with separation on the line, and two Class B teams looking for an answer.
Three games kick at 6:00 PM. Highland and Rondout Valley follow at 6:30.
#4 Washingtonville at #3 Newburgh Free Academy — 6:00 PM
Washingtonville has already changed the way the first month of the season looks.
The Wizards are 2–0 after beating Our Lady of Lourdes 34–16 and Monroe-Woodbury 17–14. That moved Washingtonville from No. 8 in KOT845’s opening Power 40 to No. 4 on the September 15 board.
Now comes the next test.
Newburgh sits at No. 3 and enters 1–1 after a competitive opening loss to Curtis and a 42–6 response against Warwick. The Goldbacks also own the historical edge in this matchup. KOT845’s archive has Newburgh leading the documented series 29–1 with six straight wins over Washingtonville.
That is what makes tonight different. Washingtonville is no longer trying to get noticed. The Wizards are trying to prove that 2–0 belongs near the top of the section.
Question: Can Washingtonville snap NFA’s six-game winning streak in the series, or will the Goldbacks hand the Wizards their first loss of 2026?
Washingtonville program page → Newburgh program page →
#20 FDR at #12 Kingston — 6:00 PM
No team has produced a cleaner statistical start than FDR.
The Presidents are 2–0 after beating Poughkeepsie 44–0 and Monticello 42–0. Through two games, FDR has outscored its opponents 86–0.
The question is what happens when the level of the test changes.
Kingston is 1–1 after opening with a 31–10 win over Mount Vernon and losing 12–7 at Goshen. The Tigers have also won the last three documented meetings with FDR, including a 24–21 game last season.
FDR climbed six spots to No. 20 in the latest Power 40 because 86 unanswered points cannot be ignored. A road win at Dietz Stadium would give the Presidents a very different résumé heading into the middle of the season.
Question: Can FDR stay unbeaten and break Kingston’s three-game winning streak in the series, or will the Tigers cool off the hottest defense in Section IX?
Open FDR–Kingston Game Center →
#18 Highland at #26 Rondout Valley — 6:30 PM
This is the only direct Class C matchup on Thursday’s slate, and that gives it immediate weight.
Highland is 2–0 after a 7–6 win over Wallkill and a 40–0 win at Poughkeepsie. The Huskies have allowed only six points through two games and enter the night ranked No. 18 overall and second in Class C on KOT845’s September 15 board.
Rondout Valley is 1–1. The Ganders followed a two-point opening loss to Red Hook with a 30–7 win at New Paltz.
The recent series belongs to Highland. The Huskies have won the last two documented meetings, including 43–14 in 2024. The larger archive still belongs to Rondout, 17–12.
Tonight gives Highland a chance to move to 3–0 and create more separation near the top of Class C. It gives Rondout a chance to turn last week’s win into something much bigger.
Question: Can Highland make it three straight over Rondout and move to 3–0, or can the Ganders knock off one of Class C’s unbeaten teams?
Open Highland–Rondout Game Center →
#21 Saugerties at #28 Liberty — 6:00 PM
For Saugerties and Liberty, Thursday is about changing the direction of the season.
Saugerties enters 0–1 after a 31–7 loss to Dover. The defending Class B champion has dropped to No. 21 overall after beginning the season inside the top 10.
Liberty is 0–2 after losses to Walton-Downsville and Burke Catholic.
The history strongly favors Saugerties. The Sawyers lead the documented series 10–1 and have won five straight over Liberty, including a 35–6 win in 2025.
But neither team needs a history lesson as much as it needs a win.
Question: Can Saugerties make it six straight over Liberty, or can the Redhawks break through for their first win of 2026?
Open Saugerties–Liberty Game Center →
What tonight can change
Washingtonville can turn a fast start into a top-tier résumé.
FDR can force a much harder conversation about where an unbeaten team with two shutouts belongs.
Highland can move to 3–0 and strengthen its position in Class C.
Saugerties or Liberty will leave Thursday with the response it has been looking for.
That is why the first night of Week 2 matters before the rest of the schedule even arrives.
Thursday night schedule
- 6:00 PM — #4 Washingtonville at #3 Newburgh Free Academy
- 6:00 PM — #20 FDR at #12 Kingston
- 6:00 PM — #21 Saugerties at #28 Liberty
- 6:30 PM — #18 Highland at #26 Rondout Valley
KOT845 will track scores, major game developments, finals and historical notes throughout the night. The full Week 2 schedule and game centers are available on the KOT845 Section IX Football Schedule & Scores page.
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