Week 1 is here and after getting a look at some of these teams in Week 0, we now get a much better idea of what we’re dealing with. Week 0 is always a little tricky. Some teams are still figuring things out, some teams played opponents that weren’t on their level, and some teams showed us exactly who they are.

That changes this week.

There are a ton of good non-league games on this schedule, including several matchups between teams that could be playing meaningful football later in the season. This is where we start finding out who is ready to make a run and who still has some work to do.

Here are my picks.

1. Kennedy Catholic over Clarkstown South

I think this is going to be a fun one. Kennedy Catholic have absolutely no shortage of challenges waiting for them on this year’s schedule. Mount St. Michael, Xaverian, Christ the King, Holy Cross and Cardinal Spellman are all coming later, so getting off to a good start is important. Clarkstown South gets this one at home, which I think matters in a game I expect to be decided late. I like Kennedy’s ability to make this game physical and control the football. This feels like one of those games where the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins.

Kennedy gets out of there with a close one.

2. Iona Prep over CBA Syracuse

This is what high school football is supposed to be about.

Iona is coming off an 11-1 season and a championship, and now they travel up to Syracuse to take on CBA in the Dome. CBA is not going to be intimidated by the name on the other side of the field, and playing in the Dome gives the Brothers a huge opportunity to make an early statement.

But Iona is Iona.

The Gaels have speed all over the field, they’re experienced, and they’ve already proven they can beat some of the best teams in New York. The question for CBA is simple: Can they win the line of scrimmage? If CBA can run the football and keep Iona’s offense on the sideline, we could have a game. If Iona starts getting downhill and creating explosive plays, this could get away from CBA.

I’m taking the defending champs, Iona Prep, but I expect CBA to make them work for it.

3. St. John the Baptist over Eagle Academy III

This is a really interesting matchup because Eagle Academy III is coming off a very good season and enters the year as one of the top teams in the PSAL 3A classification.

But this is a different type of test.

SJB is going to try to make this a physical football game, and Eagle is going to have to prove it can handle that for four quarters. I like Eagle’s athleticism, but I’m giving SJB the advantage in the trenches.

SJB controls the game late and gets the win.

4. Morristown-Beard over Christ the King

Sneaky good game here.

Christ the King is going into New Jersey and taking on a Morristown-Beard team that should be able to make this a physical game from the opening kickoff. I think this one is going to be won in the little things. Field position, turnovers and who can stay on schedule offensively.

I’m not expecting either team to run away with it.

Give me Morristown-Beard at home.

5. Mount St. Michael over Yonkers

Mount St. Michael has plenty to prove this season.

The Mountaineers had some good moments last year but ultimately came up short when the games mattered most. This is a good opportunity to start building some momentum before the schedule gets tougher. I expect Mount to establish the run early and force Yonkers to make plays offensively.

Mount controls this one from start to finish.

6. Monsignor Farrell over St. Peter’s

I don’t see this one being as close as some of the others.

Farrell absolutely dominated this matchup last year, winning 48-13, and now gets St. Peter’s at home. I’m not saying the exact same thing happens again, but until St. Peter’s proves they can handle Farrell’s physicality, I’m going to keep picking the Lions. Farrell has the ability to control the game on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and that’s a bad combination for St. Peter’s.

Farrell rolls.

7. Kellenberg Memorial over New Rochelle

Kellenberg is coming into this one with some confidence after knocking off Chaminade 21-10. That’s a pretty good way to start your season.

Now they have to avoid the classic trap game. New Rochelle is going to be hungry, they’re at home, and they’re going to see this as a chance to make a statement. I like Kellenberg’s balance offensively and think the Firebirds have enough up front to control this game.

Kellenberg gets the win, but New Rochelle makes them work for it.

8. St. Anthony’s over Red Bank Catholic

This is another one I can’t wait to watch.

St. Anthony’s has made a habit of challenging itself with these types of games, and this is exactly what you want from a team that believes it can make a championship run. Junior quarterback Anthony DiIeso is back after starting as a sophomore, and that experience should make a big difference this year.

But let’s not forget where they’re playing.

RBC at home is a completely different animal. I expect this game to be physical, close and probably come down to the final few possessions. The team that protects the football and makes the big third-down conversion is probably walking away with it.

I’m taking St. Anthony’s, but this could easily go the other way.

9. Xaverian over Fort Hamilton

Xaverian already showed me something with the way they handled St. John’s. Fort Hamilton is a talented team and has plenty of athletes, but Xaverian is going to test them in a different way. The Clippers have the size, speed and physicality to control this game, especially if they can establish the run early.

Fort Hamilton needs to keep this game close early. If Xaverian gets rolling, I don’t think Fort Hamilton will be able to keep up.

Xaverian gets the win.

10. Cardinal Hayes over Pope John XXIII

Pope John already got a game under its belt with a 14-6 loss to Washington Township, so they’ve had an opportunity to see what needs to be fixed.

Now they get Cardinal Hayes.

That’s not exactly an easy assignment. Hayes has the physicality to make this game uncomfortable, and I think the Cardinals will try to establish themselves in the trenches early. Pope John will keep it competitive, but I’m taking Hayes.

11. CBA Albany over Archbishop Stepinac

This is one of those games I’m really interested in.

CBA is coming off a heartbreaking 14-13 loss to Saratoga Springs in last year’s Section 2 Class AA championship game. That ended a run where the Brothers had reached the Sectional championship game five straight years and won four consecutive Section 2 titles.

Now they have to turn the page.

The quarterback situation is also something I’m watching closely. Senior Matt Kowalski and sophomore Leo Field are competing for the job, and both bring something different to the table. Stepinac already has a game under its belt, so CBA needs to be ready from the first snap.

I think this is going to be a four-quarter football game.

Give me CBA at home.

12. St. Joseph by the Sea over Immaculata

Sea came out of Week 0 looking really good offensively, putting up 54 points against Holy Cross. Now let’s see if they can do it against a better defense.

The Vikings have some legitimate confidence after back to back year’s in the AA-1 Championship game (winning in 2024), and I like what they can do when they get the running game going. Immaculata is going to have to find a way to slow that down.

Sea gets another win.

13. Hackley over St. Dominic’s

This is one of those games where I think coaching and execution are going to matter more than anything else. Hackley went 5-3 last season, and St. Dominic’s gets the home-field advantage here.

I don’t expect a high-scoring game. I expect two teams trying to establish the run, win field position and avoid giving the other team short fields. In the end, I’m going with Hackley because I trust them a little more to make the plays when the game gets tight.

14. Belen Jesuit over Fordham Prep

I love games like this.

Belen Jesuit is coming all the way up from Florida to play Fordham Prep in the Bronx. You don’t make that trip just to play a football game. You make it because you want to test yourself. Fordham has the advantage of playing at home and has already seen live action against Stepinac.

But Belen brings a different level of speed, and that’s what I’m watching. Can Fordham keep Belen’s athletes from creating explosive plays? I don’t think they do it for four quarters.

Belen gets the win on the road.

15. Cardinal Spellman over Frederick Douglass Academy

This is a game Spellman needs to handle.

The Pilots have a tough schedule coming, and they’ll need to establish their identity early. For me, that starts with the running game and physicality up front. If Spellman can control the line of scrimmage, I expect them to pull away as the game goes on.

Spellman gets it done.

16. Xavier over A. Philip Randolph

Don’t sleep on A. Philip Randolph. The Cougars went 10-2 last season and made a serious run in the PSAL playoffs. They have athletes and they’re more than capable of making Xavier uncomfortable.

But Xavier is Xavier. The Knights have the physicality and depth to eventually take control of this game. I expect Randolph to make some plays early, but Xavier should pull away in the second half.

Xavier wins.

17. Stow-Munroe Falls over St. Francis Prep

This is another game I really like.

St. Francis Prep opened the season with a 26-12 win over Mount St. Michael, while Stow-Munroe Falls is already 1-1 after two games. Now St. Francis has to travel to Ohio and deal with a completely different environment and style of football. That’s what makes this game so interesting.

Can the Terriers handle the physicality and the home-field advantage? I think Stow-Munroe Falls finds a way late, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if St. Francis comes home with the win.

18. Bishop Hendricken over Chaminade

This is a tough assignment for Chaminade.

Hendricken is the No. 1 team in Rhode Island and is coming off its 19th state championship. They also aren’t afraid to travel and challenge themselves against teams from outside the state. Chaminade is coming off a 21-10 loss to Kellenberg, so they’re going to have to clean some things up quickly.

The biggest thing I’m watching is the Chaminade offensive line. If they can’t handle Hendricken up front, this game could get ugly.

Hendricken gets the win.

19. St. Mary’s over Holy Cross

This is another game where the Week 0 results caught my attention. Holy Cross gave up 54 points to St. Joseph by the Sea. St. Mary’s put up 57 points of its own against Cardinal O’Hara last seaon.

Obviously, you can’t just compare scores and assume that’s exactly how the game will play out, but those results tell me that St. Mary’s is coming in with a lot of confidence. Holy Cross has to find a way to slow down the Lancers’ explosive plays and keep this game from turning into another track meet.

I don’t think they do it for four quarters.

St. Mary’s gets the win at home.

MY GAMES TO WATCH

Iona Prep vs. CBA Syracuse

This is the one everybody should have circled. Two of the top programs in New York, a packed Dome and a defending champion trying to start another championship run.

St. Anthony’s vs. Red Bank Catholic

This is the game where we find out if St. Anthony’s is ready to take that next step. They have the talent. Now they have to prove they can beat a New Jersey powerhouse on the road.

CBA Albany vs. Stepinac

CBA has to put last year’s championship loss behind them. That’s easier said than done, but this is a good early test.

Game of the Week: St. Joseph by the Sea vs. Immaculata

St. Joseph by the Sea is one of the games I’m most interested in watching this week. Sea came out of Week 0 looking very good offensively, putting up 54 points against Holy Cross, but this will be a different kind of test. Immaculata should give them a much better look defensively, and I want to see if Sea can keep that offense rolling when the competition gets tougher.

The Vikings have plenty of confidence after making the AA-1 Championship game in each of the last two seasons, winning the title in 2024. When they get their running game going, they can make life very difficult for opposing defenses.

For Immaculata, the challenge is pretty clear: find a way to slow down Sea’s ground game and make them win the game a different way. If they can do that, this could get very interesting.

I still like Sea to come out on top, but this should tell us a lot more about both teams than what we saw in Week 0.

Now we get to Week 1, and this is where things start getting interesting. We’ve seen the teams in camp, we’ve seen them in Week 0, and we’ve got a pretty good idea of what each team brings to the table. But there’s nothing like playing a game that counts. Let’s see who takes that next step and who still has some questions to answer.