The Section VI postseason begins tonight with a Play-In & First Round game in Class A2 between defending Class A2 champion Lackawanna and Tonawanda.  Within a week of the postseason starting in WNY this season, Buff State games get underway with Class AAA semifinals.  So much about the format of the playoffs has changed this season – no more traditional Buff State week, no more Championship Saturday or JCC Friday for that matter.  Crossover Tuesday is now on a Sunday.  A hearty thank you to all everyone who cried not fair, from the ones who felt they should play semis in an empty Sports Arena to the Sections that pushed the state to audition a disastrous sub-regional concept, I hope you’re happy.  You got your way, while those who have faithfully supported boys high school hoops are forced to make the best of what was once the greatest week of the season that culminated in the best day of the year (Championship Saturday).

Please refer to Bracket Central 2026 for specific matchups or  The Schedule for a quick look at when you can find games being played.

 

Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the Pre-Quarterfinals, Quarterfinals, & Semifinals, and project the classifications with the best championship game, along with sleepers, some winning streaks, & predictions.

 

** Please note that many of the games below are based on my predictions of who will win in prior rounds.  

 

Most exciting brackets, top to bottom:

8. Class C

7. Class B1

7. Class D

5. Class AAA

4. Class A2

3. Class A1

2. Class B2

1. Class AA

– The numbers lined up perfectly coming into this season for one large Class AA, without having to split the classification into two sub-classifications.  With the addition of the state’s Class AAA added a few seasons ago, the big three of the public large schools – Falls, Health, & Jamestown were all placed in their own competition bracket, along with Lancaster.  The result is a Class AA with several teams believing they have what it takes to get the job done.  It’s a combination of the old regime of teams that competed with Falls and Jamestown every year, along with some of the top schools that were traditionally in Class A1.

– The bracket is loaded with teams who have a recent history of winning under the bright lights.  Out of the Top 8 seeds in the bracket, 6 of them have played for a sectional title in the last five years and 6 of the teams in the bracket have won sectional championships in the last 6 seasons.

– Lockport & Orchard Park, who faced off for the Class AA1 title last season, comprise 2 of the top 4 seeds in Class AA.  Orchard Park is the #1 seed and split a pair of games in the regular season against the #3 seed from Williamsville North.  Lockport is the #4 seed and split a pair of games in the regular season with the #5 seed from Kenmore West.

– If you need any more convincing that this is going to be the juiciest bracket from top to bottom, just consider that Class AA is where the Williamsville East Flames compete.  If there is one thing we’ve been been able to count on during sectionals in recent seasons, it’s an epic and captivating game featuring Williamsville East in the postseason.

 

Sleepers from each bracket

AAA –  Lancaster (#4 seed):  The Legends have 9 victories on the season and I can remember when 4 of them came in succession early in the season. Two of those victories were registered over Kenmore, West and Lockport, not exactly slouches.  What have you done for me lately?  Well, Lancaster just hung 80 points on the scoreboard in their last outing.  They were also the team that ended the undefeated season Global Concepts had going.  If you sit down during the middle of the day to watch game film on these guys and get drowsy, that’s your own problem.

AA –  North Tonawanda (#7 seed):  I get jacked up every year at this time thinking about these guys. Some of my favorite postseason memories of the last decade came courtesy of NT.  There’s the Section VI title they won in 2017 over Greg Dolan-led Williamsville South before knocking off the Marcellus Cooper-led Amherst Tigers to advance to the Far West Regional.  There was the team from 2020 that pressured the hell out of teams on their way to a title and entertained fans at Buff State with an epic finale season before Covid.  And who could forget that quarterfinal at Williamsville East, when the Lumberjacks buried 17 three-pointers?  Grand Island only lost one game in WNY this season… Guess who that loss was to, sleepy eyes.

A1 –  Lew-Port (#6 seed):  You lose 4 in a row to end the season, even I’ll start to nod off.  But I woke right back up when I started thinking about the Lancers in the postseason.  I started remembering the exceptional spacing and 3-pointers that were flying when they beat Timon to start the season.  Then I thought about the 9 game win streak in the middle of the year, which included victories over Lockport, NT, and Ken West.  You don’t think these guys are capable of spoiling the party?  Just ask Wilson, who was enjoying an undefeated season walking into their first Centercourt Classic and then met Lew-Port. These guys are sneaky good, and the second those eyes start getting heavy, Lew-Port is advancing to the next round.

A2 –  Olean (#7 seed):  Tim Kolasinski claims that he’s just in town near Buff State to pick up Jeff Anastasia‘s mail, but we all know those letters are addressed to him now.  Since taking over the program, he continues to bring the Huskies back to Buff State and has won 3 titles in 6 seasons.  Since early January, Olean has won 8 of 9 games and they were the only team locally to defeat Dunkirk this season — they did it twice!  Go ahead and get comfortable under those covers, the Huskies still have a little space in that trophy case for another championship plaque.

B1 –  Southwestern (#9 seed):  At the beginning of the season, Southwestern opened up the Centercourt Season Preview and read my prediction that they were winning the section.  Rumor has it that the Trojans were not happy.  I let their secret out, so they began a roller coaster ride of a regular season to distract from the prediction, that resulted in a .500 record.  To keep the attention off themselves, they would do things like losing to Allegany-Limestone after beating Olean.  Well, I think it worked. If I hadn’t just reminded people, no one would remember that I picked them to win the section in the first place anyway.  The Trojans approached the season like hypnotists and have you all in a trance!

B2 –  Eden (#6 seed):  Three seasons ago, the Raiders walked into Buff State and reminded everyone in WNY that they had a basketball team.  A couple days later, they were playing on Championship Saturday.  After casual fans wrote them off following the graduation of elite senior Taesyn Slating, Eden was right back at Buff State again last year, putting on a show.  As the #6 seed this season, they should be considered dangerous.  Ask Medina about that, who needed a double overtime win to preserve their undefeated season when the two teams met.  Ask Tapestry, who is also undefeated and trailing after the first quarter when Eden visited this year.  All it takes during playoffs is the right game plan and for someone to get hot.  No player has been hotter this season from downtown than Kobe Genco.  You better get up and stretch or something, your head looks heavy.

C –  Ellicottville (#6 seed):  All season long, the Eagles have had to listen to me go on and on about Wilson & Global Concepts, while hanging out around the #3 seed.  Then a crazy play at the end of regulation cost Ellicottville victory late in the season and by the time the seeding meeting was over on Wednesday, Ellicottville had slipped back to the #6 seed, also known as prime sleeper territory.  With victories over the likes of Southwestern & Gowanda this year, Ellicottville is beyond capable and they know exactly where JCC is.  It’s a long way from Global Concepts and really far from Wilson.  Try to stay awake on the ride down.

D –   Panama (#4 seed):  It is a time honored tradition when driving to JCC to listen to Van Halen as you approach Horton Road.  These guys are the inspiration for that tradition, and these guys are the defending state champions!  Is it a coincidence that I turn left on Horton Road to get to JCC and Panama got a career-high 47 points in a game from Michael Horton this season?  I think it’s way past your bedtime.!

 

Top 8 Pre-Quarterfinal Games 

8. Roy-Hart at Springville (B1)

7. Maple Grove at Ellicottville (C)

6. Cheektowaga at West Seneca East (A1)

5. Bennett at Buffalo Science (A2)

4. Barker at Cattaraugus-Little Valley (C)

3. Hamburg at North Tonawanda (AA)

2. Clarence at McKinley (AA)

1.  Amherst at Kenmore West (AA)

 

Top 12 Quarterfinal Games 

12. Cattaraugus-Little Valley at Westfield (C)

11. CSAT at South Park (A1)

10. Springville vs East (B1)

9. McKinley at Williamsville North (AA)

8. Salamanca at Olmsted (B1)

7. Buffalo Science at East Aurora (A2)

6. Newfane at MST (B2)

5. Southwestern at Middle College (B1)

4. Eden at Randolph (B2)

3. Lew-Port at Dunkirk (A1)

2. Ken West at Lockport (AA)

1. North Tonawanda at Sweet Home (AA)

 

Most Exciting Potential Semifinals

10. Tapestry vs Newfane (B2)

9. Grand Island vs Williamsville South (A1)

8. Olean vs Buffalo Science (A1)

7. Orchard Park vs Lockport (AA)

6. Middle College vs Medina (B1)

5. Forestville vs Sherman (D)

4. South Park vs Dunkirk (A1)

3. Williamsville North vs Sweet Home (AA)

2. Niagara Falls vs Jamestown (AA)

1. Iroquois vs Fredonia (A2)

 

Most Exciting Championship Games

5. Class D

4. Class AA

3. Class B2

2. Class C

1. Class AAA

 

Winning streaks heading into sectionals

Health Sciences – 15

Grand Island – 7  &  12 of the last 13

Akron – 5  &  7 of the last 8

Sherman – 17 of the last 18

Fredonia – 10 of the last 11

Olmsted – 10 of the last 11

Jamestown – 8 of the last 9

Lockport – 8 of the last 9

Forestville – 8 of the last 9

East Aurora – 6 of the last 7

Newfane – 6 of the last 7

Dunkirk – 5 of the last 6

Olean – 5 of the last 6

 

Predictions

AAA – Health Sciences

AA – Orchard Park

A1 – Grand Island

A2 – Fredonia

B1 – Olmsted

B2 – Tapestry

C – Wilson

D – Forestville

 

-🏀centercourt🏀