High school football in New York is weird. Honestly, it’s a bit of a chaotic mess compared to states like Texas or Florida where everything follows one giant, clean bracket. If you’re looking at nys state football rankings, you’ve probably noticed that one site has a team at number one, while another has them at five. Why? Because New York doesn't have just one "state champion." We have a fragmented system where the public schools (NYSPHSAA), the Catholic schools (CHSFL), and the New York City public schools (PSAL) all do their own thing.
It makes ranking these teams a nightmare. You're trying to compare a 13-0 powerhouse from Syracuse to a battle-tested squad from New Rochelle or a private school on Long Island that doesn't even participate in the traditional state tournament.
The Heavy Hitters of the 2025-2026 Season
If you want to know who the "real" number one is, you have to look at CBA Syracuse. The Brothers are a machine. They just wrapped up their third-straight NYSPHSAA Class AA title by dismantling Saratoga Springs 41-12 in the final. When people talk about the best team in the state, this is usually where the conversation starts. They finished the 2025 season at a perfect 13-0.
But then there's Iona Prep. The Gaels don't play for a NYSPHSAA state title because they are in the Catholic league (CHSFL). They finished 11-1 and took home the New York State Catholic Championship. Many analysts, including those at On3 and MaxPreps, often argue that Iona Prep’s strength of schedule is actually tougher than the public school path. They play a national-caliber schedule. It’s a classic "what if" scenario that fuels every message board debate from Buffalo to Brooklyn.
Breaking Down the Top 10
When you look at the final nys state football rankings for the most recent season, the hierarchy usually settles into a mix of these specific programs.
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- CBA Syracuse (13-0): The undisputed kings of Class AA public schools.
- Iona Prep (11-1): The Catholic state champs. Their only loss was a fluke or a dogfight, depending on who you ask.
- Garden City (12-0): They have a 66-game winning streak. Let that sink in. They captured their fifth straight Long Island Class II title.
- Rye (14-0): The Class A state champions. They beat Brighton 28-14 to cap off a perfect year.
- Erasmus Hall (10-2): The PSAL 4A kings. They’ve won six of the last seven city titles.
- Sayville (12-0): Another Long Island powerhouse that simply refuses to lose.
- Massapequa (12-0): Long Island Class I champions.
- Monroe (12-0): They just won their first-ever Class B state title by shutting out Sleepy Hollow.
- Bronxville (12-0): The Class C champions who finally got back to the top for the first time since 2010.
- Monsignor Farrell (9-2): A gritty Catholic school team that consistently beats up on high-level competition.
Why the Rankings Are So Divisive
The biggest misconception is that a state ranking is purely based on wins and losses. It's not. The New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA)—which is basically the gold standard for these things—uses a mix of eye test, strength of schedule, and historical dominance.
Take Garden City. They are technically a "Class A" or "Division II" sized school. But they haven't lost a game in years. Should they be ranked ahead of a Class AA school with two losses? Most ranking systems say yes, but fans of the big schools in Section 1 or Section 3 will tell you that Garden City doesn't face the same weekly "meat grinder" that the AA schools do.
Then you have the Long Island factor. Long Island schools (Section 8 and Section 11) do not participate in the NYSPHSAA state tournament. They play for the Long Island Championship (LIC). This means we never see Garden City play CBA Syracuse. It’s frustrating. It’s basically the pre-playoff era of college football where we just argue until we’re blue in the face.
The Classification Numbers You Need to Know
In New York, your "Class" is determined by your school's enrollment. This changes every few years, but for the 2025-2026 cycle, here is the breakdown:
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- Class AA: 1,025 students and up.
- Class A: 651 to 1,024 students.
- Class B: 402 to 650 students.
- Class C: 273 to 401 students.
- Class D: Up to 272 students.
There is also an 8-man football division which is growing like crazy in rural parts of the state. It’s high-scoring, fast, and honestly a blast to watch, but it usually gets its own separate ranking category.
Standout Players Shaking Up the Rankings
Rankings aren't just about the name on the front of the jersey; they’re about the talent on the field. The 2025 class was loaded. Quante Gillians from Aquinas Institute (Rochester) was a nightmare for offensive coordinators on the defensive line. Down in Syracuse, CBA had a duo of Daunte Bacheyie and Darien Williams that made their offense look like a college program.
When a team has a four-star recruit, they get a "bump" in the subjective rankings. Recruiters from the Big Ten and the ACC are constantly hovering around Iona Prep and Cardinal Hayes. If a team like Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) has three D1-bound receivers, they might be ranked higher than an undefeated small-town team simply because the "ceiling" of their talent is so much higher.
How to Track the Rankings Correctly
If you want the most accurate nys state football rankings as the 2026 season approaches, you have to look at multiple sources.
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- NYSSWA (New York State Sportswriters Association): They release weekly polls during the season. This is what the coaches and local papers use.
- MaxPreps: They use an algorithm. It’s objective, but sometimes it overvalues margin of victory against weak opponents.
- On3 Composite: This is great because it averages out Massey, MaxPreps, and other big data points to give you a "middle ground" view.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're a fan, a parent, or a bettor looking at these rankings, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the "Sectional" Strength: Section 1 (Westchester/Rockland), Section 3 (Central NY), and Section 6 (Western NY) are historically the deepest. A one-loss team from Section 1 is often better than an undefeated team from a smaller section.
- The "Post-Syracuse" Hangover: Teams that win the state title at the JMA Wireless Dome often lose a massive senior class. Don't assume CBA Syracuse will automatically be #1 in the 2026 preseason polls without checking their returning starters.
- Schedule Scrutiny: Look for "Intersectional" games. When a team from Long Island travels to play a team from New Jersey or Buffalo, that is the best data point you will get all year.
New York high school football is about pride and geography. The rankings reflect that. Whether it's the tradition of the Garnets in Rye or the sheer athletic dominance of the Dutchmen in Brooklyn, the list is always moving.
To get the most out of the upcoming season, start following the Sectional standings in September. By October, the "pretenders" are usually weeded out, and the state-level picture starts to clear up. Keep an eye on the enrollment shifts too, as schools moving from Class A to Class AA can completely upend a region's power structure overnight.