BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Week 2 of Western New York's high school football season features multiple early-season battles between teams in the same classification, as well as a new field being unveiled.
Here are four games to watch from this weekend's slate:
7 p.m. Friday (at All-High Stadium)
Both of these Class B teams got off to flying starts with dominant victories in Week 1 and will look to continue that momentum on Friday night. The Billies downed Kenmore East 35-7 with a dominant rushing performance, as running backs Ryan Ammerman and Amir Ceasar combined for 237 yards, with the latter totaling three touchdowns. The Sparks defeated Niagara Wheatfield 46-8 off the back of an efficient day from quarterback Jhazier Parsons, who finished 7 of 11 for 145 yards and four total touchdowns. Plenty of emphasis will be put on each team's defense to slow down offenses coming off strong performances a week ago.
7 p.m. Friday
The defending Section VI Class C champions will face their first major test this season when they host Portville on Friday. Salamanca used a balanced offensive attack to defeat Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton 38-14 in Week 1, and the Panthers did much of the same in their 46-20 win over Gowanada/Pine Valley. Both team's quarterbacks, Maddox Isaac for Salamanca and Eli Sleggs for Portville, threw for three touchdowns in their first games and could be key during Friday night's matchup.
2 p.m. Saturday
Clarence plays its first game locally as they travel to Kenmore West in a Class A matchup. The Red Devils are coming off a 42-14 loss to Section V's Monroe, a state semifinalist from last year. Quarterback Bryce Tubin headlines a strong Clarence offense that will look to bounce back from last week's showing. The Blue Devils, who went 2-6 last season, narrowly defeated Williamsville East 20-15 in Week 1, thanks largely to running backs Harlem Brannon and Deontay Rodgers, who combined for 198 yards on the ground.
2 p.m. Saturday
Cardinal O'Hara will unveil its new field, one of the final portions of a refurbished athletic complex, on Saturday afternoon as it hosts rival St. Mary's. The Hawks' new field is a sod surface, and the renovation includes new goalposts as well as an improved irrigation system. Further work on the project, which includes a resurfaced track, will continue into this school year. In the matchup, the Hawks will look to bounce back from a 68-8 drubbing at the hands of Section V's Greece Olympia/Odyssey. Meanwhile, the Lancers scored a 17-2 win over Bishop Kearney/Rochester Academy last week and will look to continue that momentum against O'Hara.
Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.
