New York State kicks off its football schedule this week, while Pa. ramps up in Week 2 of its schedule.There are a number of interesting games on this week's docket, with three of them involving Valley teams.
Athens travels to Troy in what appears to be an NTL Large School championship game, while Tioga hosts Delhi in what could be a preview of the Section IV, Class D championship game. And Waverly hosts Section IX power Port Jervis.
In Week 1, The Mick and I were both 8-1, while Little Red and Country Bob were 7-2, and the newbies Madden & Summerall were 5-4.
Without further ado, let's see what VSR's Pigskin Prognosticators foresee in Week 2:
Athens (1-0) at Troy (0-1): The Wildcats are coming off a 44-0 rout of Wyalusing, while the Trojans dropped a 26-19 decision to Montoursville.
Athens QB Connor Davidson threw for four TDs, ran for 98 yards on just five carries, and returned a punt for a score, while Troy struggled to defend Montoursville's passing game.
Prediction: If Athens can protect Davidson, he could have another big night. And, for the first time in several years, Troy's team speed is in question. ... ATHENS 24, TROY 20.
The Mick: Athens 21, Troy 20; Country Bob: Athens 28, Troy 20; Little Red: Athens 35, Troy 21; Madden & Summerall: Troy 28, Athens 21.
Delhi at Tioga: The defending state champions Tioga Tigers (13-1 in 2025) have a new coach and a 13-game win streak, while the Bulldogs are coming off a 7-3 season that ended in the Class D semifinals.
The Tigers return a massive offensive line nearly intact, and get all-state center Derek Mills, who missed last year with a knee injury, back.
Prediction: The oldest football adage in the book says games are won in the trenches, and I don't know if there's a Class D team in the state that can match up with the Tigers. ... TIOGA 34, DELHI 13.
The Mick: Tioga 20, Delhi 16; Country Bob: Tioga 28, Delhi 13; Little Red: Tioga 28, Delhi 13. Madden & Summerall: Tioga 30, Delhi 21.
Port Jervis at Waverly: Both the Wolverines and Red Raiders are coming off 9-2 season that ended with losses in their respective Sectional championship games.
Port Jervis averaged 47 points per game last year, but graduated a QB that threw for 26 TDs, and ran for 26 TDs, and return one who threw just 15 passes in 2025.
Prediction: Both teams suffered significant losses to graduation, but return a lot of talent. One thing that cannot go unmentioned is that Waverly coach Jason Miller rarely loses the first game of the year. ... WAVERLY 26, PORT JERVIS 14.
The Mick: Waverly 28, Port Jervis 24; Country Bob: Waverly 37, Port Jervis 12; Little Red: Waverly, 28, Port Jervis 14; Madden & Summerall: Waverly 28, Port Jervis 12.
Sayre (0-1) at South Williamsport (1-0): The Redskins are coming off a 55-2 home loss to Towanda in Week 1, while the Mounties rolled to a 48-0 win over North Penn.
Prediction: There's not much to say. ... SOUTH 48, SAYRE 6.
The Mick: South 45, Sayre 0; Country Bob: South 63, Sayre 0; Little Red: South 55, Sayre 0; Madden & Summerall: South 48, Sayre 6.
Muncy (0-1) at Wyalusing (0-1): The Rams are coming off a 44-0 home loss to Athens, while the Indians dropped a 14-7 decision to a solid Warrior Run team.
Prediction: I think Muncy gets back on track in convincing fashion. ... MUNCY 44, WYALUSING 6.
The Mick: Muncy 33, Wyalusing 12; Country Bob: Muncy 28, Wyalusing 6; Little Red: Muncy 28, Wyalusing 13; Madden & Summerall: Muncy 28, Wyalusing 7.
North Penn (0-1) at Towanda (1-0): The Panthers were on the short end of a 48-0 decision against South Williamsport in Week 1, while the Black Knights rolled to a 55-2 win over Sayre.
Prediction: Towanda could be the best of the rest in the NTL this season behind Troy and Athens. ... TOWANDA 36, NORTH PENN 0.
The Mick: Towanda 36, North Penn 8; Country Bob: Towanda 17, North Penn 13; Little Red: Towanda 20, North Penn 7; Madden & Summerall: Towanda 24, North Penn 12.
Cowanesque Valley (0-1) at Wellsboro (0-1): The Indians are coming off a 22-9 loss to Canton, while the Hornets dropped a 27-6 decision to District 2's Lakeland.
Prediction: My thesis is that Lakeland is a little better than Canton, therefore Wellsboro is a little better than CV. ... WELLSBORO 27, CV 16.
The Mick: Wellsboro 27, CV 16; Country Bob: Wellsboro 21, CV 14; Little Red: Wellsboro 24, CV 14; Madden & Summerall: Wellsboro 26, CV 20.
Montgomery (1-0) at Canton (1-0): The Red Raiders are coming off a 24-0 win over Hughesville, while the Warriors topped Cowanesque Valley, 22-9.
Prediction: I think Montgomery is the class of the NTL Small School Division. ... MONTGOMERY 20, CANTON 6.
The Mick: Montgomery 40, Canton 7; Country Bob: Montgomery 21, Canton 6; Little Red: Montgomery 21, Canton 7; Madden & Summerall: Montgomery 30, Canton 12.
Ithaca at SVEC: The Little Red are coming off a 2-7 season, while the Eagles were 5-3.
Prediction: Ithaca has been in rebuilding mode for about two decades, but has a new coach and is a Class AA school, while SVEC graduated its top three offensive producers. ... ITHACA 18, SVEC 16.
The Mick: Ithaca 16, SVEC 13; Country Bob: SVEC 27, Ithaca 6; Little Red: Ithaca 34, SVEC 14; Madden & Summerall: SVEC 20, Ithaca 12.
Newark Valley at Bainbridge-Guilford: The Cardinals are coming off a 3-6 season, while the Bobcats were 2-7, including a wild 35-34 loss to Newark Valley.
Prediction: This is a wild guess, but ... NEWARK VALLEY 35, B-G 34.
The Mick: Newark Valley 14, B-G 13; Country Bob: NV 15, B-G 7; Little Red: B-G 21, NV 14; Madden & Summerall: NV 16, B-G 13.
Chenango Forks at Owego: The Blue Devils are coming off a 12-1 season that ended with a 42-25 loss to Bronxville in the Class C state title game, while the River Hawks won their first-ever Section IV, Class B title, and beat New Hartford in a wild 36-34 decision before losing to powerhouse Monroe in the state semifinals.
Prediction: Forks has some question marks up front, but returns its QB and top running back, as well as most of its defense. ... FORKS 27, OWEGO 7.
The Mick: Forks 28, Owego 24; Country Bob: Forks 28, Owego 27; Little Red: Forks 28, Owego 0; Madden & Summerall: Forks 36, Owego 20.
