According to the master schedule provided to The News on Friday, the five-week regular season begins Thursday, April 1, with a 14-game slate for members of the Football Federation. Three games are set for April 2 and 15 will be played April 3.

The regular season ends May 1 with a short postseason to follow with sectional semifinal games the weekend of May 6-7 and finals May 13-14. The higher seeds host each playoff game, as has been in the case for all sports throughout the academic year.

At least one game is scheduled for Thursday night each week.

As is always the case, some game dates and sites might be changed, such as a Friday game moving to a Saturday.

The Fall II season was created when the state declined to approve high-risk sports – football, volleyball and competitive cheerleading – in the traditional fall season because of health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Teams are allowed to start practicing March 22 with most expected to practice Sundays because the section has waived the no-Sunday practice/game rule. Athletes who play traditional winter sports such as basketball and hockey are in danger of missing the start of Fall II practice because of the sectional playoffs.

The spring sports season is allowed to begin May 3, meaning only football players on teams that make the semifinals would be in danger of missing practice time should they play spring sports. 

Week One’s potential top games on opening night include Amherst at Sweet Home, South Park at Starpoint and the return of Maple Grove to 11-man football as the Red Dragons open at Salamanca.

The three-game slate is light April 2, but one matchup pits contenders against each other as defending Class AA champion Lancaster faces Bennett at All High Stadium.

SECTION VI FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Subject to change. Unless noted, Thursday and Friday games start at 7 p.m.; Saturday games start at 2 p.m. Games in bold indicate non-league. RF – Riverside Field. AH -- All High Stadium.

WEEK 1

Thursday, April 1                   

Amherst at Sweet Home               

North Tonawanda at Williamsville South       

South Park at Starpoint               

Lockport at Grand Island               

East Aurora/Holland at West Seneca East       

Lewiston-Porter at Pioneer                   

Lake Shore at Depew                   

Newfane at Medina                   

Wilson at Tonawanda                   

Lackawanna at Alden                   

Gowanda/Pine Valley at Eden/North Collins               

Maple Grove at Salamanca               

Franklinville/Ellicottville at Silver Creek/Forestville               

Randolph at Catt./Little Valley                   

Friday, April 2

Hamburg at Jamestown   

Cheektowaga vs. Burgard/Arts (RF)

Lancaster vs. Bennett (AH)

Saturday, April 3

Clarence at Niagara Falls

Orchard Park vs. Hutch Tech (RF), 1

Niagara-Wheatfield at West Seneca West

McKinley at Kenmore West

Williamsville East at Kenmore East, 7

Williamsville North at Frontier, 7

Albion at Iroquois, 7

WNY Maritime/Health Sciences at Olean

Akron at Cleveland Hill

Allegany-Limestone vs. CSP at Clymer, 1:30

Chat. Lake/Westfield/Brocton vs. CV/Falconeroner at Falconer, 7 

Springville at JFK, 1:30

Fredonia at Southwestern, 7

Dunkirk at Maryvale

St. Mary’s (Lancaster) at Portville

WEEK 2

Thursday, April 8

South Park at North Tonawanda

Hutch Tech at Frontier

WNY Maritime/Health Sciences at Maryvale

Friday, April 9

Niagara Falls at Lancaster               

Williamsville North vs. Bennett (AH)       

Clarence at Orchard Park               

McKinley at Niagara-Wheatfield           

West Seneca West at Hamburg           

Williamsville South at Amherst           

Olean at Dunkirk

Albion at Depew

Lake Shore at East Aurora/Holland

Pioneer vs. Burgard (RF)

West Seneca East at Iroquois

Kenmore East at Starpoint

Southwestern at Allegany-Limestone

CSP vs. Chat. Lake/Westfield/Brocton at Chat. Lake

Springville at Eden/North Collins

Alden at Gowanda/Pine Valley

Newfane at Tonawanda

Medina at Akron

Cleveland Hill at Wilson

Silver Creek/Forestville at Catt./Little Valley

Timon at Randolph

Franklinville/Ellicottville at Salamanca

Portville at Maple Grove

Saturday, April 10

Kenmore West at Lockport

Sweet Home at Williamsville East

Fredonia vs. CV/Falconeroneroner at Falconer, 7

JFK at Lackawanna, 1

Jamestown at Grand Island, 6

Cheektowaga at Lewiston-Porter, 7

WEEK 3

Thursday, April 15

Lancaster at Williamsville North

Bennett vs. Hutch Tech (RF)

Amherst at North Tonawanda

Friday, April 16

Niagara Falls at Orchard Park           

Frontier at Clarence                   

Kenmore West at Jamestown           

Hamburg at Grand Island               

West Seneca West vs. McKinley (RF)       

Sweet Home at Kenmore East

Starpoint at Williamsville South

Williamsville East vs. South Park (AH)

Iroquois at Cheektowaga

Lewiston-Porter at East Aurora/Holland

West Seneca East at Pioneer

Olean at Depew

Maryvale at Lake Shore, 6:30

Dunkirk at Albion

Chat. Lake/Westfield/Brocton at Fredonia

CV/Falconer at Allegany-Limestone

CSP at Southwestern

Gowanda/Pine Valley at Springville

Tonawanda at Akron

Cleveland Hill at Medina

Portville at Silver Creek/Forestville

Randolph at Maple Grove

Catt./Little Valley at Franklinville/Ellicottville at Ellicottville

Saturday, April 17

WNY Maritime/Health Sciences vs. Burgard/Arts (RF), 1

Niagara-Wheatfield at Lockport

Eden/NC at Lackawanna, 1

Alden at JFK, 1:30

Wilson at Newfane

WEEK 4

Thursday, April 22

Eden/NC at Alden

Friday, April 23             

Clarence at Lancaster               

Bennett at Frontier               

Orchard Park at Williamsville North           

Jamestown at Niagara-Wheatfield           

McKinley at Hamburg                   

Williamsville South at Sweet Home           

North Tonawanda at Kenmore East           

Starpoint at Williamsville East           

Albion at Olean

Depew at Maryvale

WNY Maritime/Health Sciences at Lake Shore, 6:30

Dunkirk at West Seneca East

Pioneer at Cheektowaga

Iroquois at Lewiston-Porter

Burgard/Arts at East Aurora/Holland

Allegany-Limestone at Fredonia

Chat. Lake/West/Brocton at Southwestern

Lackawanna at Springville

Wilson at Medina

Maple Grove at Silver Creek/Forestville

Franklinville/Ellicottville at Randolph

O’Hara at Catt./Little Valley

Salamanca at Portville

Saturday, April 24

Hutch Tech at Niagara Falls

Lockport at West Seneca West

Grand Island at Kenmore West

CV/Falconer vs. CSP at Panama, 1:30

Gowanda/Pine Valley at JFK, 1:30

Tonawanda at Cleveland Hill

Akron at Newfane

South Park at Amherst, 7

WEEK 5

Thursday, April 29

Kenmore East at Williamsville South

Medina at Tonawanda

JFK at Eden/North Collins 

Sweet Home at South Park (AH)

Friday, April 30

Frontier at Lancaster                   

Niagara Falls at Williamsville North           

Orchard Park vs. Bennett (AH)       

Hutch Tech at Clarence               

West Seneca West at Jamestown           

Niagara-Wheatfield at Grand Island

Williamsville East at Amherst

North Tonawanda at Starpoint

Lockport vs. McKinley (RF)

Maryvale at Cheektowaga

East Aurora/Holland at Iroquois

Burgard/Arts at West Seneca East

Pioneer at Olean

Depew at Lewiston-Porter

Lake Shore at Albion

WNY Maritime/Health Sciences at Dunkirk

Southwestern vs. CV/Falconer at Falconer

Allegany-Limestone at Chat. Lake/West/Brocton at Chat Lake  

Lackawanna at Gowanda/Pine Valley

Springville at Alden

Akron at Wilson

Randolph at Salamanca

Maple Grove vs. Franklinville/Ellicottville at Franklinville

Saturday, May 1

Hamburg at Kenmore West

Fredonia vs. CSP at Sherman, 1:30

Newfane at Cleveland Hill

Silver Creek/Forestville at TBD

Catt./Little Valley at Portville, 7