The wait is over.
For the first time, ATS Network is ranking the best high school football programs across Downstate New York.
The inaugural ATS Downstate NY Top 25 brings together teams from the PSAL, CHSFL, Section VIII and Section XI, offering a weekly look at where the region’s top programs stand.
There are familiar powerhouses, defending champions and teams ATS believes may be better than the rest of New York realizes.
Now it’s time to see where everyone landed.
Four Leagues. One Ranking.
The best part of a regional ranking is seeing teams from different leagues placed side by side.
How does a PSAL contender stack up against a CHSFL power? Where should a Nassau champion rank against one of Suffolk’s best? Which teams are ready to challenge the programs that have owned the spotlight?
Those are the conversations the ATS Downstate NY Top 25 is designed to start.
ATS rankings combine national and New York-specific rankings with results, strength of schedule and insight from the ATS Network editorial staff.
The Powerhouses Are Here
Certain programs immediately belong in any conversation about the best football in Downstate New York.
Iona Prep. Erasmus Hall. Garden City.
Iona has become one of the CHSFL’s premier programs. Erasmus remains a measuring stick for New York City public-school football. Garden City enters another season carrying one of the most remarkable runs in Long Island football.
They’re all in the Top 25.
Where?
That’s what the rankings page is for.
PSAL: Don’t Assume You Know the Order
Erasmus may be the established name, but there are plenty of players and programs ready to challenge the PSAL order.
Eagle Academy II is one of ATS’s strongest preseason convictions. The Eagles return a veteran roster loaded with high-level talent, and ATS has seen this group up close.
Curtis is another team to watch. The Warriors return a strong foundation, have added talent and impressed during offseason competition.
Established programs like Tottenville, along with potential risers such as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, give the PSAL plenty of teams capable of changing the rankings once the games begin.
CHSFL: No Easy Weeks
The CHSFL is loaded again.
Iona Prep, Monsignor Farrell and St. Anthony’s enter with championship expectations, while Archbishop Stepinac and Chaminade give the league even more depth.
For the players, that means opportunities.
A big performance against one of the league’s top programs can change the conversation around a team quickly. With several contenders facing one another throughout the season, there won’t be many weeks where a team can afford to be off.
Long Island Is Loaded
The depth across Sections VIII and XI made building the Top 25 especially difficult.
In Nassau, Garden City and Massapequa enter with championship résumés, but neither will get through the season without being challenged.
Suffolk might be even harder to separate.
East Islip, Sayville, Half Hollow Hills East, Ward Melville and William Floyd all enter with legitimate expectations.
For coaches, the rankings may provide a starting point. The schedule will provide the answers.
Your Team Controls What Happens Next
The preseason Top 25 is exactly that—a starting point.
Nobody gets to keep a ranking because of a name, a reputation or what happened last season.
Once the ball is kicked off, the teams take control.
Win games. Beat good opponents. Make a statement when the opportunity comes.
Teams in the Top 25 will have to defend their positions. Teams outside of it will have every opportunity to play their way in.
And every week, ATS will update the rankings as the season tells us more.
The inaugural ATS Downstate NY Top 25 is here.
Four leagues. One ranking.
Where did your team land?
Check the full rankings and let the debate begin.