This time around, the Canisteo-Greenwood Chargers believe they can get off to a rolling start this fall during the Section V football season.
Second-year coach Bill Drake wasn't hired until June 2025.
"Most teams in the conference are doing spring workouts and games," Drake said. "We had a really late start to it all (including hiring the remainder of the coaching staff), but I think we all jumped on board and set a standard.
"We had a good year after all the commotion."
The Chargers were 2-3 last season before putting together a four-game winning streak. They were stopped in the final four round of the Section V Class D playoffs by Avon, the eventual champion.
Eight offensive starters return for Canisteo-Greenwood, including four of five offensive linemen.
Many of the same players also play in the team's defense that has seven 2025 starters back.
"A lot of excitement among the staff, players and community," Drake said.
After all, the Chargers have a lot longer runway to prepare for this season. That extra time allowed the Chargers to expand the offense, develop the passing game around new starting quarterback Tyler Crandall and find additional ways to utilize junior running back Connor McCaffrey, who missed the first three games of the 2025 season.
Canisteo-Greenwood football at a glance
- Head coach: Bill Drake (second season)
- Classification: D
- League/division: Livingston County/Genesee Region Division 2
- Last season's record: 6-4, lost to Avon, Section V Class D semifinals.
- Last Section V championship: 2023
Canisteo-Greenwood football schedule for 2026 season
- Friday, Sept. 4: at Bath Haverling, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 11: vs. Batavia Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 18: York/Pavilion, 7 p.m. at York
- Friday, Sept. 25: vs. Oakfield-Alabama/Elba, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 2: at Avon, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 9: vs. Geneseo/Mount Morris, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 16: at Attica, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 23: vs. Holley/Lyndonville, 7 p.m.
Canisteo-Greenwood's top returning players
TE/DE Quinten Houghtaling, RB/DB Connor McCaffrey, OL/DL Parker O'Dell, RB/LB Cody Reinbold, RB/DL Doug Sciorra, WR/DB Ziah Sharp, WR/DB James Smith, OL/DL Colten Stewart, OL/DL Zach Stilson, OL/DL Luke Zeh
Canisteo-Greenwood football a look back
Marquee matchups for Canisteo-Greenwood
Friday night, under lights and facing a reigning Section V champion. This is the scenario for Canisteo-Greenwood's game Oct. 2 at Avon.
The Chargers' first rivalry game takes place earlier, Sept. 18 against York/Pavilion. That Friday night matchup is at York.
James Johnson, who grew up in the city of Rochester, has worked as a full-time journalist covering high school sports for the Democrat and Chronicle since 1996. Follow him @jjDandC on X (Twitter) and Instagram. Please contact him at JAMESJ@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Returning starters fuel Canisteo-Greenwood football hopes
