Leading off today: The addition of at-large berths in most classes of team tournaments in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships has generated considerable discussion.
The change in format came about when the NYSPHSAA Central Committee voted over the summer to implement the Three-Region Rotation beginning with the new school year. The concept had been discussed at the local and state levels for many months, but approval came with the reminder that unanticipated issues might materialize despite numerous revisions made along the way to head off potential problems.
What has captured the attention and sparked the most commentary thus far has been the number of champions from sections supplying the fall 2025 at-large berths that have opted to use the at-large berth themselves, sending the sectional runner-up into he state tournament in what would have been the actual champions spot in the brackets.
Doing so requires those teams to travel to an opening game against a Section 4 opponent, with the typical tradeoff being that it would take just one victory to reach the state semifinals instead of two.
The 11 NYSPHSAA sections set their own policies on determining whether their champions can use at-large berths. You may notice that Section 8 and 11 champions in classes in which there is an at-large berth are not using that option, thus preserving their long-established Long Island Championship matchups in the first round or quarterfinals.
With that as the background, the New York State Sportswriters Association is tracking the results of teams from the sections providing the at-large berths:
Boys soccer
Sectional champions using the champions' place in the brackets
None.
Sectional champions using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class AAA: Guilderland (Section 2)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Elmira (4), 2-1
• Semifinal: Lost to Fairport (5), 4-0
Class AA: Cornwall (9)
• Quarterfinal Defeated Binghamton (4), 4-1
• Semifinal: Defeated Churchville-Chili (5), 3-2
• Final: Lost to Garden City (8), 2-1
Class A: New Hartford (3)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Maine-Endwell (4), 1-0
Class B: Ogdensburg Free Academy (10)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Chenango Valley (4), 1-0
Class D: Colton-Pierrepont (10)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Edmeston (4), 2-0
Sectional runners-up using the champions' place in the brackets
Class AAA: Shenendehowa (Section 2)
• First round: Lost to Baldwinsville (3), 2-1
Class AA: Warwick (9)
• First round: Lost to Harrison (1), 3-0
Class A: Central Valley Academy (3)
• First round: Lost to Malone (10), 3-2 (overtime)
Class B: Canton (10)
• First round: Lost to Westhill (3), 8-1
Class D: Heuvelton (10)
• First round: Lost to Hamilton (3), 5-2
Sectional runners-up using the at-large slot in the brackets
None.
Girls soccer
Sectional champions using the champions' place in the brackets
Class AAA: Northport (Section 11)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Oceanside (8), 1-0
Sectional champions using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class AA: Warwick (Section 9)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Horseheads (4), 3-2
• Semifinal: Lost to Churchville-Chili (5), 3-0
Class A: New Hartford (3)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Maine-Endwell (4), 4-0
• Semifinal: Lost to Aquinas (5), 2-1
Class B: Canton (10)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Chenango Forks (4), 2-0
Class C: Tuckahoe (1)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Groton (4), 4-2
• Semifinal: Defeated Byron-Bergen (5), 3-2
• Final: Lost to Stillwater (2), 1-0
Sectional runners-up using the champions' place in the brackets
Class AA: Washingtonville (Section 9)
• First round: Lost to Albertus Magnus (1), 3-0
Class A: Jamesville-Dewitt (3)
• First round: Defeated Malone (10), 8-0
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Schalmont (2), 1-0
Class B: Salmon River (10)
• First round: Lost to Marcellus (3), 10-0
Class C: North Salem (1)
• First round: Lost to Burke Catholic (9), 2-1
Sectional runners-up using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class AAA: Commack (Section 11)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Ithaca (4), 2-1
• Semifinal: Defeated Lancaster (6), 3-0
• Final: Defeated Cicero-North Syracuse (3), 2-0
Field hockey
Sectional champions using the champions' place in the brackets
Class B: Eastport-South Manor (11)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Garden City (8), 2-1
Class C: Carle Place (8)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Bayport-Blue Point (11), 1-0
Sectional champions using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class A: Clarence (Section 6)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Windsor (4), 6-1
Sectional runners-up using the champions' place in the brackets
Class A: Orchard Park (Section 6)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Fairport (5), 2-1
Sectional runners-up using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class B: Harborfields (11)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Vestal (4), 3-1
Class C: Locust Valley (8)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Whitney Point (4), 7-0
Girls tennis
Sectional champions using the champions' place in the brackets
Division I: Half Hollow Hills East (Section 11)
• Quarterfinal: Lost to Syosset (8), 6-1
Sectional champions using the at-large slot in the brackets
Division II: Scotia-Glenville (Section 2)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Chenango Forks (4), 5-0
• Semifinal: Lost to Edgemont (1), 4-1
Sectional runners-up using the champions' place in the brackets
Division II: Voorheesville (Section 2)
• First round: Lost to Oneida (3), 5-0
Sectional runners-up using the at-large slot in the brackets
Division I: Westhampton Beach (Section 11)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Vestal (4), 4-3
• Semifinal: Lost to Horace Greeley (1), 7-0
Girls volleyball
Sectional champions that kept the champions' place in the brackets
Class A: Half Hollow Hills West (11)
• First round: Lost to Rockville Centre South Side (8), 3-1
Sectional champions using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class AAA: Shenendehowa (2)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Corning (4), 3-1
• Pool play in Glens Falls, Nov. 22
Class AA: Warwick (9)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Horseheads (4), 3-2
• Pool play in Glens Falls, Nov. 22
Class B: Peru (7)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Whitney Point (4), 3-0
• Pool play in Glens Falls, Nov. 21
Sectional runners-up using the champions' place in the brackets
Class AAA: Saratoga Springs (2)
• First round: Lost to West Genesee (3), 3-1
Class AA: Cornwall (9)
• First round: Lost to Yorktown (1), 3-2
Class B: Saranac Lake (7)
• First round: Lost to Ichabod Crane (2), 3-1
Sectional runners-up using the at-large slot in the brackets
Class A: Islip (11)
• Quarterfinal: Defeated Owego (4), 3-0
• Pool play in Glens Falls, Nov. 21
Boys volleyball
To come
