The 2022 high school football schedules have yet to be announced, but there's already one date that Western New York sports fans can circle on the calendar.

In a matchup of two of Western New York's elite programs, Canisius High School will play at Lancaster High School on Friday night, Sept. 30, at the Legends' historic Foyle-Kling Field, the schools announced Wednesday.  
 
"First, I'd like to thank Eric and Lancaster," Canisius Director of Athletics Jim Mauro said of Eric Rupp, Lancaster's athletic director.
 
"They have a terrific program, as does Canisius. At the end of the day, it's about competition. Our long-range goals and their long-range goals are the same, but we take different paths to league and state titles. I firmly believe the game helps both teams prepare in trying to attain those goals.
 
"Games like this make the high school football experience better for the kids, and fans and the community."
 
Rupp, who is also Lancaster's head football coach, said:
 
"This is a great opportunity to showcase two of the best programs – not only in Western New York but in New York State. One way for us to get better prepared for the playoffs is to play a tougher regular season schedule, and Canisius will certainly be a challenge.
 
"The atmosphere at Foyle-Kling Field on Friday nights is electric, and I expect this game to draw thousands of fans."
 
Kraig Kurzanski '84, who is entering his first season as head coach at Canisius, participated in three public-private matchups during his highly successful 15-year tenure at Williamsville South.
 
"It will be a great showcase for local talent between two storied football programs," said Kurzanski. "Having coached at a public school and now being here at Canisius, I know people in Western New York look forward to these games."  
 
Lancaster initiated the scheduling of the game, which became possible due to changes in Section VI's Class AA lineup, Rupp said.  
 
"This was something that coach Rich Robbins and I talked about a few years ago, but we could never make it work out," said Rupp, who took over at Lancaster in 2016. "However, now that AA is only five teams, we finally have the opportunity to schedule our own nonleague games for the first time since I have been head coach."
 
Over the last 10 years, Canisius has won three New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association championships and seven Monsignor Martin Association titles while recording two undefeated seasons.
 
Lancaster won five straight Section VI Class AA championships in Rupp's first five seasons. In the last five state playoffs, the Legends have lost to either the eventual state champion or state runnerup.
 
Considering the programs' recent histories, the 2022 Canisius-Lancaster game is poised to be the most anticipated public-private football matchup in Erie County in decades.
 
One would have to go back to Week One of 1998, when reigning Monsignor Martin Association champion St. Joe's beat reigning Section VI Class AA champion Orchard Park, 31-20, for the last high-profile game featuring an suburban Erie County team. Those two teams were also reigning champs when they met in 1997, with OP winning in Week Eight, 34-21.
 
The most notable public-private matchup since then had Canisius play at Jamestown in Week Four of 2014 in what The Buffalo News called in its high school season preview cover story as "The Game of the Decade."
 
The Crusaders won, 27-14, in a game that featured two current NFL players in Jamestown's Steven Carlson and Canisius' TJ Wheatley.
 
That 2014 season ended with the Red Raiders winning their second straight New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA title and the Crusaders winning the inaugural NYSCHA playoff championship.   
 
The complete Canisius football schedule will be released next month.
 
Recent WNY public-private large school nonleague football games
(games involving Erie County suburban teams in italics)
 
2021 – Sweet Home 22, St. Joe's 20
2019 – St. Joe's 29, Bennett 14
2018 – St. Joe's 50, Bennett 26
2016 – Canisius 60, Lockport 6
2016 – St. Joe's 29, South Park 12
2015 – Bishop Timon-St. Jude 30, Jamestown 13
2015 – Bishop Timon-St. Jude 26, Riverside 0
2015 – Canisius 23, South Park 20
2015 – St. Joe's 14, Lockport 0
2015 – St. Francis 40, Williamsville South 20
2014 – Bishop Timon-St. Jude 46, Riverside 6
2014 – Canisius 27, Jamestown 14  
2014 – St. Joe's 30, Clarence 21
2014 – St. Francis 34, South Park 12
2014 – St. Joe's 43, Bennett 14
2013 – Bishop Timon-St. Jude 36, Williamsville South 13
2013 – St. Joe's 35, Clarence 13
2012 – Bishop Timon-St. Jude 21, Williamsville South 14
2012 – Canisius 55, McKinley 30
2012 – St. Joe's 30, Lockport 25
2009 – Williamsville East 20, Bishop Timon-St. Jude 7
2009 – Canisius 28, Jamestown 2
2009 – St. Joe's 40, Niagara Falls 19
2008 – Canisius 49, McKinley 0
2008 – North Tonawanda 42, St. Joe's 10
2007 – Bishop Timon-St. Jude 34, Hutch-Tech 0
2007 – Canisius 14, Riverside 0
2007 – St. Francis 42, North Tonawanda 13
2007 – St. Francis 26, Niagara Falls 7
2007 – McKinley 12, St. Joe's 0
2006 – Hutch-Tech 16, Bishop Timon-St. Jude 6
2006 – Canisius 32, Riverside 8
2006 – St. Joe's 26, McKinley 8
2005 – Canisius 30, Hutch-Tech 16
2005 – St. Joe's 46, McKinley 8
2004 – Canisius 30, Hutch-Tech 6
2004 – Canisius 22, Riverside 0