The playoffs are finally here! Four Canisius High School varsity sports teams have made the Monsignor Martin playoffs and are preparing to go on runs for their respective championship titles throughout this week.

CROSS COUNTRY
All-Catholics at Como Park on Thursday, 11/3, at 3:30pm
NO TICKETS NECESSARY

Perfection is hard to come by in anything, unless you're Eli Noecker '23. He has completed a perfect league season, coming in first in every Monsignor Martin race. Noecker and coach Paul McGrath '91 have led the CHS Cross Country team to an outstanding 6-1 (4-1 in league) 2022 regular season. Noecker and teammates Landon Schoenberger '23 and Evan Galvin '25 will look to bring home the All-Catholic Championship for the first time since 2019.

VOLLEYBALL
Final vs St. Joe's at Hilbert College on Thursday, 11/3, at 8pm
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE ($7)

Moving onto the powerhouse CHS varsity volleyball team, they are on the hunt for an unprecedented 23rd-consecutive MMHSAA volleyball championship. The 2022 Volleyball team has continued their dominance from the past 22 years, finishing the regular season at 10-7 and an 8-1 conference record. Captain Jacob Ackerman '23 stated before the season started, "although [the streak] does bring that anxiety, that's what all of [Canisius Sports'] programs bring, and it's good because it pushes us to be better everyday". The Crusaders defeated the Marauders in two of three regular season matches (3-1, 3-0, 0-3), and the championship is a rematch of last year's thriller.

FOOTBALL
Semifinal vs St. Joe's at Koessler Field @ Stransky on Saturday, 11/5, at 1pm
PURCHASE TICKETS AT SCHOOL RECEPTION ($5)

Round 2! It's the Western New York High School Football fan's dream, Canisius and St. Joe's in the Monsignor Martin playoffs. Canisius took round one in the regular season, 39-24 at Joes on September 24th, one of their four wins throughout the regular season. The Crusaders are tied for fourth in this week's Buffalo News large school poll despite finishing the regular season under .500 and having lost four out of their last five largely due to Canisius having one of the very toughest schedules in Western New York and the entire state. With quarterback Nicholas Penuvchev '24, leading rusher and pass rusher Dyrell Howard-Dolson '24, top wide receivers Jahyden Clark '25 and Michael Doctor '23, and Colin Smith '23 manning the trenches, the Crusaders have the star power find their way back to the Monsignor Martin championship and claim back their title. But first they have to withstand their biggest rival, St. Joe's, on Saturday, November 5th at 1pm on Koessler Field at Stransky.

SOCCER
Final vs St. Joe's at Canisius College on Saturday, 11/5, at 6pm
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE ($7)

To wrap up the weekend of Canisius vs St. Joe's, the varsity soccer team will look to conclude their season with a championship. After losing in the Monsignor Martin championship in heartbreaking fashion to Nichols over the past two years, including in overtime last year, the Crusaders look to rewrite the script in this year's playoffs. They head into it as the best and hottest team in the conference, securing the number one seed after an 11-3 season (9-1 in MMHSAA play) and winning their last 7 games. They are led by their three senior captains: goalie John Scalisi '23, striker Jack Cosgrove '23, and defender Daniel Peyser '23. Under new coach Orville Roberts, the Crusaders are favorited to bring home the title.