CHS Football takes on a Canadian national power today as Elijah Kimble '27 takes aim at Western New York history.

The Crusaders meet Huron Heights of Ontario on Koessler Field at the Robert J. Stransky Memorial Athletic Complex at 2 p.m. Saturday, the second of three straight home games for CHS. 

Kimble has rushed for 6,363 career yards following his 272-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Game of the Year against St. Francis last week. He is 197 yards away from passing WNY all-time rushing leader Jehuu Caulcrick of Clymer (6,559; 1999-2002). 

The Syracuse University commit from Buffalo has 89 career touchdowns, which is now third place on WNY's all-time touchdown list behind Caulcrick (101) and Reggie Garner (90, Cardinal O'Hara, 2004-07).

#AMDG


CANISIUS VS. HURON HEIGHTS 
GAME NOTES 
 
WHAT: Canisius Crusaders (2-3) vs. Huron Heights Warriors (4-1) in a international nonleague showdown
 
WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m. (JV game at 10 a.m.) 
 
WHERE: Koessler Field at Robert J. Stransky Memorial Athletic Complex, 2885 Clinton St., West Seneca.
 
TICKETS: $5 (cash only), available at the gate upon entrance to the Stransky Complex parking lot. 
 
LIVESTREAM: canisiussports.com/live

ELIJAH KIMBLE '27 & WNY HISTORY: Kimble, of Buffalo, has rushed for 6,363 career yards, putting him 197 from breaking the Western New York all-time record held by Jehuu Caulcrick of Clymer (6,559 yards; 1999-2002).
 
His four touchdowns last week moved him into third place on WNY's all-time list. He now has 89, putting him ahead of Trevor Barry (87, Iroquois, 2019-21. Caulcrick is also first on the TD list with 101, followed by Reggie Garner (90, Cardinal O'Hara, 2004-07), the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association's top TD scorer.  

WESTERN NEW YORK ALL-TIME RUSHING LIST

From all-time NYS rushing list at newyorksportswriters.org 
 
6559     Jehuu Caulcrick          Clymer                               1999 - 02
6363     Elijah Kimble              Canisius                           2023 - present
5883     Dustin Bowser             Southwestern                2001 - 03
5490     Wade Turner                 Lackawanna                   1995 - 98
5055     Jeff Tundo                       Orchard Park                  2006 - 08
5020     Keien Williams              Eden                                    2001 - 03
4989     Paul Paddock                 Cattaraugus & Springville      1995 - 98
4984     Reggie Garner                Cardinal O'Hara           2004 - 07
4901     Aaron Wahler                 Cleveland Hill                2015 - 18
4820     Isiah McDuffie               Bennett                              2013 - 16
4645     Major Cole                       Turner-Carroll & Cardinal O'Hara      1994 - 97
4633     Chris McDuffie              Williamsville North     1998 - 01
4553     David Schmidli             Wilson                                1993 - 96
4531     James Mallory               Kenmore West               2001 - 04
4518     Trevor Barry                     Iroquois                             2021 - 23
4505     Brandon Munson         Albion                                 1998 - 00
4468     Brandon Murie              Iroquois                             2005 - 08
4437     James Henley                South Park                       2000 - 03
4358     Ted McDuffie                  Grover Cleveland         1989 - 92
4345     Okoya Anderson          Orchard Park                  2009 - 11
4295     Aaron Leeper                  Jamestown                      1997 - 00
4274     David Fluellen               Lockport                            2007 - 09
4274     Jaylen Butera                  Jamestown                      2019 - 21
4189     Eric Everett                      Cleveland Hill                1998 - 00
4177     Joe Kuzmierski              Tonawanda                      1996 - 98
4168     Ray Braxton                     Lackawanna                   1984 - 87
4147     Qadree Ollison         Canisius                           2010 - 13
4145     Joe Cerminera               Lewiston-Porter            2000 - 03
4088     Zak Kedron                      St. Francis                        2002 - 04

CONNOLLY CUP & KIMBLE: Kimble was named one of the 10 finalists for the Connolly Cup, awarded to Western New York's most outstanding player, after both his freshman and sophomore seasons before winning it in 2025. He is the first CHS player to win the Connolly Cup. 

KIMBLE & CHS HISTORY: Kimble became the all-time leader in touchdowns and rushing yards for Canisius during his junior year. He surpassed both records set by Qadree Ollison '14, who played at Pittsburgh and played in the NFL (4,147 yards, 57 touchdowns). 

KIMBLE YEAR BY YEAR: As a freshman, Elijah Kimble '27 rushed for 1,821 yards on 191 carries and scored 20 touchdowns.

In his sophomore season, he carried the ball 216 times for 1,778 yards while running for 33 touchdowns.

In last year's junior campaign, he ran 192 times for 1,726 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. 

SERIES HISTORY: No. 2 WNY large school Canisius (2-3) is meeting No. 2 Ontario school Huron Heights (4-1) for the fourth straight year. CHS has won the three previous meetings (41-14 at home in 2023; 28-0 in Newmarket, Ontario in 2024; 42-21 at home last year). 

HURON HEIGHTS THIS SEASON: Huron Heights is coming off a 39-0 win at Aquinas of Rochester (0-5). That followed three routs of Ontario competition; the Warriors started the season with a 24-0 loss at Zeeland West (5-1), MaxPreps' 43rd-ranked team in Michigan.

CHS LAST WEEK: 32-29 home loss to St. Francis. A back-and-forth battle between the two best teams in Western New York lived up to its Game-of-the-Year billing and ended with Canisius' field goal attempt failed as the clock expired. A crowd estimated at more than 3,000 saw Kimble run for four touchdowns and 272 yards on 33 carries.

CHS THIS SEASON: CHS began the year with a rout of Health Sciences (ranked fourth among large schools in The Buffalo News poll) at the Dick Gallagher Kickoff Classic, then lost at Ohio No. 1 Massillon and West Virginia No. 1 Martinsburg before taking a rivalry win at St. Joe's, 30-16. 

CHS RULES RIVALRY: Canisius has won 14 straight and 24 out of the last 25 rivalry games vs. St. Joe's. CHS leads the overall series, 54-48-3. The Crusaders took over the series lead in 2023 for the first time since 1986.

2026 WNY CATHOLIC SCHOOL RANKINGS by Buffalo Business First

1. Canisius; 2. Nardin Academy; 3. Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart; 4. St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute; 5. Cardinal O'Hara High School; 6. Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School; 7. Mount Mercy Academy; 8. Mount St. Mary Academy; 9. St. Francis High School; 10. St. Mary's High School.

CHS NO. 1 in WNY by Niche.com: Canisius has again been ranked as the Buffalo area's "Best Catholic School" and "Best All-Boys School" by Niche.com. CHS is also: 

* The only boys-only school to earn an A overall
* The top private school in Best High Schools for Athletes
* The top-ranked boys-only school in Teachers
* One of just five WNY schools to earn an A+ in Clubs & Activities
* One of just six WNY schools to earn an A+ in Resources & Facilities
* One of just 12 WNY high schools to earn an A in Academics
* One of just 10 WNY schools to earn an A+ or A for Sports
* One of just 13 WNY schools to earn an A or A- in College Prep
 
CHS OPEN HOUSE: This place is special. Let us show you why. Students and families interested in CHS Football and the excellence only found in a Jesuit education at Canisius – ranked by Buffalo Business First as the Buffalo area's "Best Catholic School" and WNY's top private school in "Best High Schools for Athletes" – can learn more by reserving a spot for our Open House on Sunday, Oct. 18 or Monday, Oct. 19 via canisiushigh.org/openhouse

HEAD COACH KRAIG KURZANSKI '84: Kurzanski is in his fifth season of his current tenure at CHS, including winning the 2024 MMAA championship and appearing in four straight MMAA title games. He has compiled a 28-25 overall record while playing some of Western New York's very best (and toughest) schedules.

Kurzanski has been one of Western New York's best coaches for three decades, amassing a 184-120-2 record in what is his 33rd season. His win total is 14th on Western New York's all-time list, which is topped by CHS legend Johnny Barnes, who had 287 upon his retirement in 1973.
 
Kurzanski's win total is second-highest among active WNY coaches (Jerry Smith of St. Francis has 208) and is 12th among active coaches in New York State.
 
The South Buffalo native was 88-49 in 15 years at Williamsville South, where he retired as a science teacher and coach prior to returning to Canisius in 2022.  He went 5-6 in both 2022 and 2023, 9-3 in 2024 and 6-5 last year. He coached previously at Canisius from 2001 to 2003, including one Monsignor Martin Association Large School championship game berth.
 
Kurzanski is a member of the Canisius High School Athletic Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2002 for his achievements in both football – in which he earned All-Western New York first-team honors at center in 1983 – and baseball.

YEAR ONE FOR VIDEO SCOREBOARD: The new video scoreboard at Koessler Field has many outstanding features that fans will begin to see on Saturday.  

YEAR TWO FOR TURF: The colorful turf on Koessler Field at the Stransky Memorial Athletic Complex includes "CANISIUS" and "CRUSADERS" painted in gold-on-navy blue in the end zones while there is a shaded green pattern on each 5-yard sections of the field. The Jesuit tenet of "AMDG" adorns the center of the 50-yard line. AMDG is an acronym of the Latin phrase "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" – meaning "for the greater glory of God" – a central part of the mission of Jesuits and Jesuit schools.

NEXT WEEK: Canisius plays the third of three straight home games against Christian Brothers Academy of Syracuse, one of the top programs in the state, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. 
 
MORE ON CHS: See the Crusaders' complete excellent schedule, its roster and several photo galleries at canisiussports.com
 
#AMDG