Elmira football eyes Section IV Class AA title defense

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) - Elmira High School football is back in action, following another successful season in the Twin Tiers. The Express will enter the 2026 season, hoping to defend their Section IV Class AA crown for the 4th consecutive year. After completing the program's 1st ever sectional 3-peat, Elmira will be looking to their veteran leaders for another championship run. Head Coach Jimmy McCauley, who has guided the team since 2012, is cleaning the slate for the upcoming schedule. "One thing we try to do in our program is try not to look backwards, said McCauley. These kids know what we did last year. That was huge motivation for that group, but this group is different. As far as we are concerned, the canvas is blank and we're trying to write our own history." The Express will have big shoes to fill, having lost top stars like Dash Harris, Zach Conklin, and Julian Colon to graduation. Despite the roster holes, Elmira has seen the emergence of new leaders like Liam Ogden, Dominic Goetz, Darien "Baby" Harris, Mason Mack, William Walker, and Ryan Goble. The program's veterans are hoping to take charge and lead their younger teammates. "It starts off with being really mature, said Ogden. We all have to be on the same page and give one-hundred percent effort. Coach says that everyday, so we are looking for those guys." "We're telling the younger guys, mostly just to pay attention, Goetz added. Watch the older guys, so you can keep growing and moving forward." Elmira opens their season with a tough road test. On Friday, September 4th, the Express battle Liverpool at 6 p.m. The Warriors (9-2 last season) finished as the Section III runners-up in Class AA, falling to the eventual state champions from CBA-Syracuse. "We're excited, said Ogden. We know it's going to be a good matchup. We'll be giving one-hundred percent out there and trying to go win." The 2026 Elmira Express football schedule is listed below: 9/4 - at Liverpool - 6 p.m. 9/11 - Cicero-North Syracuse - 6 p.m. 9/18 - Rochester Aquinas Institute - 6 p.m. 9/25 - at Corning - 6 p.m. 10/2 - Union-Endicott - 6 p.m. 10/9 - at Ithaca - 7 p.m. 10/16 - Horseheads - 6 p.m. 10/23 - Binghamton - 6 p.m. 10/30 - at Vestal - 7 p.m. Stick with 18 Sports for the latest on Elmira High School football in the 2026 season. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.