By BOB CHAVEZ
It is true that Canandaigua Academy’s football season came to an end against Brockport in 2025. But Brockport also defeated CA during the fall of 1895.
The point? Whether it’s one year or 131 years, any game prior to Friday’s 2026 opener at Honeoye Falls-Lima is behind the Gray Wolves. So the focus for coach Jeff Welch and his team is the 2026 season ahead of them, no matter which team is on the schedule.
And as Welch sees it, Canandaigua Academy football is heading into its 104th season fueled with a lot of confidence and optimism. It helps that CA has not only experienced players returning, but key experience.
“The guys up front,” said Welch. “If you have experience and talent there you’re in good shape no matter how good the skill guys are.”
That experience comes from seniors Derek Smith and Lucas Wyand, both returning starters on the line.
“These are the guys we’ll rely on,” said Welch. “They have leadership and not only know their assignments, but they’re tough mentally. As coaches, we have our expectations for everyone up front but their peer influence is important as well.”
Smith and Wyand, Class A2 All-Stars last season, will get some new help from junior Cormick Schaeffer, who shifts to the interior, and it’ll be their job to set the table for sophomore quarterback Austin Kierst and an offensive backfield that will feature plenty of new names that are not short on talent.
George Mirras and Aleksander Hawryschuck will get plenty of touches out of the backfield as CA continues to run the option look it installed last autumn. But receivers Landon Mortier, Issac Dolf, Joel Lloyd and Declan Cooney will allow the Gray Wolves to stretch the field for Kierst, who Welch says is stronger and wiser as a quarterback.
“We kind of threw him in in the middle of last season and he did a good job,” said Welch. “He’s matured physically and is bigger and stronger now. And mentally, he’s a tough kid.”
Defensively, the Gray Wolves plan to stick with the same scheme and Smith will anchor the unit up front with linebacker help from Schaeffer and sophomore Max Foster.
“We’re confident in what they can do,” Welch said of his defense.
It’s been three long seasons since Canandaigua won its 12th Section V championship and while last season’s 5-4 record was uncharacteristic, it marked the 11th consecutive season that the program advanced to at least the semifinal round of the Section V Tournament.
But as with any team, a new season brings new expectations. Sort of.
“We’re confident,” said Welch. “These guys love to compete and everybody understands the expectations.”
Canandaigua season schedule:
Friday, September 4th at Honeoye Falls-Lima
Friday, September 11th vs. Batavia
Friday, September 18th at Brockport
Friday, September 25th vs. Greece Arcadia
Friday, October 2nd vs. Fairport
Friday, October 9th at Eastridge
Thursday, October 15th vs. Greece Olympia/Odyssey
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