Leading off today: Other rivalries may match it, but it would be hard to argue that any football series is more emotional or full of energy than Aquinas vs. McQuaid, which will be renewed tomorrow when two unbeatens meet at St. John Fisher College.

   McQuaid has walloped six opponents by a combined 196-38 margin after a 41-0 romp against Edison/Monroe on Friday. The Knights are 11th in Class A in the most recent rankings by the New York State Sportswriters Association. No. 3 Aquinas routed Bishop Kearney 44-0 to also improve to 6-0. The four-time state champions have outscored opponents by a 214-21 margin.

   The series began with McQuaid practically having to beg its way onto the schedule in 1964 and showing its gratitude by beating the Little Irish 14-13, and it’s been heated since.

   "It’s always a big game," Aquinas senior receiver/defensive back Anthony Bianchi Jr. said following the Kearney game, in which he caught a TD pass. "Throw in both of us being undefeated and it makes it even more special."

   Bianchi’s father played for Aquinas in the late 1970s (earning a split vs. the Knights) and is now the athletic director there after a successful coaching career in Webster. He brought his son along a time or two to watch the Aquinas-McQuaid slugfests.

   "I always told him it’s an important tradition, bigger than any individual here or at McQuaid," Anthony Bianchi Sr. said. "It’s important to the alums and to the schools, and the players need to understand what it’s all about – a healthy, strong rivalry."

   Bianchi Jr., who’ll play lacrosse next year at Robert Morris, made his first varsity start vs. McQuaid as a sophomore and had a breakout game last year in a 21-14 win. He’s not alone in sharing a family tradition in the series. Aquinas quarterback Manny Magliocco is the son of late-'70s QB (and current assistant coach) Mark Magliocco Sr., and the brother of 2001 state player of the year Mark Jr.

   "Being in that household I was going to grow up to be a quarterback. I didn’t really have a choice," Manny Magliocco said, laughing. "I grew up watching my brother play and basically took notes."

   Magliocco, who carved up Kearney with four first-half touchdown passes, is well versed in the McQuaid-Aquinas rivalry.

   "It's going to be a crazy atmosphere, especially with two undefeated teams," he said. "Hopefully there'll be a big crowd and they'll see a great show. Both teams play 10 times harder. It’s not a normal game. It’s a championship game."

   The winner establishes itself as the favorite to represent Section 5 in the state Class A quarterfinals, likely against Sweet Home. The Panthers beat Aquinas last year.

   "Yeah, we know they're out there," Bianchi Jr. said, "but we've got too much in front of us to start thinking about that. We've got McQuaid, and then there's Victor and Athena. You can't afford to not take them all seriously. Section 5 is too tough to take it for granted."

   Charges lead to forfeit: Canton's 1-5 football season just got a little bit worse.

   Three varsity football players face criminal charges for allegedly having alcoholic beverages, marijuana and pills while driving on the SUNY Canton campus. As a result, the seniors have been suspended from the team and the Golden Bears are forfeiting Friday's game at Massena due to a lack of players.

   Canton School Superintendent William Gregory said the loss of three players left Canton with just 14 available players, two short of the required 16.

   Devin M. Gardner, Luke J. Sharlow and James Guyette Jr., all 17, were stopped by SUNY Canton police Saturday night during a routine traffic stop, The Daily Times in Watertown reported.

   Gardner was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, and one count of fifth-degree and two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Guyette and Sharlow were each charged with unlawful possession of alcohol with intent to consume. All three teens were arraigned Saturday night in Canton Village Court and released on their own recognizance, the paper reported. They are scheduled to return to village court Oct. 27.

   Last month, Canton forfeited a Sept. 26 victory against St. Lawrence after it was determined that running back Kyle Nason was ineligible.

RoadToSyracuse.com Football Site

   Milestones: Gene Buonaiuto, St. Anthony's boys soccer coach for 25 seasons, picked up win No. 300 yesterday with a 3-0 victory over Kellenberg Memorial. Buonaiuto was an assistant for the Friars for a decade before taking over the top job.

   Eight players scored an an 8-0 romp as Garden City topped Clarke for 19th-year field hockey coach Diane Chapman's 300th win. Chapman's teams have won 15 straight Nassau County titles and six state championships.

   Revenge for Brentwood: Hancell Guevara's goal with 10 minutes to play was the winner as Brentwood exacted revenge against Commack with a 3-2 boys soccer win. It was a rematch of a Sept. 24 loss that cost the defending NYSPHSAA Class AA champs their No. 1 national ranking and 78-game league unbeaten streak.

   "This got us back on the railroad. Now we're back on track," Brentwood midfielder Andrew Jean-Baptiste, who missed the 2-1 loss to Commack for disciplinary reasons, told Newsday. "We're going to keep winning our games and go back to states again."

   East Rochester toppled: Samantha Smith scored both goals as Webster Thomas topped East Rochester 2-0 to end the Bombers' unbeaten streak against Section 5 field hockey competiton at 104 games.

   "This made my senior year," Smith told the Democrat and Chronicle. "We were all hugging and so proud of each other. We've been pumped for this for weeks."

   The Bombers got off to a 10-0 start this season by outscoring opponents 57-1. Thomas (10-0-1) is now the only unbeaten team in Section 5.

   On record pace: With four regular-season games remaining, Loudonville Christian senior striker Dillon King needs nine goals to break the Section 2 soccer career scoring record of 133 goals set by Austin Standhart of Schoharie/Middleburgh in 2005.

   "Breaking the record is definitely in the back of my head a little, but I try to put it off because it's not going to help us win any games," King, who sored 39 goals last year, told The Times Union.

   Costly mistake: The Florida High School Athletic Association has reached a settlement with the Jacksonville-based group of parents that filed a Title IX discrimination lawsuit against it in June.

   The group, represented by former Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Makar, filed suit after the FHSAA voted to reduce all varsity sports schedules except football and competitive cheerleading by 20 percent. The state rescinded the decision in May.

   As part of the settlement, the FHSAA will pay $41,200 in legal fees and conduct Title IX training at its January meeting.

   PC commitments: Brooklyn Thomas Jefferson seniors Alicia Cropper and Danielle Pearson have verbally committed to play basketball for Providence College.

   Jefferson coach Dwayne "Pearl" Washington was caught by surprise by Pearson's decision.

   "I knew Crop was going to them, but didn’t know Danielle was too,” Washington said. “It was inevitable for them to be going to a Division I school. Now that they’re going together, it’s great. It’s also good because now we can concentrate on the (2009-10) season because it should be a big year for us."

   Cropper and Pearson led the Orange Wave to PSAL 'AA' semifinal appearances the past two seasons. Cropper, a 5-foot-7 shooting guard, has averaged nearly 18 points per game over three years. Pearson, a 5-9 guard/forward, averaged 10 points per game as a junior.