The Friday Night Matchup will be at West Genesee, where the Wildcats will be hosting their first playoff game since 2011. CBA will travel to West Genesee at 7 p.m., a matchup you can catch live on Spectrum News.

The Wildcats are coming into sectionals as the three-seed after finishing the regular season with a 6-1 record. It’s hard to believe that just two years ago, the Wildcats didn’t even have a victory. At practice on Wednesday, Head Coach Joe Corley said he challenged his players after the 2016 campaign to turn things around. “I asked these guys to keep believing, believe in what we do, believe in our system and to keep working hard and they did just that.”

On the other side, the Brothers are coming into the Class AA sectionals as the six-seed with a 1-6 record. Heading into this meeting, the Brothers are playing for more than just a win. Last month they saw their teammate, Melvin Beard collapse on the field during the Elmira contest. Beard’s heart had stopped, but he was saved thanks to the quick work of the CBA staff. Beard should be watching on the sidelines during their matchup at West Genny, and since the scare, the Brothers have been wearing Beard’s number on their helmets. “It’s just a reminder. He (Beard) came back for us, and we have to keep that in mind and keep pushing no matter what,” CBA senior Ethan Hunt said.