The Wayne-Finger Lakes football league set out to distance itself from Section V’s federation model three years ago in order to regain better local competition and to increase participation.
It was an instant success, and the 2025 season was the final year of Section V’s federation model. It will be returning to a league-based schedule starting in 2026, and the W-FL league has much to do with that. 2025 was yet another terrifically entertaining and thrilling season in what is assumed to be the final year of the breakaway independent league.
Things boiled down to a rematch of last year’s slugfest title game in the semifinals and then culminated in a hard-fought championship game featuring WFL East champ Palmyra-Macedon vs. WFL Central champ Lyons.
The Red Raiders secured their second league title in three years with a 34-24 win. Winning Most Valuable Player for the championship game was Red Raiders senior quarterback Camron Quick, who threw four touchdown passes.
Therefore, it comes as little surprise that Quick recently was named the WFL East’s MVP for the season, taking the honor alongside his dad and coach, Brian Quick, who was named the Coach of the Year.
Protecting Cam Quick was “Big” John Turner, who was named the Lineman of the Year for the WFL East.
The lone non-Pal-Mac player to earn an individual honor was Penn Yan/Dundee kicker Collin Bacher, who won Special Teams Player of the Year.
Headlining the First Team for offense are PY/D senior quarterback Eli Raplee, running back Braden Fingar, linemen Levi Orr and Brody Keech and wideout Carter Laursen.
Apart from linemen Dakota Starnes of Geneva and Zach Kuelling of Newark/Marion, the rest of the first team was filled out by Pal-Mac’s explosive offensive players: running back Mason Delmarle, wideouts Henry Beaton, Trey Porpora III and James Mack. Lineman Wyatt Dallas rounded out the selections for the First Team Offense.
On defense, there was no bigger obstacle than Geneva’s Gianni Velazquez, who dominated on all sides of the ball, but particularly in the secondary as a linebacker. Defensive tackle Jeffery Castro-Anderson is the other Panther on the First Team Defense list.
Joining Velazquez is Pal-Mac’s trio of linebackers who helped form the stingiest defense in the WFL East: seniors Johnny Knaak, Cormac Denniston and Adam Rapp.
In all, there was just no stopping Pal-Mac’s journey of avenging its title loss in 2024. What it became was arguably the best team the W-FL League has seen in its three years. And what a three years they were.
