Kenmore West preview leans on physical identity, returning skill and line pieces

Overview

• Assistant coach Matt Harris said the Blue Devils return a "healthy mix of returning and new players" and want to be physical, disciplined and competitive.
• Harris identified Jamani Harris, Nick Decheine, Keon Jones, Anthony LeBron, Carter Winiarski, Dominic Sirianni, Darius Houston and Blessing Amuli as returning starters.
• Jamani Harris brings back a strong 2025 two-way line after making 42 tackles and eight interceptions while adding 51 rushing yards, 65 receiving yards and 153 kick-return yards.
• Kenmore West is scheduled for home games against Orchard Park, Williamsville North, Clarence and Niagara Wheatfield, with road dates at West Seneca West, Sweet Home, Frontier and Kenmore East.

Kenmore West Blue Devils 2026 Football Preview

Kenmore West enters the 2026 football season with a clear target for how it wants to play.

Assistant coach Matt Harris said the Blue Devils are "excited about the outlook" and have "a healthy mix of returning and new players eager to compete." The identity he described is direct: Kenmore West wants to be physical and disciplined, with a spread-and-power approach on offense and an odd-front, shell-coverage structure on defense.

"We are working hard to be physical, disciplined, and competitive this season," Harris said. "We have a group of players who want to win and enjoy each other's company."

John Haynes is listed as Kenmore West's head coach. Harris, Rob Stewart and Skip Ciffa are listed as assistant coaches.

Returning Foundation

Harris pointed to a group of returning starters that includes Jamani Harris, Nick Decheine, Keon Jones, Anthony LeBron, Carter Winiarski, Dominic Sirianni, Darius Houston and Blessing Amuli.

Jamani Harris brings experience on both sides of the ball. As a sophomore in 2025, he made 42 tackles and intercepted eight passes on defense. He also added 51 rushing yards, 65 receiving yards and 153 kick-return yards.

Decheine, listed as a junior WR/DB, is one of the Blue Devils' captains along with Winiarski. Decheine made 25 tackles in 2025, while Winiarski is listed as a junior OL/DL and one of the program's returning starters.

Up front, Kenmore West has several coach-identified pieces. Harris named Anthony LeBron, Michael Corbett, Blessing Amuli, Jeremiah Cash and Daquon Ford on the defensive line, with Ryan Gogola, Dominic Sirianni, Carter Winiarski, Jaiden Seneca and Dylan Teed listed among the offensive line anchors.

Ford brings one of the more complete prior-season stat lines among that group. In 2025, he rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns, made 10 tackles, had two tackles for loss, recorded three sacks and recovered two fumbles. LeBron added 18 tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack, while Amuli made 10 tackles.

Quarterback And Playmakers

JJ Scamacca is Kenmore West's No. 1 quarterback entering the season, according to Harris, with Sincere Watts pushing him in practice.

"We want him to get the ball into our playmakers hands," Harris said.

Harris named Jamani Harris as a player who could have a breakout season and Christian Hampton as a new contributor for readers to know. Hampton is listed as a senior RB/CB, giving the Blue Devils another skill player in a group Harris said brings back "a good number of skill position players."

Oak Htut is the special-teams player Harris identified as someone who could make a difference this season.

What Has To Travel

The Blue Devils' stated strengths are built around the run game on both sides of the ball.

Harris said Kenmore West expects its biggest strength to be "running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense." The next step, he said, is maturity and handling adversity as the season progresses.

The season goals are team-first but ambitious: play together, stay healthy, make the postseason and make a run toward the sectional finals.

Schedule Landmarks

Kenmore West's schedule opens Sept. 4 at West Seneca West, followed by a Sept. 12 home game against Orchard Park at Crosby Field.

The Blue Devils then host Williamsville North on Sept. 19 before visiting Sweet Home on Sept. 26. October brings back-to-back home games against Clarence on Oct. 3 and Niagara Wheatfield on Oct. 10.

The regular-season schedule closes with road games Oct. 16 at Frontier and Oct. 23 at Kenmore East.

For Kenmore West, the early read is built around a physical style, returning two-way pieces, a quarterback room with competition and a schedule that asks the Blue Devils to carry that identity through both home tests and late-season road trips.