Williamsville South enters 2026 with Gangi back at quarterback and a productive defensive core

Overview

• Williamsville South is scheduled to open Sept. 4 at Lake Shore and play its first home game Sept. 18 against OC Rivals (Medina/Albion).
• Phillip Gangi returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,917 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior in 2025.
• Tommy Collins and Danny Lares give the Billies two productive receiving options from last season, with Collins coming off 359 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches and Lares adding 168 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in 2025.
• Sean O'Connor, Ben Szymanoski and Derren Mushat each return after 50-plus-tackle seasons in 2025.
• The back half of the schedule includes home games against McKinley, Maryvale and Williamsville East, plus an Oct. 16 trip to West Seneca East.

Williamsville South 2026 Football Preview

Williamsville South enters the 2026 season with a clear place to start: the Billies have a senior quarterback with major production behind him, a receiving group with proven scoring, and several defensive returners who were already central to the stat sheet last fall.

Joe Licata's team went 8-2 in 2025, and the returning profile is especially strong at the positions where experience can steady a preseason: quarterback, receiver, linebacker and the defensive front.

Gangi Gives The Offense A Starting Point

Phillip Gangi gives Williamsville South a substantial returning piece at quarterback. As a junior in 2025, Gangi completed 132 of 194 passes for 1,917 yards with 29 touchdowns. He also ran for 262 yards and five touchdowns.

That production gives the Billies a passer with both volume and efficiency already in the record, and the roster around him includes multiple players who contributed in the passing game last season.

Tommy Collins, a junior WR/DB, was Williamsville South's most productive returning receiver by 2025 yardage. He caught 19 passes for 359 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore, while also adding three interceptions on defense.

Danny Lares, a senior WR/LB, adds another two-way piece. Lares caught 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns in 2025, and he also produced defensively with 48 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions and five passes defended.

Andrew Aquino also brings back offensive touches after rushing for 282 yards as a sophomore in 2025. Andrew Barthold added nine catches for 57 yards last season, giving the Billies another returning receiver with prior varsity production.

Defense Brings Back Several Tacklers

The defensive foundation is led by returning players who were active at several levels in 2025.

Sean O'Connor, a senior WR/LB, had 62 tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last season. Ben Szymanoski, a senior OL/DL, had 71 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks. Derren Mushat, a senior FB/DL, had 52 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks.

That gives Williamsville South returning production in the box, with Lares adding playmaking on the edge and in coverage. Collins also contributed defensively last season with 13 tackles, three interceptions, three passes defended and a fumble recovery.

Schedule Landmarks

Williamsville South is scheduled to open Sept. 4 at Lake Shore, then travel to Lewiston Porter on Sept. 10.

The first home date is Sept. 18 against OC Rivals (Medina/Albion) at Williamsville South High School's Turf Field. The Billies then visit Amherst on Sept. 25 before returning home for McKinley on Oct. 2 and Maryvale on Oct. 9.

The final two regular-season fixtures are an Oct. 16 trip to West Seneca East and an Oct. 23 home game against Williamsville East.

For a team with a returning senior quarterback and several established defensive producers, the preseason question is how quickly those pieces can become the spine of the 2026 group. Gangi gives the offense a proven arm, while O'Connor, Szymanoski, Mushat, Lares and Collins give Williamsville South returning answers on defense.