BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The football teams from St. Francis and Bishop Timon-St. Jude retained their champion status in the Monsignor Martin High School Athletic Association on Friday night.

St. Francis held on for a 21-20 victory against Canisius to win its third consecutive A division title, while Timon repeated in the B division with a 49-7 win against Cardinal O’Hara.

The Red Raiders (5-5), ranked No. 3 locally and 25th in the state in Class AA, advance to the Catholic state championship game, while the Tigers (9-1), ranked 16th in Class B, finish the season with their best win total since 2014.

St. Francis was playing without standout rusher Terrence Pendergrass, but still opened a 21-0 lead on a pair of quarterback sneak touchdowns from Landon Welka, with the Red Raiders defense making an early goal line stand, and Johann Vasquez scored on a 5-yard run after a St. Francis takeaway.

Canisius (5-6) came back in third quarter, as Vincent Zimmerman threw a pair of long TD passes to Jack Eskridge, and freshman Elijah Kimble ran for a score, but a missed extra point kept the Crusaders from pulling even.

The Red Raiders defense came through in the fourth quarter after Canisius had a change to take the lead following Darryl Smith’s interception in the end zone.

Watch St. Francis coach Jerry Smith get splashed with a water bucket to celebrate the win, the program’s seventh in 13 consecutive title games matchups with Canisius. It was a closer contest than last season’s championship, which St. Francis won 50-20, and the 41-24 regular season victory for St. Francis two weeks ago.

Timon got two touchdowns from James McNeil, a University at Buffalo recruit, and Charles Prude in its runaway win. Sophomore quarterback Dominic Anzalone threw for two TDs.