After beating Newburgh, Crusaders stand undefeated
Central Valley. The final score was 28-14.
| 01 Oct 2024 | 10:23
Crusader Nate Coulanges, #5, carried the ball 21 times in the game for 163 yards and one touchdown. (
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Crusader tight-end Charlie Theokas scores on a 6-yard pass in the third quarter. (
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Crusader quarterback Ethan Maldonado, #16, had nine completions for 106 yards, with two touchdowns in the game. (
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Head Coach James Sciarra has led the Crusaders into first place so far this season. (
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On a cloudy Friday night, Sept. 27, the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders football team traveled to Newburgh to take on the Goldbacks in an important league game. The Crusaders came into the game with a 3-0 record after beating Our Lady of Lourdes 26-0 and the Goldbacks were looking to rebound after losing their last game to Cornwall 36-10.
The Goldbacks took an early lead when their quarterback scored on a short run and with the extra point had a 7-0 lead. The Goldbacks stopped the Crusaders’ next drive and took over with good field position but Crusader defensive end Kamal Salaudeen turned their momentum around when he recovered their fumble. The Crusaders then drove down the field and when quarterback Ethan Maldonado hit Sol Cabassa in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass and Matvii Butiuhin added the PAT, the teams were tied at 7 points.
After a long kick return by the Goldbacks, the Crusader defense forced a turnover on downs. Then from there, Crusader Nate Coulanges burst up the middle, and 71 yards later scored to bring the Crusaders to a 14-7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, the Crusaders pushed their lead to 14 when quarterback Maldonado pushed his way into the end zone from a yard out to put the score at 21-7.
Crusader Jaden Medrano stopped the next Goldback drive when he intercepted a pass and set the team in good field possession at the 36. From there the Crusaders drove down and Maldonado hit tight end Charlie Theoikas with a 6-yard touchdown pass. The Crusaders were up 28-7 at the end of three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Goldacks scored a touchdown on a 7-yard pass with 2:17 left in the game. With the PAT the final score was 28-14. The Crusaders’ victory brings their record to 4-0 for the season. Their next game will be on Saturday, Oct. 5, when they host the Bushmen of Pine Bush.