Crusaders football take on Newburgh Goldbacks
Central Valley. The Crusaders ended their season with a 5-4 record.
| 07 Nov 2023 | 12:37
Crusader outside linebacker Liam Hayes (#14) finished the game as quarterback for the Crusaders after the starter was injured. (
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Crusader Louis Meade (#20) pressures the Goldbacks’ quarterback in the fourth quarter. (
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On a cool early November night, the Crusaders traveled to Newburgh Free Academy to face the Goldbacks. The Section 9 Semifinale game was going to be an opportunity for the Crusaders to avenge their loss to Newburgh last week 28-0. The Crusaders last beat the Goldbacks 20-16 on Nov. 2, 2019, at Dietz Stadium in a Section Semifinale.
The Goldbacks came out and took control of the game early. With 9:40 left in the first quarter, the Goldbacks recovered a Crusader fumble and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to go up 7-0. Later in the quarter, the Goldbacks increased their lead to 14 when they scored on a 12-yard run. Disaster struck the Crusaders in the second quarter when the Goldbacks blocked a Crusader punt and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. The Crusaders responded with their best drive of the day but were stopped on the Newburgh 1-yard line on a fourth down play.
The Crusader defense stopped the Goldbacks cold, and they were forced to kick the ball out of their end zone. The Goldbacks’ punter then stepped out of the end zone and the Crusaders got a safety. The teams went into the half time with the score 21-2 Newburgh. In the third quarter the Goldbacks scored again, this time on a 6-yard run to make the score 28-2.
Finally, the Goldbacks finished the Crusaders off with a 3-yard touchdown pass to make the final score 35-2. The 2023 Crusaders were a young team that fought through an injury-plagued end of their season. The Crusaders ended their season with a 5-4 record. Head Coach James Sciarra will look to field another strong team next year with a large number of returning veterans and players moving up from a good JV team.