Crusaders’ football team loses to Newburgh
Central Valley. After knocking the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks out of the playoffs in 2019, the Monroe-Woodbury football team’s offense was stymied in a 35-0 loss on April 3.
| 06 Apr 2021 | 02:40
Connor Fitzgibbon returns a punt in the second half. (
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Colin Brown #8, stops the Goldback runner in the third quarter. (
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The Crusaders were unable to get their rushing offense untracked on Saturday. (
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-Crusader kicker Edward Fennessy kicks off to start the game. (
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On a beautiful Saturday afternoon the Crusaders and the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks resumed their bitter rivalry.
Last year, after losing to the Goldbacks during the regular season the Crusaders came back and in one of the biggest upsets in Section 9 history knocked them out of the playoffs. Both teams entered the game undefeated with 3-0 records and looking to lock up first place in the Section 9 AA standings.
The Goldbacks came into the game looking to take some measure of revenge for last years upset and unfortunately they got it. In the first quarter after the teams had exchanged punts Newburgh quarterback Amarri Tice scored on a 31-yard touchdown run to put the Goldbacks up 7-0.
On the Crusaders’ next possession things got worse when Terry Rafferty intercepted a Crusader pass and ran it in from 47 yards out to put the Crusaders in a 14-0 hole.
The Crusaders tried to get their offensive running game on track but the Goldbacks defense just proved to be to much and kept them in check all afternoon. Early in the second quarter, Tice hooked up with Deondre Johnson who got behind the Crusader defense and 67 yards later the Goldbacks were up 21-0.
In the third quarter, the Goldbacks scored again after Crusader punter Colin Douthit was tackled for a 27-yard loss and the Goldbacks were set up with a first and goal inside the ten. When Goldback Elijah Bevier scored a few plays later the Goldbacks had a 28-0 lead. The Goldbacks finished their scoring when Tice hit Unique Hicks with a short pass to make the score 35-0.
The Crusaders lost to a very strong Goldback team but if they win their next 2 games they will set up another playoff rematch. And this time it will be the Crusaders looking for revenge. The Crusaders’ loss brings their record to 3-1 on the season their next game will be Friday Nite when they travel to Valley Central to face the Vikings.
