Crusaders fall to Saratoga Springs 20-17 on the road
Football. The defending Sec IX champions move their season record to 0-1.
| 08 Sep 2025 | 02:19
Nathaniel Coulanges scored a touchdown and had one interception on Sept. 6 in Saratoga Springs.
Monroe-Woodbury High School football team traveled to Saratoga Springs to kick off their 2025 season.
Under head coach James Sciarra, the Crusaders finished 10-2 last season and won the Sec IX championship. The Blue Streaks of Sec II entered the season looking to improve on last year’s 6-4 record.
In the first quarter, Nate Coulanges kept Saratoga Springs off the board when he intercepted a goal line and gave the Crusaders a first down at their own 2-yard line. In the second quarter, M-W’s Nathaniel Shim blocked a punt and the Crusaders took over at the Blues Streaks’ 35-yard line, but were unable to score.
On the Blue’s next possession, Gavin Fitzgibbon blocked their punt attempt and the Crusaders took over at the Blues at the 3-yard line. From there, Coulanges took a hand-off and swept around the left side to score, which brought the Crusaders to a 7-0 lead after the extra point. The Blue Streaks answered back and with 3:55 left in the half tied the score on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Crusader QB Ethan Maldonado then hit Braylon Shillingford with a long pass into Blues territory before he was stopped at the 3-yard line.
With time running out, Matii Butiuhin kicked a 23-yard field goal to put the Crusaders up 10-7 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Crusader defense stopped two more drives, including a recovered fumble by Liam Hayes and an intercepted pass by Oliver Arius, but the Crusaders were unable to take advantage of the turnovers and score.
In the fourth quarter, the Blue Streaks took the lead on a 18-yard touchdown pass with 8:55 left in the game. Maldonado put the Crusaders back on top when he took off for a 54-yard touchdown. After the successful point after attempt, the Crusaders were up 17-13.
But the Blue Streaks were not done. They got the ball back, drove down the field and ran it in the end zone from 2 yards out with 3:32 left in the game to take a 20-17 lead, which became the final score.
The Crusaders next game will be on Sept. 12 when they travel to Poughkeepsie to face the Warriors from Our Lady of Lourdes.