Crusaders remain perfect in season league play
Pine Bush. The team beat the Bushmen 38-6 for a 4-0 record in the OCIAA.
| 29 Oct 2025 | 02:29
Nate Coulanges steps past a Pine Bush defender on his way to the end zone in the third quarter. (
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M-W quarterback Ethan Maldonado scores on a 18-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter in Pine Bush on Oct. 18, 2025.
On Saturday, Oct.18, the Crusaders traveled to Pine Bush to take on Bushmen in a key league game. The Crusaders came into the game with a 5-1 record after beating Kingston 48-14. The Bushmen had a record of 2-4 after losing to Middletown 24-8.
The Crusaders defense stopped the Bushmen on their first possession when middle linebacker Ronald Chambers intercepted their pass and gave Monroe a first down at the Pine Bush 40-yard line. But several plays later, the Bushmen pick-off a Crusader pass in the end zone to stopped the Crusaders.
In the second quarter, the Crusaders offense started to roll. A 12-yard pass from quarterback Ethan Maldonado to receiver Michael Stone in the end zone plus the extra point put the Crusaders in the lead 7-0. That lead jumped by seven points when Charlie Theokas pulled in a Maldonado pass and scored from 26 yards out.
But just before the end of the second quarter, the Bushmen scored on their second interception of the half, which was run back for a touchdown. An unsuccessful two-point conversion left the score at 14-6 at the half.
The Crusaders special teams came up with the next big play when Stone blocked a Pine Bush punt. The Crusaders earned a first down at the Bushmen’s 25-yard line. Maldonado connected with Nate Coulanges for a 25-yard touchdown pass, bringing M-W ahead 21-6.
The special teams again rose to the occasion as Nathaniel Shim blocked a Pine Bush punt, giving the Crusaders a first down at the Bushmen’s 10-yard line. From there, Crusader kicker Matvii Butiuhin nailed a 24-yard field goal to stretch the Crusaders’ lead to 24-6.
In the fourth quarter, Chambers came up with his second interception of the game and gave the Crusaders a first down at the Bushmen’s 21. Maldonado then took off and ran 18 yards for the touchdown bringing the score to 31-6 after Butiuhin hit the extra point.
Late in the game, Maldonado hooked with Stone again - this time for a 25-yard touchdown pass making the score 38-6.
The Crusaders win sets up a show down with the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks for the regular season championship. Both teams will enter the game with 4-0 records in league play with the winner finishing first in the league for the regular season.