Football Preview: Pine Bush Bushmen vs. Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders
Pine Bush is 2-8 against Monroe-Woodbury since September of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Pine Bush Bushmen will take on the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders at 3:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Pine Bush took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They put the hurt on Valley Central with a sharp 34-14 victory.
Pine Bush's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Triston Santos, who threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes. What's more, Santos also racked up 15 rushing yards, the mosthe's had since back in October of 2023. Jaiden Sposito was Santos' top target, picking up 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Pine Bush's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Jayden Hogu and Sposito.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Pine Bush was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 256 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 165 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Monroe-Woodbury put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They enjoyed a cozy 28-14 victory over Newburgh Free Academy. The Crusaders' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Nate Coulanges and Ethan Maldonado were among the main playmakers for Monroe-Woodbury as the former rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.8 yards per carry and the latter threw for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Coulanges really tore up the turf during one magnificent 71-yard run.
Pine Bush now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Monroe-Woodbury, their record now sits at 4-0.
Saturday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Pine Bush has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 227.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Monroe-Woodbury struggles in that department as they've been averaging 175. It's looking like Saturday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Pine Bush came up short against Monroe-Woodbury when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 27-19. Thankfully for Pine Bush, David Fennessy (who rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries, and also threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
