Monroe-Woodbury is 8-2 against Pine Bush since September of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Crusaders are taking a road trip to challenge the Bushmen at 1:00 p.m. Monroe-Woodbury will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Monroe-Woodbury lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Kingston, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Friday's matchup. The Crusaders breezed past the Tigers to the tune of 48-14 on Friday. Considering the Crusaders have won four games by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
BRAYLON SHILLINGFORD
| 10/10/25 @ Kingston | 86 |
| 09/12/25 @ Our Lady of Lourdes | 54 |
| 09/25/25 vs Valley Central | 51 |
| 09/19/25 @ Cornwall Central | 35 |
| 09/06/25 @ Saratoga Springs | 22 |
It was another big night for ETHAN MALDONADO, who rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries, and also threw for 139 yards and three TDs while completing 85.7% of his passes. His longest rush was for an impressive 60 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Monroe-Woodbury also got help from BRAYLON SHILLINGFORD, who showed off his sure hands for 86 receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Monroe-Woodbury was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 287 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, Pine Bush ended up a good deal behind Middletown on Friday and lost 24-8. The Bushmen haven't had much luck with the Middie Bears recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Monroe-Woodbury will have to keep a close watch on Ruben Simpson Jr and Jemire Bey-Dominick, a pair of players who had a big impact on Pine Bush's prior game. Simpson Jr rushed for 80 yards and one score, while Bey-Dominick rushed for 61 yards. Bey-Dominick was even better on defense, making five total tackles (2.0 for loss) and defending one pass.
Even if they lost, Pine Bush's defense still kept up the pressure with 3.5 sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Michael Morley, Johnny Chukwu, and Christian Bryant, who each picked up one sack apiece. Morley was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making eight total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Monroe-Woodbury's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Pine Bush, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.
Saturday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: NATHANIEL COULANGES and Simpson Jr. COULANGES just won't slow down this season and has run in 7 touchdowns while averaging 64 rushing yards per game. Simpson Jr has been a dominant force too and has run in 7 touchdowns while averaging 116.8 rushing yards per game.
Monroe-Woodbury strolled past Pine Bush in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 by a score of 24-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
