The Newburgh Free Academy boys’ basketball team had this one circled on their calendar for a while – ever since their 22-point loss to the Middletown Middies on December 17.

They faced the Middies again on Saturday afternoon on their home court, and got their revenge, a 77-49 win over those same Middies.

“It’s revenge for us,” said Deondre Johnson, one of several players who didn’t play in the December matchup between the two teams. “This has been in our heads. That loss was big for us, so the fact that we came back and played how we played today was real big.”

The team that played on Saturday could hardly be described as the team that played in December.

They didn’t have Johnson, who finished with eight points, which included three dunks in the first half. But more than that, he also grabbed eight rebounds.

“Deondre’s not a scorer, but he’s kind of like Robert Williams from the Celtics,” Newburgh coach Jason McAllister said. “He blocks shots, rebounds and impacts the game in so many different ways. It might not even be points. It just might be blocks, contests, and just making it hard for the offense.”
They didn’t have Jaydan Lorenzo or his 14 points, which included 3 three-pointers. They didn’t have the five points and eight rebounds provided by Darryl Jackson.

They did have Elnathan Johnson in December, and he posted another big game against the Middies with a game-high 28 points, with seven 3-pointers. Aidan Brown, who also one of the seven Goldbacks suited up for the first game, chipped in 15.

“This was probably the most important game we were looking forward to this season,” Elnathan Johnson said. “We didn’t have all our guys, so it was hard when we lost in Middletown. It was just revenge so we’ve been preparing for this for a while.”

Johnson scored 27 points in the first meeting between the two teams.

“He can have a big game when we play against 2-3 zones,” McAllister said. “That opens up opportunities for him to get open for jump shots, especially with ball reversals. He’s one of the best shooters in the league, so when he gets the ball, especially when he’s hot, he’s going to be tough to stop.”

The Goldbacks have been tough to stop in 2023. Aside from a January 8 loss in Canarsie, Brooklyn, the Goldbacks are unbeaten. They haven’t lost to a Section 9 team since their 52-50 loss to the Valley Central Vikings on December 20.

They also made some noise last Wednesday when they knocked off the previously unbeaten Warwick Wildcats, 57-53 at Warwick Valley High School. Saturday’s win also guarantees the Goldbacks at least a .500 record in the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I, and along with that comes a berth in the Section 9 Class AA tournament, where they will look to successfully defend their two straight titles.

But there are still six more Section 9 games to play before then, and two teams (Valley Central and Washingtonville) against whom they’ll be seeking some revenge.

“We’re just (focused on) ourselves,” Deondre Johnson said. “I see us getting better in practice, staying together and winning.”