The Newburgh Free Academy football team needed a big-time player to make a big-time play, and Deondre Johnson made more than one on Saturday.

However, the biggest came in overtime when Johnson batted Carmel quarterback Matthew Gay’s pass into the air and then came down with the interception, turning the ball over to the Goldbacks. Four plays later, Johnson took a direct snap into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in the Goldbacks’ 26-20 win over the Section 1 champion Carmel Rams to advance in the New York State Public High School Regional Finals at Faller Field.

As soon as he crossed the goal line, Johnson celebrated and ran off the field toward the Newburgh fans to celebrate the Goldbacks’ second straight berth in the state semifinals and their vanquishing over the defending state champion Rams, who ended the Goldbacks’ season last year.

“Words can’t describe this feeling right now,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to lie; I cannot describe these feelings. Coming out of halftime, I just told everyone we have to believe, because dreams come true.”

If anyone was able to make the Goldbacks believe, it was Johnson, who helped the Goldbacks overcome tough days by quarterback Mason Hoover,and kicker Luis Tejada. Hoover threw three interceptions the first two resulted in Carmel touchdowns, giving the Rams a 13-0 lead, and Tejada missed two field goal tries and an extra-point attempt.

Hoover was picked off twice for touchdowns in the first half by Carmel’s Nick Rosaforte. The first was on a deep pass on third-and-long and the second was deep in Newburgh territory. The Goldbacks blocked Jared Navidad’s kick to keep the score at 13-0.

The Goldbacks never lost faith, as after the second interception the Newburgh offense applauded Hoover as he brought the play into the huddle.

“We just tried to tell him to keep his head up,” Johnson said. “Things happen. It’s all about how we bounce back when things happen.”

Hoover bounced back after the second interception immediately, hitting Jashon Thomas on a short pass, and Thomas took the reception the rest of the way, completing a 65-yard touchdown play. Tejada’s kick cut Carmel’s lead to 13-7.

“We talked about that all around, he’s young and you’ve got to keep him focused,” Newburgh coach Bill Bianco said. “They did a good job, and he did a good job too.”

After the defense, which was stellar all game, forced the Rams to punt, Hoover and Johnson engineered a 11-play drive over the last 3:31 of the second quarter. Then with seconds to go, Johnson took a direct snap into the end zone from two yards out to tie the game at 13-13 at halftime.

The Newburgh defense forced a three-and-out to start the second half, and then on the third play of their possession, the Goldbacks appeared to have scored a touchdown on a 52-yard pass from Hoover to Elijah Bevier, but Bevier was ruled to have fumbled the ball before crossing the goal-line, and the ball went over the end line for a touchdown.
The Newburgh bench loudly disagreed.

The defense again got the Rams off the field, the Goldbacks followed with an 8-play drive that ended with Darryl Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown run to give Newburgh its first lead of the day.

“There was anger, but to their credit, they really didn’t miss a beat,” Bianco said. “They kept playing. Their effort was tremendous.”

Johnson also had a fake punt to the 1-yard line called back, forcing Newburgh to punt the ball, leading to the defense’s only mistake, as Gay hit a 41-yard pass and Rosaforte followed with a 1-yard run to tie the game at 20-20.

“We had to believe and not lose hope,” Johnson said. “We all just stayed together, and it came out.”

The Goldbacks will return to Faller Field on Saturday night at 6 p.m. to face Section 2 champion Christian Brothers Academy of Albany, another unbeaten opponent, who defeated Section 5 runner-up Pittsford 27-6 on Friday.