At this time last year, the Pine Bush football team was practicing in a muddy area behind the high school.
Despite the facilities now being light years better, as they are practicing this year on the turf at Thomas Lonergan Field, several players confessed to missing the mud.

However, a much cleaner Bushmen team is looking forward to 2024 as they suited up for preseason training camp, beginning on August 19.

“It feels great to play with the boys again,” running back and defensive back Plexico Brooks said. “We’re working hard and looking forward to the first game.”

They’ll have plenty of time to work hard and plenty of time to wait for the first game. They will have two scrimmages – Saturday, and September 6 – against the Cornwall Dragons and Washingtonville Wizards respectively, and they’ll host the Our Lady of Lourdes Warriors on September 13 to start their eight-game regular season.

“We’re a lot more experienced group now,” Pine Bush coach Rich Ormsby said. “The leadership amongst the team individuals has grown from where we started to where we are now because they’ve been in the program for three years.”

The Bushmen went young last season, finished with a 3-6 overall record and their 2-3 record among Class AA teams last year earned them the fourth seed in the sectional playoffs.

It was the Bushmen’s first playoff appearance since they won the Section 9 Class AA championship in 2019.
“We’re looking for a lot more this year,” quarterback Triston Santos said. “It pushed us a little bit more, but we’re looking for something better.”

And they have the experience to make that push.

Santos, Brooks and Zanetti return to the Bushmen for their senior years. They also will provide much of the leadership for the Bushmen this year.

“When the coaches are always the ones saying, ‘come on, let’s go,’ eventually it gets tuned out,” Ormsby said.

“But when 50 guys, on any given day, are saying, ‘come on let’s go,’ it hits a lot, and you get a lot more. The motivation is much better when it comes from the kids, and we’re starting to see it.”

Zanetti described the 2024 Bushmen as a lot more experienced and talented than last year’s team.
“I think we’re going to surprise some people,” Zanetti said.

In front of Santos on offense will be what Ormsby described as big, but relatively young.

“We have a couple of seniors on the line with a lot of experience, but we’ve got a couple of sophomores and a couple of juniors that are contributing,” Ormsby said. “I think we had 11 linemen wrestled, so you know they’ve all hit the weight room. They’re doing the right things.”

Last year, the Bushmen practiced in the field behind the school while Lonergan was renovated and while Alumni Field was built. They didn’t even see a full-sized football field until they opened against Our Lady of Lourdes.

They also didn’t play a home game until they hosted the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders in their fifth game.

They only played there twice last year.

Now, they’ve got a full-sized field from Day 1 and four scheduled home games.

“We were working in the trenches over there,” Zanetti said. “We weren’t used to a nice turf field. We’re learning a lot and getting better. We’re very excited about having a few more home games this year.”

Valley Central
A new day is dawning in Montgomery as former Marist College Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Scott Rumsey takes the reins from Andrew LaVallie, who coached the Vikings to a 3-6 record last season.

The Vikings have lost several key players from last year’s team, including quarterback/defensive back John Wentink, running back/linebacker Matt Bond and running back/defensive lineman/linebacker Colin Quinn.
Returning are two-way lineman Aiden White, running back Julian Montrevil, Matt Messing and Denzel St. John. Newcomers include Jayden Orozco and Derek Vincent.

The Vikings struggled early last season, losing their first four games before posting a two-score win over the Kingston Tigers. They also posted wins over the Monticello Panthers and the James I. O’Neill Raiders.

Wins have been hard to come by for the Vikings over the years, but Rumsey is looking to change that culture.

He said the team is excited to be playing football and the Valley Central community is excited about football.
“They’ve shown great energy,” Rumsey said. “They’re really excited to learn football. It’s not that they don’t know anything, but I think you’re bringing a different level of what they’re learning.”

White, who recently announced he will attend Marist College next year is excited about his senior season.

“I’m hoping we can have a successful year,” White said. “I think we’re ready. The team has a whole new attitude. Everything’s new. There’s no old feelings and we’re ready to go show everyone what we’ve got.”

Wallkill
The Wallkill Panthers are coming off a difficult season that saw them post a 3-7 record and go winless through the division.

They’ll enter the 2024 season after losing some big contributors from last year’s team, such as quarterback Chris Bartolone, now playing at SUNY Cortland, wide receiver Aidan Kozireski, who moved on to Fairleigh Dickinson University and Tyler Green, who plays at SUNY Morrisville. The Panthers also have lost running back/defensive end Michael Cullen and offensive lineman and linebacker Cooper Shuart.

Returning will be senior lineman Danilo Destefano, senior wide receiver/defensive back Kaden Brown, senior quarterback/wide receiver Ryan Rauschenbach, wide receiver/defensive back Sean Petricek, lineman Aubrey Nugent, offensive lineman/linebacker Chris McNair, senior running back/linebacker Maxx VanSpanje, junior running back/defensive back Kent Glasgow, junior lineman Harold Bruggeman, junior tight end/linebacker Connor Bleichner and junior wide receiver/defensive back John Reilly.

They will also welcome newcomers in junior quarterback J.J. Detz, sophomore wide receiver/defensive back Alex Mikesh, sophomore running back/linebacker Owen Miller and sophomore running back/linebacker Quincy Rogers.

“We have focused on rebuilding a positive culture this offseason,” Wallkill coach Joe Pillitteri said. “We have a strong core of returners who have bought into this message. We are focusing on getting better every day.”

2024 Football Schedule
Saturday, Aug. 31
Cornwall at Pine Bush, 9 a.m. (scrimmage)

Friday, Sept. 6
Washingtonville at Pine Bush, 4 p.m. (scrimmage)

Friday, Sept. 13
Our Lady of Lourdes at Pine Bush, 7 p.m.
Washingtonville at Valley Central, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14
Wallkill at Monticello, 1 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 20
Pine Bush at Minisink Valley, 7 p.m.
Valley Central at Wallkill, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 27
Valley Central at Pine Bush, 7 p.m.
Wallkill at Minisink Valley, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 4
Newburgh at Valley Central, 7 p.m.
Kingston at Wallkill, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5
Pine Bush at Monroe-Woodbury, 3 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 10
Pine Bush at Warwick, 7 p.m.
Valley Central at Kingston, 7 p.m.
Wallkill at Our Lady of Lourdes, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 18
Valley Central at Middletown, 6 p.m.
Newburgh at Pine Bush, 7 p.m.
Warwick at Wallkill, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 25
Monroe-Woodbury at Valley Central, 7 p.m.
Cornwall at Wallkill, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 26
Middletown at Pine Bush, 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 1
Pine Bush at Kingston, 7 p.m.
FDR at Valley Central, 7 p.m
Wallkill at Goshen, 7 p.m.