The Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks’ season ended in bitter disappointment in 2025.

The perennial Section 9 Class AA championship contenders saw their drive to a sectional championship to a 21-16 loss to the Middletown Middies, forcing the Goldbacks to watch as both the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders and the Middies take the Section 9 spots in the state tournament.

Now, they’re looking to turn that disappointment into a resurgence.

“A key component of the offseason was discipline,” Newburgh senior quarterback Jaiseon Barnwell said. “Discipline is what the coaches have are preaching. Discipline, togetherness and fighting adversity. Another thing is if you lose, you lose, there are no excuses. Make no excuses and live every day with no excuses at all.”

Barnwell will lead the Goldbacks with three other captains, Christopher Mack, Nyeir Johnson, and Austin Lilla, while returning standouts provide experience at several key positions.

Tailback Justin Lassick returns after a strong season, while the receiving corps features Jeron Underwood and Michael Chambliss. G’anni Cain returns as a starter up front, and the team also brings back several players who gained valuable experience last season despite not being full-time starters.

“We feel like with the combination of guys we got coming back, the combination of a couple guys that maybe weren’t full-time starters but part-time starters, and then a good JV team coming up, we feel we have a lot of guys that are contributing,” Newburgh coach Bill Bianco said.

That experience has also provided the team with depth at several positions — something the program has not always had in recent seasons.

“Collectively, we like where we stand, and we like our group,” Bianco said.

The Goldbacks’ season ended early last year, and the offseason started just as early. The Goldbacks only took a month off in November before returning to prepare last December.

“We have great intensity,” Johnson said. “Everybody’s excited for the season. Eveybody’s ready and just the excitement and energy is there. The guys are moving with a purpose, making every rep count, just getting better every day.”

The long offseason program culminated in the start of training camp, which opened on Aug. 17. The Goldbacks held their first padded practice on Saturday morning.

“Everybody’s ready to hit,” Johnson said. “Everybody wants to get on the field, put the pads on and get somebody on their butt. The excitement’s there. Everybody wants it.”

The Goldbacks also want to get back into title contention after crashing and burning last year. The Goldbacks won their first game of the season, a convincing 53-7 win over McQuaid Jesuit, but then lost to the top two Class A teams in the Section Cornwall and Minisink Valley.

They followed that with five straight wins before stumbling at the end of the season.

Bianco said he likes the team’s vibe heading into the new season.

“I think it’s a togetherness that we’re building,” he said. “At times, it’s not perfect, but it’s different than it’s really been the last year or two. I think the offseason helped with that. Being around each other for so long this offseason, committing like we did, I think brought everyone together. Maybe last year’s failures could lead into this year’s successes.”