The Pine Bush Bushmen gave the Warwick Wildcats a steady diet of Ruben Simpson.

Their senior running back answered the call scoring three touchdowns as the Bushmen got their first win of the season, a 34-17 victory over the Warwick Wildcats on Friday night at Thomas F. Lonergan Field in Pine Bush.

“This feels great,” Simpson said. “There’s a lot of relief going now for me and my boys. I’m really speechless.”
It’s been a strange three weeks for the Bushmen, who opened the season with a 41-34 loss to John Jay on Sept. 4, a Friday night. They returned to the field five days later, losing to Our Lady of Lourdes on the road. Then they had to wait nine days before taking the field against the Wildcats.

“It’s not normal to play on a Wednesday because it’s such a short week,” Pine Bush coach Rich Ormsby said. “it’s also not normal to have such a long week.”

The Bushmen, who had one more day between games than the Wildcats, who suffered a 42-6 loss to the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks on Sept. 10, looked more rested and punched the Wildcats in the mouth early.

Simpson ran for 50 yards on the first drive, finishing it off with a two-yard touchdown run. However, he was flagged for a penalty after the touchdown that pushed the Bushmen back 15 yards on the extra point. The kick was blocked and the Bushmen led 6-0.

Overall, Simpson finished with 259 rushing yards.
“Ruben doesn’t just carry the offense; he helps carry our team,” Ormsby said. “When we’re at practice when we’re in the locker room, anywhere, Ruben helps carry the team. Obviously, he’s a great playmaker.

He carried the largest load in the in the second half, running for 178 yards, after a touchdown by Warwick’s Quinn O’Brien and a field goal by Vinnie Cook gave the Wildcats a 10-6 lead.

To make matters worse, starting quarterback Ryan Curtin didn’t return to the second half after suffering an injury, leaving sophomore Connor Amiel to run the offense.

“He’s familiar with our run game,” Simpson said. “He’s going to do him and we’re going to do us. The line’s going to do their job, so we’re going to keep scoring. Simple.”

The Bushmen made it look simple to start the second half. After the defense forced the Wildcats to go three-and-out, the Bushmen marched 74 yards down the field, setting up Amiel’s touchdown on a 1-yard sneak to give the Bushmen a 13-10 lead. They widened the gap to 10 points after Simpson broke loose on a 63-yard touchdown run with 2:36 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats answered with a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Milisauskas to Quinn O’Brien, but Simpson answered with a 21-yard touchdown run.

“My line, I just them with all of my might,” Simpson said. “With them, I’m capable of doing anything.”
Then the defense made a huge play.

Early in the fourth quarter, Noah Schorling intercepted Milisauskas’ pass on the goal-line, preventing the Wildcats from closing to within three points for a second time.

“Noah’s a fantastic player,” Ormsby said. “He might be the best player no one is talking about. He plays offense, defense, he plays special teams, and he’s only a junior. He’s been with us since he was a freshman. He’s an excellent player all around.”

Schorling returned the pick to the Bushmen 30, and five plays later, Pine Bush’s Jace Robinson scored on a 10-yard run.

With their first win behind them, the Bushmen will head to Washingtonville on Friday to face the Wizards in another non-league game.

“I think we’re getting better and that’s the most important thing,” Ormsby said. “They’ve been showing up to practice with great attitudes and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”