Bill Bianco has invested the majority of his life as a teacher and coach at Newburgh Free Academy, so it was unfathomable to him that he would not be patrolling the football sidelines for the Goldbacks in 2025.

But that was a distinct possibility after the school board initially suspended Bianco following a fighting incident between players in a makeshift locker room ― that he had no knowledge of at the time ― late in the 2024 season. Bianco dealt swiftly with the matter, suspending players, and even taking a forfeit in a non-league matchup with Our Lady of Lourdes.

But the crazy politics of the Newburgh school district led to the Goldbacks being forced to forfeit a playoff game as well. It took nearly four months of investigation before the board relieved Bianco of his coaching duties

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