And it’s safe to say, it paid dividends.

Senior running back Nick McCully turned 28 carries into a career-high 172 yards, upping his average on the season to six yards per carry while consistently helping set his squad up for easy scores. Grady Fisher added 64 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. And the defense as a whole was a notable hero, holding the Rams under 100 yards on its way to a 21-0 victory, its first shutout since 2023.

After a tough start to the season, Bald Eagle Area (1-2) bounced back in a big way, picking up its first win of 2025 in controlled, dominant fashion while earning its fifth straight Iron Bell against cross-county rival Penns Valley. It was an effort the team as a whole was proud of, one it’ll look to carry forward as it shoots for .500 next Friday.

“I’m pumped,” said Fisher when discussing the win. “We’ve really been putting stuff together at practice. I think those first two losses really showed us that we need to step up if we want to get into the postseason.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Grady Fisher receives a snap during a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.

“We were so close against Huntingdon, came out flat in the first half last week (against Penn Cambria) but fought again in the second half,” said Bald Eagle head coach Jesse Nagle. “So, we knew we had to put one together.”

When it came to dominating on the ground, the biggest example was how the Eagles kicked off the second half.

In looking to not only add to its 6-0 lead but also give the Rams less time to even it up, they produced the best of both worlds. Their 17-play, 68-yard drive out of the break drained over eight minutes of clock, a drive which featured just one pass on a converted fourth-and-four.

Out of the Wildcat, Fisher turned eight carries into 40 yards, with McCully turning five into 26. The pair combined for seven runs spanning seven yards or more to allow the offense to steamroll its way to the goal line. And from there, quarterback Kaleb Irion capped off the drive by punching it in from one yard out, with Fisher making it 14-0 on the ensuing two-point conversion.

“(Spencer Althouse) and (Fletcher Ironside) are as good of athletes as you’re going to see on the football field, and (PV) keep them out at corner, so we knew we couldn’t really throw the football on them,” said Nagle when discussing the game plan.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area quarterback Kaleb Irion hands the ball off to Nick McCully during a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.

“We figured we had the best opportunities in the middle, counters and stuff like that, power football. Our kids rose to the occasion, put together full drives and were very physical. And that’s what happens when you’re physical.”

It was a theme that passed the eye test early but, due to penalties, didn’t initially translate to the scoreboard. After a tight first half that didn’t feature a score until its final two minutes, that third-quarter drive was what allowed Bald Eagle Area to effectively take hold of the momentum.

With Penns Valley going three-and-out on the following drive, the Eagles finished the stanza with 20 plays to PV’s three. Outside of a fourth-quarter interception, they wouldn’t relinquish a semblance of ground throughout the second half, a product of its time management and continued proficiency on defense.

When the Rams got their best opportunity to score midway through the second quarter, as Fletcher Ironside broke off a 42-yard reception and PV made it to goal-to-go, BEA stuffed them on three straight plays. Gage Gardner made his presence known with a tackle for loss on third-and-one. And the Eagles forced an incompletion to diminish the opportunity.

Defensively, Gardner finished with two sacks while freshman Nino Danneker added a third, his second of the season. Linebackers Drew Nagle and Kaden Clark were all over the field, the team’s pressure and coverage combined to force nine incompletions and the unit never surrendered a first down after Penns Valley’s third drive.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area defenders try to bring down Penns Valley's Spencer Althouse during a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.

“Coach Irwin gave us 14 different formations to prepare for. I don’t think anybody in the history of high school football had to prepare for that many,” laughed Nagle, referencing Penns Valley’s complicated playbook.

“The defense was outstanding. Our kids played very disciplined football, worked their formations, studied film and did what we could to slow down that offense.”

All in all, it was a controlled, composed win for a team looking to overcome its early ups and downs. Moving forward, the goal is to keep improving and picking up wins, as it looks to get back to .500 against Tyrone next Friday.

“We’ve just got to keep going,” said Fisher. “Keep working.”

“We’re a little banged up right now, but it’s all about getting better,” said Nagle. “I told them to enjoy it for 24 hours. Then, we’ve got to get back to work.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area football players swarm a Penns Valley runner during a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.

Bald Eagle Area 21, Penns Valley 0

BEA 0 6 8 7 – 21

PV 0 0 0 0 – 0

2nd Quarter

BEA – Grady Fisher 8 run (2-PT failed), 1:12.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area quarterback Kaleb Irion hands the ball off to Blake Houck-Leitzell during a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.

3rd Quarter

BEA – Kaleb Irion 1 run (Fisher 2-PT run), 3:39.

4th Quarter

BEA – Fisher 1 run (Jackson Millward kick), 3:10.

TEAM STATISTICS BEA PV

First Downs 17 4

Rushes-yards 51-258 16-27

Passing yards 82 51

Comp-Att-Int 8-13-1 5-14-0

Total yards 340 78

Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0

Penalties-yards 6-55 2-15

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: Bald Eagle Area, Nick McCully 28-172; Grady Fisher 14-64, 2 TDs; Kaleb Irion 4-8, TD; Blake Houck-Leitzell 2-8; Xavier Nagle, 1-8; Kollin Cunningham 2-0. Penns Valley, Fletcher Ironside 4-34; Gannyn Stover 2-9; Seth Fetterolf 5-8; Spencer Althouse 1-(-2); Carter Ironside 5-(-22).

PASSING: Bald Eagle Area, Kaleb Irion 7-12-1 82 yards; Chase Cane 1-1-0 0 yards. Penns Valley, Carter Ironside, 4-9-0 58 yards.

RECEIVING: Bald Eagle Area, Kollin Cunningham 2-43; Grady Fisher 2-22; Nick McCully 2-11; Jackson Millward 1-4. Penns Valley, Fletcher Ironside 4-52; Sett Fetterolf 1-3; Emery Reed 1-(-4).

INTERCEPTIONS: Bald Eagle Area, none. Penns Valley, 1 (Isaac Harpster 1).

Records: Bald Eagle Area 1-2 (1-2, 1-2 Laurel Highlands). Penns Valley 0-3 (0-3 Laurel Highlands)

SACKS: Bald Eagle Area 3 (Gage Gardner 2, Nino Danneker 1).

Records: Bald Eagle Area 1-2 (1-2 Laurel Highlands); Penns Valley 0-3 (0-3 Laurel Highlands).

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area quarterback Kaleb Irion attempts a pass during a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express The Bald Eagle Area football team takes the field before a football game against Penns Valley on Friday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Spring Mills. The Eagles won 21-0.