Coming off a momentous victory that clinched its playoff bid, Bald Eagle Area football faces a tough hill to climb in the District 6 Class AA quarterfinals. The eighth-seeded Eagles drew top-seeded Bishop McCort as their opening playoff matchup, a foe that has yet to drop a game this season.

On top of going undefeated, the Crusaders (10-0) dominated their way to the Laurel Highlands crown, defeating their ten conference opponents by a combined score of 438-103. That includes a 46-18 victory over 8-2 Bishop Guilfoyle in Week 10 and a 31-12 win over 9-1 Richland, the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

“They’re an outstanding football team,” said Bald Eagle Area head coach Jesse Nagle on Bishop McCort following last Friday’s win. “They’re going to score points, so we’ve got to figure out how to continue to put up points and manufacture scoring however we can.”

Through its strongest regular season since the late 2000s, Bishop McCort has averaged just under 44 points and just over 400 yards per game offensively, as Nagle indicated. It’s a balanced unit that thrives on the ground – to the tune of over 245 yards per game – but can throw consistently and efficiently if needed.

1,000-yard rusher Jon Della leads the way, having averaged just under seven yards per carry while finding the end zone 21 times (18 rush, 3 receiving). On top of his impact as a runner, he’s also third on the team in receptions (18) and fourth in receiving yards (229).

Passing wise, junior Bentley Bainey has averaged 141 yards per game while completing just under 60 percent of his passes and posting a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 20-to-5.

He’s had games where he’s struggled, completing 40-percent of his passes against Richland and tossing two picks against Greater Johnstown. But he’s sure-order when needed and can also hurt you on the ground, where he averages over eight yards per rush.

It’s an offense with many weapons, featuring five players that have rushed for over 140 yards – three over 360 – and five receivers with over 175 yards on the season. And defensively, the Crusaders are just as dominant, giving up just over ten points per game.

All in all, it’s a tough challenge for a team that finished the regular season .500 to handle. But the Eagles head into the matchup motivated to prove the doubters wrong, looking to build off a strong playoff-clinching victory.

Bald Eagle is coming off a performance against Central Cambria (4-6) that saw its defense produce its third shutout of the season while forcing four turnovers, allowing four first downs and holding 1,200-yard rusher Ryan Chappell to 22 rushing yards. The unit hasn’t been quite as dominant as Bishop McCort’s, but it has given up under 18 points per game while consistently holding potent offensive units at bay.

As Nagle mentioned, the offense is the biggest question, a unit that has yet to surpass 30 points in a game this season.

Grady Fisher and Nick McCully have each been solid rushers, with Fisher averaging just under 90 yards per game since taking over the starting job at quarterback. But the pass game, while mostly efficient, has been inconsistent at times, as expected when a receiver is moved to quarterback midseason.

Still, it has shown flashes, most notably against Bellefonte in Week 6. If the offense can get a steady run game going, dominate time of possession like it has in weeks past and make the big plays when needed, it could put itself in a better spot than most anticipate.

Friday’s game is set to take place at 7 p.m. at Bishop McCort, a 90-minute road trip for the Eagles.

Bald EAgle Area is looking to earn their first playoff win since 2023. The Crusaders are looking to extinguish a bigger drought, with their last playoff win coming in 2019.

The winner of the matchup will face the winner of No. 4 seeded Cambria Heights (9-1) and No. 5 seeded Marion Center (9-1) next Friday.