TIM WEIGHT/For the Express The Bald Eagle Area football team takes the field before a football game against Bellefonte on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at Rogers Stadium. The Eagles closed out their season on Friday, falling to Bishop McCort, 39-6, in the District 6 Class AA quarterfinals.

JOHNSTOWN – Nearing half time, the Bald Eagle Area football team got to the goal line to give itself a shot at its first score of the game. At that point, it was trailing unbeaten Bishop McCort by just two scores and had a shot to give itself a huge boost of momentum heading into the break.

However, just as it seemed like it was fixing to put the Crusaders on upset watch, its fortunes turned. The Eagles turned the ball over, then Bishop McCort delivered another crushing blow, returning it a cushion-upping touchdown. Though it kept fighting, Bald Eagle couldn’t make up the difference from there, closing its season in the District 6 Class AA quarterfinals with a 39-6 loss to the Crusaders.

“I told the kids at halftime, ‘We’re one play away from being down 13-7 against the No. 1 team in the state right now,’ and I think they really started believing in themselves,” said Bald Eagle head coach Jesse Nagle on the effort.

“A lot of things could have flipped the script the other way, but they kept battling and fighting for one another. The message after the game was, ‘I’m proud of every kid here.'”

Bishop McCort was as advertised heading into the matchup, an unbeaten buzz saw that’s offensive dominance has only been matched by its own defensive dominance through 2025. However, the Eagles managed to hang around through much of the first half, a testament to the progress they’ve made on defense.

Despite facing numerous short fields, they were the first team to hold the Crusaders under 40 points since mid-September, holding them to just two offensive scores through the first two quarters. Bishop McCort (11-0) ultimately won by five scores, but Nagle was happy with what he saw from his defense when it was all said and done.

“Our defense played very well on short fields,” said Nagle on the defense. “We stopped them numerous times inside the 20.”

The biggest factor that held them back was turnovers. Bald Eagle (5-6) racked up over 200 yards of offense while holding Bishop McCort to just 274. But five turnovers for the Eagles compared to the Crusaders’ zero proved detrimental, as they consistently gave Bishop McCort great field position while struggling to do the same for themselves.

Outside of that, it had issues holding esteemed back Jon Della back, who turned 11 touches into 129 yards and three touchdowns. Brady Pages turned four into 95 yards, and the Crusaders averaged 23.6 yards per pass attempt and almost eight yards per rush.

For the Eagles, senior Beau Taylor returned from injury, compiling 61 yards on a night where he caught passes, threw the ball and carried it. Grady Fisher connected with Jackson Millward (3-61) for a late touchdown to prevent a shutout, compiling 131 yards (95 pass, 36 rush) and completing 64 percent of his passes. And Luke Hosband finished with a team-leading four receptions, turning them into 33 yards.

Defensively, senior defensive tackle Gage Gardner left it all out on the line, posting a team-leading nine tackles, six solo tackles and two tackles for loss. Kaleb Irion and Blake Houck-Leitzell blocked three combined field goals, and the team as a whole racked up eight tackles for loss.

“Gage Gardner in the middle defensively played outstandingly,” said Nagle. “(Bishop McCort) had one kid committed to Pitt for wrestling and another committed somewhere that’s a stud, and he made play after play in there.”

It’s a tough way to close out the season, as it succumbed to what was anticipated to be an uphill battle. But it was still a memorable run nonetheless, with the team continuing to push despite numerous obstacles.

Behind continued fight led by its senior class, Bald Eagle overcame 0-2 and 1-3 records to start, getting back to .500 in Week 6, 8 and 10 and punching its ticket to districts with a dominant victory over Central Cambria. It took back the Curtin Bowl trophy at Rogers Stadium, won the Centre County crown and only fell by more than one score twice.

Fisher compiled over 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns combined as a passer, receiver and runner, giving his offense a spark amidst a tumultuous run back to districts. Nick McCully posted 686 yards on the ground. Millward led the team in receiving yards (367) and interceptions (4) while going 9-for-13 on field goals and 16-for-17 on extra points as a kicker. And Gardner finished with a team-leading 24 tackles for loss while also getting to the quarterback thrice.

“For the seniors, I wish them all the best and hopefully they make great decisions and learn from the hard and dedication they’ve put into our program to succeed in all their future endeavors,” said Nagle on the seniors. “Moving forward as a football team, we have to continue to have high expectations, work hard and continue to have success.”

The Eagles head into 2026 losing plenty of standouts but should fare well behind a similarly stout junior class and promising underclassmen. They’ll look to build on what they accomplished next season, pushing to go the distance in next year’s district tournament.