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Eagles defeat Westmont Hilltop in shutout fashion, end four-game skid

By HENRY HUBER 7 min read

WINGATE - A month and change removed from its last win, the Bald Eagle football team walked into Alumni Stadium on Friday motivated to put an end to an excruciating, four-game skid. Injuries had derailed its momentous 3-0 start and turned an undefeated record into a losing one. But its players and coaches knew the season was far from lost.

One win is often all it takes to flip a script. And while more steps, hard work and tough games lie ahead when it comes to the Eagles pulling that off, they've officially gotten that first step out of the way.

Westmont Hilltop (2-6) took it to Bald Eagle on Friday, preventing it from scoring on back-to-back red zone trips to close out the half, but the Eagle defense managed to outdo it there. Four forced turnovers helped Bald Eagle pull off a shutout, Jack Kleisath rushed for over 200 yards and two scores in his first start at half back, and the Eagles used those factors to end their losing ways with a 14-0 win.

The win was special for multiple reasons.

Not only did it prevent the program from suffering five straight losses for the first time under head coach Jesse Nagle, it also came on a night where the school district honored longtime athletic director Doug Dyke, who's set to retire at the end of October. With that, the Eagles are back at .500 with two regular-season games to go.

"It felt amazing," said Kleisath on the win. "We went way harder in practice this week, had a team meeting on Monday. Practice was the main thing, but it felt amazing to win tonight."

"I'm really proud of these guys," emphasized Nagle. "I don't like to blame anything, but when you've got 6-7 starters out with injuries, it's really tough. But the kids, they've gotten better and better. We challenged them tonight, and I thought we all came together. Left a couple on the board, but that happens."

Offensively, injuries completely transformed the unit entering Friday's contest. Starting quarterback Chase Cane and Bald Eagle's top two running backs - Sam Clark and Xavier Nagle - were limited, mostly playing on defense. And leading receiver Luke Hosband is out for the rest of the season, a versatile player that played a big role in BEA's early success.

Those absences put Kleisath in position to take on an expansive role. Despite his previous standing at tight end, the senior impressed in brief action at running back last week against Clearfield, enough to carry the ball on 33 of Bald Eagle's 53 plays on the night.

"We put him because of injuries last week, and we're like, 'Whoa. This kid can run,'" said Nagle. "We changed some things on the offensive line this week. Coach (Brett) Umbenhouer did a great job changing things up."

The team's game plan to feed Kleisath was evident from the team's very first offensive possession. Behind assured play from the offensive line, the senior carried the ball nine times for 59 yards on the eventual, 11-play touchdown drive, starting the drive with an immediate first down and ending it with a nine-yard score up the middle.

From there, the offense had its issues, as it followed up that opening touchdown drive with a three-and-out and two red-zone whiffs. But Kleisath kept on rolling, finishing the first half with 92 yards on 17 attempts, surpassing 100 yards early in the third and eventually, getting back into the end zone.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, still with a 7-0 lead, the offensive line opened up a hole to the right and Kleisath barreled straight through it, getting to the second level before turning on the jets. Nobody touched him after he passed the Westmont 30-yard line, as he took the run the distance for a career-long, 45-yard touchdown run.

That run put him over 170 rushing yards, and he'd go on to surpass 200 on his last run to put the Eagles in position to run out the clock. Kleisath closed the night with 201 yards on 32 attempts, good for an average of 6.3 yards per rush.

"Seeing that we had our new quarterback in, running backs are banged up, I didn't not expect it, but I didn't expect to have 32 carries," said Kleisath on the workload. "Right now, I feel amazing. But tomorrow morning, I'll probably be feeling it."

"There's no one I can compliment more than our line today. I mean, the holes were there. They did a great job creating holes and getting pancakes," he added.

Defensively, the team still had a job to finish following Kleisath's second score, facing an offense that entered Friday's contest having surpassed 20 points in five straight games. And they managed to do that job well.

Following a big opening run and bigger third-down conversion, Westmont Hilltop appeared primed to reach the red zone for the first time when Bryce Goodman took a first-down run near the marker on the next play. But Bald Eagle linebacker Drew Nagle was able to punch the ball out, and Chase Cane recovered the fumble to halt the promising drive in its tracks.

That made up one of three fourth-quarter drives for Westmont Hilltop to end in some form of turnover. On the ensuing drive, an Ian Kontier sack made in fourth-and-25 for the Hilltoppers, resulting in a turnover on downs. And the ensuing - and final - Westmont Hilltop drive ended by way over Avery Frank interception, with the Eagles running out the clock from there.

Those turnovers upped Bald Eagle's total number to four on the night, with Isaac Johnson being responsible for the other two. Johnson recovered a muffed punt in the second, and a pass breakup from Frank landed in his hands late in the third.

"I threw a lot at the kids this week. We were in four-down, two-down, three-down with so many different edges, and theyplayed outstandingly in all aspects of the game," said Nagle when asked about the shutout.

"Westmont Hilltop scores the football, they've scored on just about everybody this year, so we knew we were going to have our hands full. But the kids bought in what we were doing, very proud of the effort."

With the win, the Eagles (4-4) head into Week 9 in good standing in the District 6 Class AA playoff standings, sitting at No. 6 in an eight-team field. They'll look to carry that momentum forward into a tough home matchup against Central (7-1).

Bald Eagle 14, Westmont Hilltop 0

Westmont H. 0 0 0 0 – 0

Bald Eagle A. 7 0 0 7 – 14

1st Quarter

BEA – Jack Kleisath 9 run (Andrew Penland kick), 3:15.

4th Quarter

BEA – Kleisath 45 run (Penland kick), 11:51.

TEAM STATISTICS WH BEA

First Downs 7 11

Rushes-yards 19-82 46-243

Passing yards 96 15

Comp-Att-Int 9-26-2 3-7-0

Total yards 178 258

Fumbles-lost 3-2 3-1

Penalties-yards 3-35 7-65

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: Westmont Hilltop, Bryce Goodman 11-67; Gavin Torquato 1-14; Landen Valente 2-2; Justin Ray 5-(-1). Bald Eagle, Jack Kleisath 32-201, 2 TDs; Chase Cane 7-35; Gage Catherman 1-6; Xavier Nagle 1-2; Mason Nagle 3-0; Justin Johnson 2-(-1).

PASSING: Westmont Hilltop, Justin Ray 9-26-2 96 yards. Bald Eagle, Mason Nagle 3-7-0 15 yards.

RECEIVING: Westmont Hilltop, Derek Gartner 4-83; Gavin Torquato 2-10; Jared Surloff 3-10. Bald Eagle, Justin Johnson 2-10; Isaac Johnson 1-5.

INTERCEPTIONS: Bald Eagle, Isaac Johnson 1, Avery Frank 1.

RECORDS: Westmont Hilltop 2-5 (2-3 Laurel Highlands). Bald Eagle 3-4 (3-4 Laurel Highlands).

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