Bald Eagle, Penns Valley football face challenging foes in D6-AA quarters
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The District 6 Class AA football championships officially kick off with their quarterfinal roundup on Friday, with two local teams set to represent the Express area in the tournament.
No. 6 seeded Bald Eagle (5-5) and No. 8 Penns Valley (4-6) stand on opposite sides of the bracket, each facing challenging, unfamiliar foes on the road Friday. The Eagles face off against No. 3 seeded Bellwood-Antis (7-3), and the Rams will face the tourney's top seed in undefeated Mount Union (10-0).
Here's a quick breakdown of each playoff matchup.
BALD EAGLE AT BELLWOOD-ANTIS
BELLWOOD - While unfamiliar to the Eagles, Bellwood-Antis isn't unfamiliar to the area, having defeated District 6 Class 4A champ Bellefonte, 27-3, back in Week 9. That should give you a pretty good idea of the challenge that awaits Bald Eagle on Friday, with the Eagles falling to the Raiders, 17-10, in this year's Curtin Bowl.
The Blue Devils ended the season with a 13-0 loss at Central Cambria, but that isn't something that alters BEA head coach Jesse Nagle's perception of them. He expects a challenge on Friday, but he expects his team to be up to the task.
"I've said all along, I think they're the best team in AA. They had a little hiccup, but I think they're an outstanding football team," said Nagle. "They're big; they're strong. They've got two of the better running back in the conference. Their quarterback is dynamic with his feet. And defensively, they don't give up big plays."
"We're going to have our hands full on both sides of the football, but I believe we're going to be up to the challenge. I think our kids are going to be excited for the challenge, and we're going to give it everything we've got," he continued.
Alex McCartney has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons, standing at 1,113 and 16 TDs through ten games as a season. Quarterback Bradyn Partner adds 685 yards and nearly nine yards per carry, operating more as a running quarterback but an effective one at that.
Chase Plummer (63 touches, 381 yards) and Brady Crist offer additional versatility to their rushing core while Ethan Shawley and Jeffrey Waite can open things up on the outside if needed. Defensively, Bellwood-Antis is giving up ten points per game, 6.4 in the last five, as imposing of a unit as they come in the Laurel Highlands.
Against a tougher unit, the Eagles will be looking to build off their strongest offensive performance since early September and strongest overall effort of their campaign. Defensively, they held Forest Hills scoreless and without a first down through the first three quarter. And offensively, they got back on track in route to a 48-7 win.
Mason Nagle is coming off his best performance under center, going 10-for-10 for 119 yards and a score, and Jack Kleisath led a rushing attack that totaled 233 yards and five score. The unit as a whole combined for over 400 yards after weeks of seeing it be the thorn in the team's side.
The Eagles will be looking for their first playoff win since 2023.
"I think we're at our best possible situation on both sides of the football right now," said Nagle. "Just really proud of the kids coming together. A lot of adversity this year, but they're great young men. It's been a joy to coach them."
PENNS VALLEY AT MOUNT UNION
MOUNT UNION - Mount Union (10-0) has had quite the campaign, albeit against completely different competition compared to much of District 6 Class AA. In their ten wins, the Trojans have outscored their opponents by almost 33 points per game, cruising to an Inter-County North title in route to their first undefeated regular season since 2014.
Their biggest wins came against a pair of 7-3 teams in Juniata Valley and Moshannon Valley, defeating them 46-15 and 21-0 on the road respectively in back-to-back weeks. Nonetheless, Penns Valley head coach Martin Tobias feels his players look forward to the challenge.
"To get to where we are at this point in this season, it's bonus football. We'll keep playing week-to-week," said Tobias. "The kids are excited about the opportunity, and we'll go out and put our best forward, try and compete."
"Mount Union's an outstanding team. They've got a really talented group of kids who are quite dynamic. Their No. 1 back, Nasir Collins, is special," he added on Mount Union.
Collins has put up video-game numbers as a senior, averaging 12.6 yards per carry on 148 attempts for a staggering 1,859 yards and 35 touchdowns.
He averages just under 186 rushing yards per game, has surpassed 200 yards twice, including 349 and 294-yard performances against Juniata Valley and Windber, and has also completed 14 passes for 419 yards and six scores. As he has been for every opponent Mount Union has faced, he'll be the primary focus for Penns Valley on Friday.
Quarterback Maddox Hobbs gives the backfield versatility alongside receiver TyJeir Hooper, with both players averaging over seven yards per carry and Hobbs having eight rushing touchdowns. Hooper leads the team in receiving and nears 500 yards of offense, and three Mount Union receivers average over 30 yards per catch.
Defensively, Collins and Hooper have three INTs each. Rahmeir Smith leads the Trojans with eight sacks, with Brayden Richards, Levi Hunsinger and Jobbs combining for 12 sacks alongside him. Hunsinger and Hobbs each have over 125 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, and the defense allows under ten points per game.
It's an imposing list of stat lines - individual and team wise - but the Rams have a tougher strength of schedule going for them and have weathered some tough matchups. After starting 1-6, they've won three in a row, most recently defeating Somerset, 20-19, in exciting fashion without their starting quarterback and sacks leader.
"There was a mentality that they were going to compete right to the end, and that's what it takes to be successful," said Tobias on the win. "You've got to be willing to go ahead and compete. You've got to be determined, and they really were."
Penns Valley anticipates being without its star - Cael Smith - for a second straight game on Friday, leaving Spencer Althouse to reprise his role at quarterback as he did against the Golden Eagles. There, he tossed two touchdowns but struggled with efficiency, though another week of preparation may aid him there.
Assuming Smith is out, the Rams will also rely on running back Gannyn Stover, who's had a solid second half of the season, alongside tight end Emery Reed (24 touches, 266 yards, 3 TDs) and Isaac Harpster (11 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TDs). Defensively, the team has also been imposing, giving up 16.3 points per game in the last six contests.
On Friday, the Rams will be looking to secure their first playoff win since 2022. Whatever happens, it's been a special second half of the season, with Penns Valley surpassing its previous two win totals combined in its last six games alone.
"As far as this week coming up, it's exciting," said Tobias. "It's not something we would have thought of at the beginning of the season with the way it went. Putting a winning streak of three together here is a credit to them for stepping up, continuing to improve and putting things together at the right time."