Bald Eagle Area football drops first game of season after sloppy second half

Bald Eagle Area coach Jesse Nagle predicted that Friday night’s game would be a “dogfight.”

Well, he was half-right.

The Eagles’ defense held strong in the first half, but Chestnut Ridge pulled away in the second half of its 43-6 win — which avenged its 3-0 overtime loss to Bald Eagle Area last season. The Eagles took an early 3-0 lead Friday and trailed just 7-6 at the half.

But it didn’t stay a close game. Chestnut Ridge quarterback Logan Hauck and running back Noah Dillow made sure of that.

Hauck finished with 199 rushing yards and 56 passing yards, while Dillow added 99 yards on the ground. Combined, the two accounted for 70 percent of the home team’s offense.

Hauck also had five of Chestnut Ridge’s six touchdowns, all of which came on runs.

For Bald Eagle Area, it was a different story. The Eagles tossed four interceptions, while offensive dynamo Gage McClenahan was bottled up. The sophomore accounted for just three of BEA’s 71 rushing yards.

Jaden Jones finished 15-of-32 passing for 199 yards and two interceptions. Nicholas Turner led all receivers with five catches for 86 yards.

The Eagles are now 3-1 on the season. They’ll next host Central at 7 p.m. Friday.

This story was originally published September 16, 2017 at 12:47 AM with the headline "Bald Eagle Area football drops first game of season after sloppy second half."