Bald Eagle Area football’s successful season comes to an end in state semifinals
Bald Eagle Area football’s dream season came to an end Friday night in the program’s first state semifinal appearance. The Eagles lost 45-0 to Central Valley in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals, finishing with an 11-4 record.
“I’m so proud of these kids,” BEA coach Jesse Nagle said with tears in his eyes. “I’m so proud.”
The Eagles found themselves in a hole early in the game after senior quarterback Jaden Jones took a sack in the end zone and gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
The Warriors kept their momentum rolling on the ensuing drive when senior running back Jaylen Guy found his way into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown run and an 8-0 lead after the team missed the extra point. The onslaught didn’t stop there.
The Eagles muffed the ensuing kickoff and Central Valley immediately recovered. The Warriors took a shot the very next play to capitalize on the turnover and it paid off. Junior dual-threat quarterback Ameer Dudley fired a strike to senior wide receiver Jawon Hall for a 30-yard touchdown and a 15-0 lead. Those 15 points were scored in only 1:46 of game time and all but sealed the Eagles’ fate.
Nagle said part of the problem for the Eagles was their lack of finishing on defense. But he said he knew there was only so much his team could do to prepare for Dudley.
“We had him wrapped up so many times,” Nagle said. “You can’t simulate that type of speed (in practice), let alone that type of toughness. I think we had him back sacked at least four or five times and he would just get loose. I saw him, on one play, break seven tackles.”
Dudley and the Central Valley offense continued to make plays from there, tacking on two more touchdowns in the first half. The first happened when Dudley found Myles Walker for an 8-yard touchdown with 8:47 left in the half, and the last score before the break occurred when senior wide receiver Michael Barbuto took a reverse 18 yards to the house. Dudley scored the offense’s final touchdown of the night on a 6-yard run with 9:54 left in the third quarter.
Central Valley scored its final 10 points from its defense and special teams via a 38-yard field goal by senior kicker Eddie Ott and a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by sophomore linebacker Matt Merritt.
With the Eagles’ season over, they’ll send off a very successful senior class that helped the program reach new heights. Senior running back Gage McClenahan said he couldn’t be more proud of what he and his classmates have accomplished, and knows he’s created bonds for life.
“The coaching staff is like family,” McClenahan said. “I’ve eaten at their houses, I’ve swam at their houses, they’re great. I’m sure I’ll be calling them (in the future).”
Senior wide receiver Kaden Bittinger said the camaraderie was what he’ll miss most about the group, and Jones, his quarterback, agreed.
“I’m going to miss being around the guys,” Jones said, choking back tears. “That’s going to be the hardest thing for me, not being around these guys every day.”
As much as the players said they’ll miss each other, Nagle will miss them just as much, if not more. The head coach hugged each senior after he spoke with the team after the loss, with tears welling up in his eyes and the players’ eyes as they embraced.
“They fought every moment,” Nagle said. “Their heart is incredible. They made Bald Eagle relevant. I had so many really good connections with those kids. Those kids means the world to me. You coach them for 3-4 years, and now it’s really tough to say goodbye.”
CENTRAL VALLEY 45, BALD EAGLE 0
(Friday at Moon Township)
Central Valley 15 13 10 7 – 45
Bald Eagle 0 0 0 0 – 0
First Quarter
CV — Safety, 5:07
CV — Guy 10 run (PAT missed), 5:07
CV — Hall 30 pass from Dudley (Ott kick), 5:07
Second Quarter
CV — Walker 8 pass from Dudley (Ott kick), 8:47
CV — Barbuto 18 run (PAT missed), 6:23
Third Quarter
CV — Dudley 6 run (Ott kick), 9:54
CV — Ott 31 kick, 2:06
Fourth Quarter
CV — Merritt 90 interception return (Ott kick), 8:04
Top Rusher: CV: Dudley 10-117-1. BEA: McClenahan 5-9.
Top Passer: CV: Dudley 9-13-2-0 122. BEA: Jones 16-33-0-2 187.
Top Receiver: CV: Hall 3-38-1. BEA: Matthew Reese 6-94.
Interceptions: CV: Jayvin Thompson, Reed Fitzsimmons, Merritt.
Scores from around the state
Friday’s Scores
PREP FOOTBALL
State Semifinal
Class 6A
Central Dauphin 65, Downingtown West 44
Class 5A
Archbishop Wood 24, Gateway 21
Cheltenham 56, Cocalico 49
Class 4A
Dallas 56, Jersey Shore 28
Thomas Jefferson 44, Lampeter-Strasburg 2
Class 3A
Central Valley 45, Bald Eagle Area 0
Wyoming Area 21, Tamaqua 0
Class 2A
Avonworth 33, Wilmington 21
Southern Columbia 49, Richland 27
Class 1A
Bishop Guilfoyle 11, Lackawanna Trail 7
Farrell 13, Clairton 10
Thursday’s Scores
Bristol 40, Morrisville 6
Chichester 20, Sun Valley/Northley Co-op 0
Easton 16, Phillipsburg, N.J. 13
Father Judge 7, Abraham Lincoln 6
Hatboro-Horsham 20, Upper Moreland 19
Haverford 42, Upper Darby 18
Interboro 28, Ridley 21
Latin Charter 16, Frankford 0
Northampton 63, Catasauqua 0
Pennridge 19, Quakertown 13
Philadelphia George Washington 20, Archbishop Ryan 7
Philadelphia Northeast 36, Philadelphia Central 16
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Palumbo vs. South Philadelphia, ccd.
This story was originally published November 29, 2019 at 11:27 PM.