Bald Eagle Area Eagles Defeat Penns Valley 31-7 in Iron Bell Victory (gallery added)
Tagged under: Centre County Report, District 6, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Tristan Klinefelter | September 12, 2026
(WINGATE) — The Bald Eagle Area Eagles used a strong second half Friday night to pull away from the visiting Penns Valley Rams, earning a 31-7 victory in the Iron Bell game.
Both teams started Friday night slow, with the Eagles’ opening drive ending in a turnover on downs. The Rams then turned the ball over when Cael Smith’s pass was intercepted by Eagles defensive back Drew Nagle.
Bald Eagle Area capitalized on the turnover as Andrew Penland connected on a 26-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. That score held through the remainder of the first half.
The second half was a different story for the Eagles, who found their rhythm offensively and pulled away from the Rams. Sam Clark and Xavier Nagle combined for nearly 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The first touchdown came late in the third quarter when Clark powered his way into the end zone from 1 yard out, extending the Eagles’ lead to 10-0.
Bald Eagles’s Sam Clark with the one-yard touchdown. Bald Eagle 10 Penns Valley 0. @PaFootballNews @CoachJNagle pic.twitter.com/ZYQa30ehYv
— Tristan Klinefelter (@TristanK_PFN) September 12, 2026
Nagle added to the lead later in the third quarter, scoring from 5 yards out to make it 17-0.
Early in the fourth quarter, Nagle found the end zone again from 4 yards out, pushing the Eagles’ lead to 24-0.
Xavier Nagle scores his second touchdown of the night. Bald Eagle 24 Penns Valley 0. @PaFootballNews @CoachJNagle pic.twitter.com/mDXAsnUo4G
— Tristan Klinefelter (@TristanK_PFN) September 12, 2026
Nagle scored once more with just under seven minutes remaining, completing a strong night for the Eagles’ offense.
“He’s still coming out of his shell, still very unsure of himself; hopefully this takes care of it. He’s a great athlete, a great football player, and he just doesn’t know it yet,” Bald Eagle Area coach Jesse Nagle said.
The Rams wouldn’t go down without a fight as Tripp Watson found the end zone with a little more than three minutes remaining. The touchdown made the final score 31-7 in favor of the Eagles.
Penns Valley’s Tripp Watson with the score. Bald Eagle 31 Penns Valley 7. @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/a7jLgXnVBo
— Tristan Klinefelter (@TristanK_PFN) September 12, 2026
“I started out a little rough. We came out at halftime, we scored, and we kept scoring. It was really exciting; it meant a lot to me and really boosted all of our confidence,” Xavier Nagle said after the game.
The Eagles start the 2026 season 3-0 and will face Tyrone next week. Penns Valley drops to 0-3 and will play Philipsburg-Osceola.
JEFF JODON GALLERY
