Marauders avenge loss from last season’s playoffs
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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
The 2024 high school football season couldn't have started out much better for Bishop Guilfoyle Academy Saturday night.
And it couldn't have started out much worse for Bald Eagle Area.
With senior quarterback Chase Kissell completing 9-of-13 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and senior wideout/running back Hamilton Gates scoring twice on a 3-yard second-quarter touchdown run and a 24-yard touchdown reception from Kissell in the fourth quarter, BG got some measure of payback from last season's District 6 Class 2A playoff ouster at the hands of the Eagles, as the Marauders scored a 21-0 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference victory at Mansion Park.
To compound matters for Bald Eagle Area, the Eagles' star senior quarterback, Carson Nagle, suffered what appeared to be a head/neck injury late in the fourth quarter, and was taken off the field on a stretcher after the game.
The extent of the injury wasn't known, and BEA coach Jesse Nagle -- Carson's father -- was attending to his son, and unavailable for comment to the media.
After losing to BEA twice last season, BG coach Justin Wheeler and his Marauders had Saturday's game circled on their calendars.
"They got us twice last year, so the message this offseason with our players was that it wasn't going to happen again,'' Wheeler said. "Our players have a lot of pride, and they beat a quality team tonight that has one of the best quarterbacks in the state. We came out and played well, and this feels good.''
Gates caught four passes from Kissell totaling 85 yards, including three highlight reel-type receptions. None was better than the 24-yard touchdown catch that he hauled in with six minutes left in the game, skillfully managing to keep his feet in bounds in the front left corner of the end zone while making the play.
"We had a let-down feeling after losing to them last year and we worked real hard tonight to come back and beat them, and to get a big win to start our year off,'' Gates said.
The Marauders started an 83-yard, nine-play scoring drive late in the first quarter that Gates finished by sweeping left end on his 3-yard touchdown run with 9:46 left in the second period.
Later in the second period, Kissell found senior wideout Braden Reilly wide open down the middle of the field, hitting him with a pass near the BEA 30 that covered 54 yards for a touchdown play with 6:47 left in the first half, boosting the Marauders to a 14-0 halftime lead.
"We kept running the ball before that play, and they blitzed with their safety and I was wide open down the seam,'' said Reilly, who ran untouched to the end zone. "I didn't expect to be that open at all.''
An interception by junior defensive back Tyson Lestochi near the 15-yard line stopped a BEA drive late in the second quarter, after the Eagles had marched to the BG 17 late in the first quarter before turning the ball over on downs.
"Our defense was something that we wanted to focus on -- our defense played so well during our state championship seasons,'' said Wheeler, whose Marauders won four PIAA Class 1A state titles from 2014 to 2021, and are returning to play at the Class 1A level this season. "Our defensive coaches (Joe) Thomas and (Bret) Geishauser came up with a good game plan tonight, and we didn't give up a big play all night.''
Saturday was a good team win for BG.
"We have a lot of talent in a lot of places, and I'm glad that all of our players stepped up tonight,'' Wheeler said.
Play of the game: Kissell's second-quarter touchdown pass to Reilly stood out, giving the Marauders a 14-0 halftime lead.
Players of the game: Kissell had a good night throwing the ball for BG, and Gates, who scored twice, had a fine night catching it.
Unsung heroes: Guilfoyle's defense pitched a shutout against a formidable BEA offense.
BG senior defensive end Connor McElheny: "I think that in the first half, we were a little nervous, and we were just getting used to things. In the second half, it was go, go, go.''
Notable: Jesse Georgiana, Taurean Consiglio and Connor Okanak recovered fumbles for BG.
Records: Bald Eagle Area (0-1 overall and in the Laurel Highlands Conference); Bishop Guilfoyle (1-0, 1-0).
Next Friday night: Bishop Guilfoyle travels to play McCort-Carroll, while Bald Eagle Area hosts Central Cambria.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bald Eagle Area 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Bishop Guilfoyle 0 14 0 7 -- 21
Second Quarter
BG--Gates 3 run (Boland kick), 9:46.
BG--Reilly 54 pass from C. Kissell (Boland kick), 6:47.
Fourth Quarter
BG--Gates 24 pass from C. Kissell (Boland kick), 6:00.
TEAM STATISTICS BEA BG
First downs 16 14
Total yards 198 266
Rushes-yards 34-140 29-109
Yards passing 58 157
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 6-12-1 9-13-0
Punts/avg. 2-29.5 3-34.8
Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-0
Penalties-yards 6-59 10-105
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Bald Eagle Area, Houck-Leitzell 6-50, Shirk 11-29, Nagle 6-19, Taylor 4-19, McCully 4-15, Cunningham 2-14, Fisher 1-(-6). Bishop Guilfoyle, Consiglio 8-46, Gates 11-40, C. Kissell 8-20, Reilly 1-2, J. Kissell 1-1.
PASSING--Bald Eagle Area, Nagle 6-12-1-58. Bishop Guifoyle, C. Kissell 9-13-0-157.
RECEIVING--Bald Eagle Area, Spackman 2-13, Taylor 2-2, Cunningham 1-25, Fisher 1-18. Bishop Guilfoyle, Gates 4-85, J. Kissell 3-17, Reilly 2-55.