Lock Haven, Pa. — After a long offseason, football season is upon us once again. The Lock Haven Bald Eagles opened their 2025 campaign at home on Saturday, Sept. 6, defeating the Glenville State Pioneers in a hard-fought 16–13 victory.
It was a slow start for the Bald Eagles in the first quarter, as their first two drives ended without points. But they found life on their third drive when running back Damir Green broke free for a 44-yard touchdown run to give Lock Haven its first lead of the game. A penalty on the extra point attempt kept the score at 6–0 after one quarter.
Lock Haven built on that momentum early in the second quarter. Freshman kicker Caden Bauer converted a 22-yard field goal from the far hash—the first points of what’s expected to be a long collegiate career for the true freshman.
After the Bald Eagle defense forced a Glenville State three-and-out, the offense struck again. Five plays later, Green found the end zone for his second touchdown of the day, hurdling two defenders and running over another on his way to the house.
“I said I was going to hurdle,” Green said after the game when asked about the play. “They didn’t want to attack me, so I told my teammates I was going to go up and over.”
Glenville State managed to gain some momentum before halftime, capitalizing on several Lock Haven penalties. After multiple offside calls, the Pioneers were given three chances to attempt a Hail Mary—connecting on the third try with receiver Naseem Pacheco to cut into the lead heading into the break.
Postgame, head coach Joe Battaglia reflected on the costly end-of-half mistakes.
“That’s exactly who we don’t want to be,” Battaglia said. “We’ve got to clean those things up, or we’re not going to be as successful as we want.”
In the second half, the Bald Eagles held tight to their lead. Glenville State found the end zone once more late in the third quarter, but Lock Haven’s defense stood firm, shutting out the Pioneers in the fourth to secure the 16–13 victory.
The win not only marked a strong start for the program but also represented a personal milestone for Coach Battaglia—his first career win as a head coach.
“It’s kind of that monkey-off-the-back mentality,” Battaglia said. “Nothing ever really felt different throughout the first six months of this job, but this week it felt different—tonight it felt different.”
Next Up: Lock Haven (1–0) will travel to face the IUP Crimson Hawks (0–1) on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
