Michael Crigler caught two touchdown passes and Bethlehem’s defense came up with three interceptions as the Eagles rolled to a 41-12 victory over Washington County Friday night at Commander Field in Springfield.

Crigler caught scoring passes covering 29 and 13 yards from quarterback Jack Bradley as Bethlehem moved to 2-0 with an easy victory.

The Eagles’ defense also came up with three interceptions, with Thomas Mudd returning his to the house for a score.

“We didn’t play flawless, but our kids didn’t get down about that,” third-year Bethlehem coach Tim Mattingly said. “We had the turnover on the 1-yard line when we bobbled a snap, but our kids were determined. I love to see that attitude from them. They just had the attitude that we’re going to finish this game and we’re going to come out on top.”

Bethlehem did just that, steadily pulling away from Washington County.

The Eagles went up 7-0 as Noah Hawkins scored on a reverse with 1:48 left in the first quarter. The Commanders came right back, with Christian Hart – a transfer from Campbellsville – scoring on a 17-yard run to make it 7-6 with no time left on the clock in the first period.

A penalty was called on Washington County near the end of the quarter, but the Commanders were allowed to run a play with the clock stopped. Hart made it pay off, running around the right end for the score.

But it was all Bethlehem from there.

Crigler made it 13-6 with his first touchdown of the night, and then stretched it to 20-6 with his second score. That touchdown was set up by an interception from Jalen DelValle.

The Eagles pushed the lead to 27-6 with 5:19 left in the third quarter as Thomas Mudd returned a pick 20 yards for a touchdown. It was 34-6 after Austin Kuntz turned a short pass from Bradley into a 34-yard TD, and Bethlehem scored its final points when DelValle scored on a 13-yard run with 5:20 to go. The touchdown was set up by an interception by Mason Shepherd.

“We just made some big plays all night,” Mattingly said. “We converted several third downs and turned them into big, big plays. I just called the plays, and they went out there and executed. That was great to see.”

Bethlehem hosts Seneca at 8 p.m. Friday. The game time was pushed back 30 minutes because of the forecast, which calls for excessive heat.

Nelson County 28, DeSales 14

Friday night turned into the Jayvon Bailey Show.

Bailey accounted for three of his team’s four touchdowns, carrying the homestanding Cardinals (2-0) past the Colts (0-2) at Bill Broaddus Field.

Bailey rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries and also hauled in a 66-yard scoring strike from quarterback Carson Riley as Nelson County got off to its second unbeaten start under second-year head coach Josh Boston.

Riley went 10 of 20 passing for 188 yards and two touchdowns, and Max Moore also caught a touchdown pass.

Dominic Ramirez had a big night to lead the Cardinals’ defense, coming up with 15 tackles – including three for a loss. Noah Sekulski had two interceptions and nine tackles in his first game back, while Deken Minter added eight tackles, one sack and an interception.

Lincoln Lundy and Isaiah Montgomery also came up with an interception as Nelson County forced five picks by DeSales. The Cardinals also finished the night with 10 tackles for a loss.

Nelson County hits the road for the first time this week when the team makes the short trek across town to take on rival Thomas Nelson in the annual Pride Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Thomas Nelson 10, Shawnee 0

Jathan Lashley caught one touchdown pass and Tibo Peyrard nailed a 42-yard field goal in the visiting Generals’ win over the Golden Eagles Friday night in Louisville.

Quarterback Jaxon Price completed 5 of 8 passes for 19 yards, while Hayden Clark carried the ball 31 times for 119 yards. Clark also caught three passes for 13 yards.

Dalton Wills led the Thomas Nelson shutout effort with eight tackles – including one for a loss. The Generals recorded their first shutout since ending the 2024 season with a 30-0 win over Iroquois.

Thomas Nelson welcomes rival Nelson County for the annual Pride Bowl at 7:30 p.m. Friday.