BELLEFONTAINE — Bellefontaine battled Jonathan Alder through a competitive first half Friday night, but the Pioneers rallied after the break to hand the Chieftains a 41-28 loss in their regular-season finale Oct. 23 at AcuSport Stadium.

Bellefontaine held a 21-14 halftime advantage after scoring in each of the first two quarters. However, Jonathan Alder outscored the Chieftains 27-7 in the second half to secure the victory, finish the regular season 7-3 and clinch a postseason berth. Bellefontaine finished the campaign 2-8.

The Chieftains wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Quarterback Blake Loomis opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, with Noah Torsell adding the extra point to give Bellefontaine a 7-0 lead.

Jonathan Alder answered with a touchdown of its own to even the score at 7-7 before the teams traded scores again in the second quarter.

Loomis connected with Aven Caudill on an 8-yard touchdown pass to put Bellefontaine back on the scoreboard. After Jonathan Alder responded with a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead, the Chieftains answered with another scoring drive.

Loomis found the end zone on a 1-yard run, and Torsell's extra point gave Bellefontaine a 21-14 lead heading into halftime.

The Chieftains' offense continued to produce throughout the contest, finishing with 347 total yards, including 235 through the air and 112 on the ground. Bellefontaine also recorded 20 first downs, demonstrating its ability to sustain drives against the Pioneers.

Loomis led the passing attack, completing 26 of 34 attempts for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed 36 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, accounting for four of Bellefontaine's touchdowns.

The Chieftains spread the ball around through the air, with Sutton Daring leading the receiving corps with 10 catches for 76 yards. Dillon Jones hauled in six passes for 70 yards, while CJ Butler added six receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. Caudill finished with two catches for 14 yards and a score.

On the ground, Bryant Carter paced Bellefontaine with 67 yards on five carries, averaging 13.4 yards per attempt. Evan Alexander added 15 yards on 10 carries, while Loomis contributed nine attempts for 36 yards.

Jonathan Alder found its footing after halftime, outscoring Bellefontaine 7-0 in the third quarter to tie the game at 21. The Pioneers then added 20 points in the fourth quarter, pulling away despite a late scoring effort from the Chieftains.

Bellefontaine continued to fight until the final minutes. Loomis connected with Butler on a 19-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, bringing the Chieftains' total to 28 points.

However, the late score was not enough to overcome Jonathan Alder's second-half surge.

Defensively, Aven Caudill led Bellefontaine with 19 total tackles, including six solo stops. Landon White recorded 11 tackles, while Bentley Stewart added 12. Braelin Saxton finished with six tackles, including one sack and two tackles for loss, and Caleb Sechrest contributed eight tackles.

The Chieftains' defensive effort also included a fumble recovery by White, but Jonathan Alder capitalized on opportunities in the second half to secure the win.

Despite the defeat, Bellefontaine demonstrated offensive progress in its final outing, putting together a four-touchdown performance against a Jonathan Alder team fighting for its postseason opportunity.

The loss brought the Chieftains' 2026 regular season to a close at 2-8, while the Pioneers moved to 7-3 and advanced to the postseason.