Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
#7 Exeter at #1 Gov. Mifflin in the District 3-5A championship at 7pm on Friday.
If you’re wondering if a #7 seed has ever won a District 3 title in football, the answer is yes. It has actually happened twice; once in Class 3A and once in 4A. The (9-3) Eagles have reached uncharted territory. This is their first appearance in the District 3 Final. Exeter is (7-11) all-time in the District 3 playoffs and three of those wins have come this month. The Eagles have been road warriors. They crushed #2 Manheim Central 43-26 in the quarterfinals, and then left Cedar Cliff with a 42-35 victory in the semifinals. Eric Nangle was the star of that show with 332 rushing yards and 5TD! The 175-pound senior added an 83-yard TD catch. Nangle is the second-leading rusher in Berks County with 1,544 yards and 20TD this year. The forecast is calling for strong winds which would impact Exeter more than Gov. Mifflin. Senior Colin Payne has thrown for just over 2,000 yards this season with 19TD. 6’6 junior Joey Schlaffer is committed to Penn State. 6’3, 210-pound TE/LB J.R. Strauss is headed to Villanova. They’ve combined for 59 receptions and 13TD. Exeter is #8 in PennLive’s state rankings for 5A. Gov. Mifflin is #1. The (10-0) Mustangs have won 15 of the last 16 meetings with the Eagles, including a 54-21 rout on October 8th. Gov. Mifflin raced out to a 30-0 advantage, and outgained Exeter 383-146 on the ground. Nick Singleton ran for 248 yards and 4TD on 18 carries. The 218-pound PSU commit holds Berks County records for career rushing yards (6,286) and touchdowns (114). The Mustangs are averaging 49.7 points per game. They put up 63 on Warwick in the quarterfinals before taking care of Spring Grove 38-13 last week in Shillington. Berks Catholic transfer Aiden Gallen has been a force down the stretch of the season at fullback. He’s getting more touches while 215-pound senior Trey Rock continues to play through an ankle injury. Gov. Mifflin is looking for back-to-back championships. The Mustangs won the District 3-5A title last year when Warwick forfeited due to Covid-19 issues. Gov. Mifflin is (24-15) all-time in the District tournament.
