Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
What a season it has been for the (10-3) Eagles and (11-2) Warriors. They square off tonight in the Class 5A state semifinals at Bald Eagle High School in Wingate. The winner will be making its first appearance in a PIAA championship game.
Exeter is coming off the biggest win in program history. The Eagles captured their first District 3 title with a thrilling 31-28 victory at Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs had been undefeated and were ranked #1 in the state in Class 5A. Exeter can hurt you through the air and on the ground. Senior quarterback Colin Payne has thrown for a school record 2,184 yards this year (22TD-6INT). Payne has some big targets in 6’6 junior wide receiver Joey Schlaffer and 6’3, 210-pound tight end J.R. Strauss. Schlaffer is committed to PSU. He has a team-high 41 catches for 728 yards. His eight touchdown receptions are tied for second-most in Berks County. He reached the end zone twice last week against Gov. Mifflin. Strauss is headed to Villanova. He’s also a threat in the red zone with 7TD. Strauss has 27 catches for 455 yards. The Eagles proved that they can pound the rock as well last week. Eric Nangle finished with 40 carries for 225 yards! The 175-pound senior is second in rushing yards in Berks County with 1,769 (7.4/carry). Nangle has 21 touchdowns. The screen pass was a real weapon for Exeter in the District 3 Final. Holding the Mustangs to 28 points wasn’t an easy task. Ty Yocum leads the defense with 98 tackles and 3INT. The 220-pound linebacker is as tough as they come. He will play at Division I Merrimack. Strauss and Lucas Palange are also part of an outstanding LB corps. Palange has collected 82 tackles, 20 TFL, and seven sacks. Strauss adds 73 tackles to the mix.
The Eagles’ defense will be tested against a physical Penn-Trafford squad. The Warriors’ offensive line averages 277 pounds. Offensive tackle Zach Tomosovich is listed at 6’6 and 320 pounds. He’s only a sophomore. Joe Enick will be in the middle of all the action. The 6’3, 280-pound junior starts at center and nose tackle. He’s also on the wrestling team. Senior guard Luke Jollie is hard to miss at 6’7, 280. They pave the way for Wisconsin commit Cade Yacamelli who has 1,634 rushing yards and 21TD. The 205-pound senior went for 136 yards on 17 carries in the WPIAL Championship vs. Moon. Yacamelli opened a lot of eyes with a 92-yard TD catch and a 53-yard TD run. He erupted for 208 yards and 3TD in the WPIAL semifinals against Pine-Richland. Carter Green is a dual-threat quarterback for the Warriors. The 170-pound senior ran 17 times for 87 yards, including a go-ahead 29-yard score on 4th & 1 in the third quarter, in the 24-21 win over previously unbeaten Moon. Green averages nine pass attempts per game. He was 2-6 for 101 yards and a TD last week at Heinz Field. Green has 10TD passes this season. Penn-Trafford brings a 9-game winning streak into the state semifinals. The Warriors’ losses came back in September. They fell to Belle Vernon (27-7) and Peters Township (28-14). Moon missed a 33-yard FG in the final seconds to give Penn-Trafford its first WPIAL title. The Warriors pitched a shutout in the second half.
Both of these teams are riding high after historic wins last week. Exeter and Penn-Trafford are playing their best football at the right time. As usual, this semifinal matchup will probably come down to who controls the line of scrimmage. The Eagles’ ran seven and a-half minutes off the clock during their final drive at Gov. Mifflin. Exeter’s defense will need to limit the big plays from Yacamelli. Should be a good one with a trip to Hershey up for grabs!