Matt Bauer-Exeter

It’s not often that a football season begins with a rivalry matchup, but that was the case on Friday in Birdsboro. A great crowd was on hand to see Exeter battle Daniel Boone for the 64th time. “This is my 14th year, I’ve never once had to get my kids up to play Daniel Boone. It’s great for the community. Happy that we came out on top, but their kids played very hard,” said Eagles’ head coach Matt Bauer. Exeter took the Pig Iron Trophy back to Reiffton with a 35-0 victory. Mason Rotelli was impressive in his debut at quarterback. The senior finished 12-of-16 for 158 yards and 3TD. His 1-yard touchdown run put the Eagles on top 21-0 with 1:11 remaining in the second quarter. They weren’t done yet. Rotelli launched a 47-yard touchdown pass to 6’5, 220-pound tight end Zach Zandier as time expired in the first half. Bauer saw Rotelli’s confidence growing as the game progressed. “Our goal was to keep it small for him at first so he could just manage the game. By the end, he was trying to call his own number on some stuff. It was great to see. He’s worked very hard. He’s been very loyal to this program. That’s what it’s all about,” he said. PSU commit Joey Schlaffer reeled in four catches for 53 yards and 2TD. Rotelli hooked up with the 6’6, 215-pound senior over the middle for a 34-yard score with 42 seconds to go in the third quarter. That put the mercy rule into effect. Schlaffer got one series at quarterback early in the second quarter. He had three carries for 37 yards. Bauer noted, “He’s so versatile, we can move him all over the field. It really creates matchup problems defensively. That was our objective for sure.” Schlaffer took a shovel pass ten yards to the end zone midway through the second period for a 14-0 advantage. He also came up with a sack while playing defensive end for the first time. The Eagles’ offensive line was as advertised. Lucas Palange and Kyle Lash returned at guard, along with Delaware commit Anthony Caccese (6’6, 280) at right tackle. All three are seniors. They’re joined by twins Ryan and Matthew McConnell. Exeter’s front five averages 246 pounds. Bauer emphasized, “It’s the most blue collar group we’ve had. Those kids are in the chutes every day, and all they do is grind.” The Eagles utilized a trio of running backs including sophomores Carter Redding and Pharrell Caceres. Redding raced 34 yards to set up his 1-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the opening quarter. Caceres picked up 35 yards on his first touch. He ended up with a team-high 64 yards on nine carries. Karstien, a 215-pound senior who also plays defensive end, chipped in with 38 yards on six carries. He was denied a score by Blazers’ sophomore safety Ryan Poore who forced a fumble just before Karstien crossed the goal line in the second quarter. Zandier missed a 37-yard field goal six minutes later. The Eagles’ defense limited Daniel Boone to 94 total yards. Blazers’ junior quarterback Dean Rotter left the game in the third quarter with a collarbone injury. He was replaced by sophomore Chase Domenech. Exeter lost senior defensive end Joey Reedy to a shoulder injury in the third period. He was taken off the field in an ambulance. Exeter won its tenth straight in the series. They didn’t play last year due to a Covid-19 issue at Daniel Boone. The Eagles are ranked #7 in the state in Class 5A by PennLive. They earned their first District 3 championship a season ago. Bauer told me that they’ve turned the page. “Last year was last year and that was a fairy tale for sure, but these kids want to create their own identity. No more talking about 2021. This is our legacy and these kids deserve that,” he said.