Anthony Caccese-Exeter

If you’re wondering how exciting Exeter’s 21-17 win at Manheim Central was on Friday night, Anthony Caccese said it was the best game he thinks he ever played in. Keep in mind that Caccese and the Eagles upset Gov. Mifflin for the District 3-5A championship a season ago. Nate Pashley’s interception with 31 seconds left wrapped up the Section 2 championship for Exeter. The undefeated Eagles handed the Barons their first loss in front of 2,241 fans. “It’s emotion overload right now. It feels amazing. I think this is where we belong. We’re gonna keep it going, no plan on stopping,” stated Caccese. The 6’6, 280-pound OT/DT helped Exeter rush for 252 yards while holding Manheim Central to 206 total yards. The Barons entered Week 10 averaging 465 yards per game and 56 points. The top-rated offense in the Lancaster-Lebanon League was shutout in the second half. Aaron Enterline’s incredible 40-yard catch along the left sideline put Manheim Central at the 2-yard line with a minute and a-half remaining. Brycen Armold was thrown for a 3-yard loss on the next play. Lucas Palange then sacked Zac Hahn back at the 15-yard line. That set the stage for Pashley’s pick in the back of the end zone. Coming into Friday, only Wyomissing had allowed fewer points than Exeter in the L-L League. The Eagles held the Barons to 84 yards on the ground. Armold finished with 99 yards on 24 carries. The 5’8, 172-pound junior surpassed 1,700 rushing yards this season. Hahn ended up 10-of-20 for 122 yards and a touchdown. Enterline made big plays in all three phases of the game. The 6’2, 180-pound junior had two interceptions including one in the end zone with 8:37 to go in the fourth quarter. Enterline caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 11 early in the second quarter. Three minutes later, he returned a punt 73 yards for a score which gave Manheim Central a 17-7 advantage. Exeter has a prime time pass catcher as well in Penn State commit Joey Schlaffer. After Mason Rotelli took a big hit, Schlaffer took one snap at quarterback and it was certainly a memorable one. The 6’6, 215-pound senior took off down the left sideline before cutting back all the way across the field. He managed to stretch the football across the goal line before going down. That 70-yard touchdown got the Eagles right back in it. They trailed 17-14 with just over five minutes before halftime. I asked Caccese what makes Schlaffer such a special talent. He replied, “He’s huge, but he’s one of the fastest guys on the field. He’s one of the shiftiest guys on the field. He’s pretty unstoppable.” Caccese, who’s committed to Delaware, also had plenty of nice things to say about Richie Karstien. The 215-pound senior rumbled for 155 yards and 2TD on 30 carries. “This man is a dog. If there’s a kid in the hole, he don’t care. He’s gonna run right through you and get an extra five yards. That’s what he does,” emphasized Caccese. Karstien capped a 14-play, 87-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown on Exeter’s opening possession. He put the Eagles up for good on a 3-yard plunge with 7:25 left in the third period. Exeter only needed to go 50 yards on that series because of a key kickoff return by Pashley. Karstien has 1,151 rushing yards and 17TD this year. Rotelli was 4-of-10 for 62 yards. Schlaffer reeled in two passes for 49 yards. Exeter is ranked second in the state in Class 5A. Manheim Central was #6 in 4A. The Barons have won a record 18 District 3 titles. They’re eight victories shy of 600. This is the football program’s 75th season. The Eagles have recent history on their side. They rolled over the Barons 43-26 in the District 3-5A quarterfinals last year. This time they left Manheim with the Section 2 championship. Caccese likes the odds of Exeter repeating as District 3 champs. “I think the chances are looking pretty high. I think we definitely got the motivation. We got the guys and we got the grit to go get it done,” he said.