Aidan Dauble-Exeter

Not many coaches can say that every player they put on the court can score. Matt Ashcroft can make that statement. Balanced scoring has carried Exeter all season long. In the PIAA-5A semifinals at Altoona, it was Aidan Dauble’s turn to step up. The 6’2 freshman provided nine points off the bench in a 51-47 victory over Cathedral Prep from Erie. “I really have a lot of confidence coming in because Coach [Ashcroft] tells me if I’m open, shoot the ball,” Dauble said. He gave the (27-6) Eagles a spark in the second quarter with five points including a three-point play. Dauble averages under 4 ppg. The District 3 champs led 22-19 at halftime. The (24-4) Ramblers went scoreless for just over two minutes in the third period. Reece Garvin hit a triple from the top of the key to put Exeter in front 30-20 with 4:50 remaining in the quarter. The 6’3 junior finished with a team-high 14 points. The District 10 champions were limited to two points for the first four minutes and twenty seconds of the final period. After trailing 41-30, Cathedral Prep increased its pressure and responded with an 8-0 run. The turnovers mounted for the Eagles while all-county point guard Zyion Paschall was on the bench. He fouled out 24 seconds into the fourth quarter with eight points. With just over one minute to go, Alex Kelsey and Kevin Saenz dove for a loose ball at midcourt. Saenz came up with it and found Garvin who threw the ball up ahead to Dauble for an easy layup. That sequence gave Exeter a 45-40 edge. The Eagles beat the Ramblers’ press which resulted in a layup by Anthony Caccese with twenty seconds left. The bucket by the 6’7, 280-pound center made it 47-43. Saenz, who is nicknamed “Showtime Kev”, sank a pair of free throws with seven seconds to play. He made two more foul shots with one second remaining for the final margin. Exeter held on despite committing 18 turnovers. “We just needed to slow the ball down and start mentally calming down,” noted Dauble. The Eagles won the battle of bench points 16-0. Kelsey chipped in with seven. Amaree Pickens poured in a game-high 16 points before fouling out. The 6’3 junior guard went to the bench after getting his third foul with five minutes left in the second quarter. Senior guard Jake Sambuchino ended up with 13 points, eight in the second period. Semontae Lofton added ten points. Cathedral Prep went 9-16 from the free throw line, while the Eagles were 10-17. The Ramblers’ quest for a fourth state title came to a close. They won gold in Class 5A in 2021. Cathedral Prep slipped to (62-34) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. Exeter is making its tenth appearance in the state tournament. The Eagles are (9-9). They’re headed to Hershey on Friday. Exeter will face Imhotep Charter from Philadelphia at 8pm in the final. The Eagles haven’t advanced this far since 1974. “I don’t think it has set in. We just want to keep going, milestone after milestone,” Dauble stated.