Jayden Zandier-Exeter

Jayden Zandier isn’t bashful when it comes to talking about his speed. “I know I’m the fastest player on the field…They couldn’t catch me,” he stated. The 6’2, 170-pound junior had two touchdowns on the ground and another through the air as Exeter beat Gov. Mifflin 31-10 at Don Thomas Stadium. The (2-2) Mustangs settled for a 26-yard field goal from Lance Koenig on the opening possession. The (4-0) Eagles responded quickly by going up top. Sophomore Riley Martinez launched a 56-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Zandier with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter. Martinez was 10-19 for 179 yards. Gov. Mifflin marched from its 42-yard line to Exeter’s 1-yard line, but couldn’t punch it in. Fullback Grady Garner was stuffed on fourth-and-goal with eight minutes left before halftime. A 16-play drive resulted in no points and the Mustangs wouldn’t recover. The Eagles covered 99 yards in just over three minutes to take a 14-3 advantage. Zandier took an inside run and bounced it outside for a 33-yard score. The speedster only had six carries in the first three games. He doesn’t mind playing running back. “I still prefer receiver, but I’m an athlete and I’m gonna play any position this team needs me to play,” said Zandier. He finished with eleven carries for 128 yards on Friday night. An interception by 230-pound sophomore linebacker Joel Ummarino set Exeter up at the Gov. Mifflin 32-yard line with 51 seconds to go. Robbie Gaston made a 21-yard field goal as time expired to give the Eagles a 17-3 lead at the break. They started the second half with a 67-yard touchdown drive. Zaymar Paschall punched it in from 1-yard away on fourth down. There were eleven penalties in the third quarter alone and twenty overall. Fourteen of the flags went against Exeter for 115 yards. The Mustangs put together a 99-yard drive of their own that lasted nine minutes. 6’1 senior Nolan Morris made a spectacular one-handed grab down the left sideline for 31 yards. On the next play, Chase Huber raced 15 yards to make it 24-10 with eight minutes to go. Zandier, who has run a 4.47 40-yard dash, answered with a 35-yard sprint down the left sideline with 5:18 remaining. Nate Pashley sealed the deal with his second interception of the night. “He’s a beast on defense. He can also play offense, all-around great player,” emphasized Zandier. The Eagles have taken three of the last four meetings with the Mustangs. Exeter is ranked #6 in Class 5A by PennLive. The defending Section 2 champs will host Lebanon next week.