Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

It’s mid-December and the Eagles have already matched their win total from a season ago. Exeter cruised past Manheim Township 59-46 in Reiffton to improve to (3-0). I asked head coach Matt Ashcroft why things have turned around so quickly. We also discussed the importance of having multi-sport athletes. Colin Payne, Joey Schlaffer, and Anthony Caccese helped the Eagles earn their first District 3 championship in football and reach the state semifinals. All three of them start on the basketball team. Ashcroft said Schlaffer has the ability to cover guards, forwards, and centers. The 6’6, 210-pound junior is committed to play for James Franklin at Penn State. Schlaffer held Manheim Township senior guard Seth Miller to 14 points including just five in the second half. Schlaffer is contributing on the offensive end of the floor too. He’s averaging 13 points. Payne is Exeter’s leading scorer. The 6’3 senior guard dropped 15 points on the (1-2) Blue Streaks. Payne set the single-season school record for passing yards this year. Ashcroft believes that the football team’s postseason run created an energy that has carried into basketball season. He thinks high school athletes should participate in as many sports as possible. Teddy Snyder broke out of a little slump with 12 points against Manheim Township. The 6’1 junior guard connected on four 3-pointers. Snyder, who is also playing good defense, has the green light from Ashcroft. The Eagles sank nine 3’s on Tuesday and went 10-11 from the free throw stripe. They only gave up 27 points through three quarters. Ashcroft stressed that defense and ball movement will be the two biggest keys this season. He feels that they can compete in a rugged division with Reading, Wilson, Berks Catholic, and Gov. Mifflin. Exeter travels to the Geigle Complex on Friday which Ashcroft said is one of the best venues in Pennsylvania. The former assistant coach at Berks Catholic and Archbishop Carroll is in his third year at Exeter. Ashcroft was a 1,000 point scorer at Central Catholic and won a state title in 2007. He went on to become a two-time All-Conference selection at Albright.