Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Cedar Crest rolled over Gov. Mifflin by twenty points on Monday in Shillington. Exeter head coach Matt Ashcroft was there to witness that impressive performance. The Falcons’ return trip to Berks County had a much different outcome. Exeter dominated Cedar Crest 62-42 on Friday at Reiffton. The nightcap of the Eagles’ tip-off tournament was never close. Exeter raced out to a 12-2 advantage after eight minutes. Freshman Aidan Dauble drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Eagles on top 22-6 midway through the second quarter. It was 31-13 at halftime. “We’re not always gonna make shots, but you can always give effort defensively. We want to fly around defensively. We want to play harder and be in better shape than the other team. We want to physically impose our will,” said Ashcroft. Exeter certainly did that in its season opener. Reece Garvin hit two triples to start the third quarter. The 6’3 junior finished with 13 points and six blocks. “Reece is fierce. That competitiveness drives him. He’s one of the last guys to leave every night after practice. He’s in love with the game,” emphasized Ashcroft. The mercy rule was in effect during the third quarter. The Eagles were up 50-22 entering the final period. Kevin Saenz, a 6’3 junior, scored a game-high 15 points. He averaged 2.3 points a season ago. “Confident and calm are the two words I would use to describe Kevin. The game has seemed to slow down for Kevin. It seems like the growth happened almost overnight,” noted Ashcroft. Teddy Snyder, one of three seniors in the starting lineup, added ten points. The 6’1 guard connected on two of Exeter’s eight treys. The Falcons’ starters were held to nine points combined. Cedar Crest was without 6’6 junior Aiden Schomp who wasn’t in uniform. He provides ten points per game. Danny Speaks led the (2-1) Falcons with nine points. Exeter ended up (13-15) last season, but the Eagles reached the Berks County semifinals and qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 1999. Ashcroft believes that he has a battle-tested group. The former Reading Central Catholic and Albright standout is expecting tough competition in the Berks Conference. “I think it’s an excellent league. The top handful of teams are really, really good and I think they can beat anyone out there. It’s a county to kind of be reckoned with,” stated Ashcroft.