Matt Bauer-Exeter

Another outstanding season came to an end for Exeter on Friday night at ELCO High School. The eighth-seeded Eagles fell to sixth-seeded Bishop McDevitt 48-14 in the District 3-5A championship. Exeter reached the District 3 final for the third time in four years. “I’m so proud of what we’ve grown here and the culture, and the way these kids believe,” said head coach Matt Bauer. The (12-2) Eagles have won 106 games over the past twelve seasons. They were overmatched, however, by the (12-2) Crusaders. Bishop McDevitt earned its fourth straight District 3 title and 18th overall. “They’re physical and they’re well-coached. They’re fundamentally sound,” replied Bauer. The Crusaders marched 80 yards on their opening possession. Maurice Barnes’ 1-yard run capped the drive. The 6’2, 215-pound junior has several Division I offers including Penn State, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Bishop McDevitt covered 71 yards on its second series. Stone Saunders found Dominic Diaz-Ellis along the right sideline for a 9-yard touchdown pass and a 12-0 advantage. Riley Martinez was intercepted by defensive tackle Landon Blauch on a screen pass that ended the first quarter. Martinez, who suffered a fracture in his right leg in Week 7, split time at quarterback with lefty Jake Hafer. On fourth-and-7 from the 18-yard line, Saunders hit Diaz-Ellis for a nine yard gain. Nazir Jones-Davis then went up the middle for a 9-yard score. A two-point conversion pass to Diaz-Ellis made it 20-0 with 9:42 left in the first half. On the ensuing drive, All-State running back Jayden Zandier left the game after aggravating a right ankle injury that he’s been dealing with since early in the season. Zandier didn’t return. He holds the single season and career rushing records at Exeter. “He’s an amazing individual. I’m thankful to have been his coach. I can’t wait to see where he ends up at the next level,” replied Bauer. Jerome Larue Jr. took the second half kickoff 86 yards down the left sideline. The speedy freshman already has an offer from Syracuse. He put the Crusaders in front 26-0. Diaz-Ellis made a sweet diving grab for a 21-yard touchdown with five and a-half minutes to go in the third quarter. The 6’, 175-pound senior finished with ten receptions for 110 yards and 2 TD. Saunders was an efficient 14-of-18 for 163 yards. The Kentucky commit is up to 199 career touchdown passes, a state record. He has thrown for more than 13,000 yards. After an interception by Tyler Reinhart, Jones-Davis ripped off a 32-yard score down the left sideline for a 42-0 lead. The 180-pound junior had 122 yards on 13 carries. Early in the fourth quarter, sophomore Jaeden Chase scooped up an Eagles’ fumble and raced 99 yards for a touchdown. Exeter got on the board with eight minutes to play. Martinez went up top to 6’1 junior Jayden Ware for a 72-yard score. Genuine Stutzman added a 1-yard TD run for the Eagles with eight seconds left. Stutzman is one of 16 seniors on the roster. “We had seven captains this year. We probably could’ve had ten. These kids really pulled for one another and were very unselfish,” said Bauer.