Matt Bauer-Exeter

Matt Bauer did something that no other Exeter football coach was able to accomplish; bring a District 3 championship to Reiffton. The seventh-seeded Eagles upset #1 seed Gov. Mifflin 31-28 in Shillington for the Class 5A title. This was the Eagles’ first appearance in a District 3 Final. Unlike the regular season matchup with the Mustangs when Exeter trailed 30-0 before falling 54-21, the Eagles got out to a great start on a cold and windy night. They went 65 yards for a touchdown on their opening drive, and jumped out to a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Gov. Mifflin rallied to go up 28-21 in the third quarter thanks to a 2-yard TD run by Nick Singleton and a 28-yard sprint to the end zone by quarterback Eden Johnson. Singleton ended his incredible career with 40 yards on just eight carries and a 51-yard TD grab. Exeter answered with a 22-yard field goal by Mike Moser and a 31-yard TD run by Eric Nangle on 4th & 1 with 9:15 remaining. The Eagles converted another pivotal 4th down with three minutes left. Bauer told me that Colin Payne and Joey Schlaffer convinced the coaching staff to go for the first down instead of punting or calling a fake punt. Payne hit Schlaffer for five yards on 4th & 4 and Exeter was able to run out the clock. Bauer stressed that the ability to sustain drives and control the line of scrimmage was a key factor. The Eagles finished with 399 total yards including 238 on the ground. Their final possession was seven minutes and 35 seconds. Nangle ran for 223 yards on 40 carries! Bauer said, “He’ll run through a wall for you.” Nangle had a TD run and a 33-yard TD catch. Payne was 13-21 for 161 yards with 3TD and an INT. Bauer told me that he wouldn’t trade Payne for any quarterback in Berks County. Schlaffer, a 6’6 junior who has committed to Penn State, had five catches for 55 yards and 2TD. Bauer talked about how much he has improved in all facets of the game. Exeter is (10-3) and riding a 6-game winning streak. (10-1) Gov. Mifflin was held to 219 total yards. Bauer added that the historic victory hasn’t sunk in yet, but he always knew that this was a special group of players. He’s (93-51) over 13 years as the Eagles’ head coach. Exeter has won 74 games in the last nine seasons. The Eagles have advanced to the state semifinals for the first time.