Ashcroft – Berks Sports Report

Jeff VanGorder-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Jeff VanGorder is expected to be approved as the new boys basketball head coach at Exeter on Tuesday. VanGorder has been an assistant coach at the Division III level for twelve years. He spent last season at Muhlenberg College. Prior to that, VanGorder was an assistant at Ursinus for four years and Carnegie Mellon for three seasons. He’s originally from Cortland, New York and graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2010. VanGorder began his coaching career as an assistant at Hamilton College where he spent four years.

Matt Ashcroft stepped down as the Eagles’ head coach after leading Exeter to its first District 3 championship. The Eagles made their second trip to the state final and first since 1974. They lost to nationally ranked Imhotep Charter from Philadelphia in the PIAA-5A championship game. Ashcroft was named the Class 5A Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania as Exeter went (27-7). He was (56-45) over four seasons in Reiffton.

Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 09:07:00 +0000

It’s called March Madness for a reason. Exeter trailed by four points in overtime and both of its all-county players had fouled out. The Eagles had two freshmen on the floor against Peters Township in the PIAA-5A quarterfinals. Kevin Saenz took control and Exeter pulled out a thrilling 75-72 victory at Bald Eagle High School on Friday. “These kids love each other. They play so hard for each other…These kids have just been unbelievable,” said head coach Matt Ashcroft. The (26-6) Eagles are going to the state semifinals for the first time since 1974. The (24-5) Indians were trying to get to the semi’s for the first time in program history. They trailed 39-31 at halftime and 44-33 early in the third quarter. Exeter committed nine turnovers in that period and was outscored 21-11. Peters Township was within 52-50 entering the final period. Things didn’t look good for the Eagles midway through the fourth quarter when they were down 62-54. “Kevin looked at them and said I will get you to Monday,” stated Ashcroft. A three-point play by Anthony Caccese made it 62-60 with just under three minutes remaining. Saenz produced another three-point play to tie it up with 1:47 left. After a series of turnovers by both squads, they headed to overtime even at 65. Freshman Jayden Ware was forced into action after Zyion Paschall, Alex Kelsey, and Caccese fouled out. Ware’s putback cut the deficit to 71-69 in overtime. The Indians were on top 72-69 with one minute to go when sophomore Mickey Vaccarello missed a pair of free throws. Saenz drilled a 3-pointer ten seconds later to tie the game. The 6’3 junior then followed up his own miss with thirty seconds to play. Jack Dunbar was off the mark on a trey that would’ve given Peters Township the lead. Saenz went 1-for-2 at the line to give Exeter a 75-72 edge. The District 7 runner-up had one more chance. Nate Miller’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was on line, but short which set off a celebration at midcourt by the Eagles’ players. They’ve won 16 of their last 17 games, including their first District 3 championship. Zyion Paschall had a game-high 21 points despite fouling out with three and a-half minutes left in regulation. The 5’10 senior carried Exeter for three quarters. “All of his tools are now on steroids. That’s just hours and hours and hours in the gym,” remarked Ashcroft. Caccese racked up 14 points and 17 rebounds. The 6’7, 280-pound all-state football player picked up his fifth foul with 2:29 remaining in the extra session. Saenz scored 13 of his 19 points after the third period, including six in the final minute. Reece Garvin chipped in with 13 points. The 6’3 junior splashed three triples in the first half. Exeter was 14-22 from the free throw line, while Peters Township ended up 18-33. The Indians missed nine foul shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. Miller led them with 19 points. Dunbar and Brendan McCullough finished with 16 apiece. Peters Township played at a blistering pace and averaged 72 points per contest this season. This was their eighth appearance in the state playoffs and first trip to the quarterfinals since 1997. The Eagles will soar into the Final Four in Class 5A with a lot of momentum. They’ll face Cathedral Prep from Erie on Monday.

Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 01:41:00 +0000

Wins usually don’t come easy if you’re still playing high school basketball in March. Exeter found that out against Fox Chapel in the opening round of the PIAA-5A tournament. The Eagles held on for a thrilling 62-57 victory. “They consistently battle through adversity…I’m just happy for this community and for these kids. They work so hard. They deserve this,” said head coach Matt Ashcroft. Exeter hadn’t won a state playoff game since 1974. The Foxes reached the Class 6A semifinals a season ago, losing to perennial power Archbishop Wood 56-54. Zach Skrinjar has been coaching at Fox Chapel for 14 years. He had a brand new starting five this season. They qualified for the state tournament as the #7 seed from District 7. The Eagles, coming off their first District 3 championship, were never able to pull away. Jefferson Moorefield-Brown went to the bench after picking up his second foul midway through the first quarter. The junior guard averages 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. After trailing 7-2 early, Exeter was on top 16-14 after eight minutes. Freshman Aidan Dauble hit a triple from the left corner late in the second period to give the Eagles a 32-24 edge. Fox Chapel, which made a four hour and fifteen minute trip from Pittsburgh to Reiffton, was down 33-26 at the break. Alex Kelsey splashed a 3-pointer from the right wing with three and a-half minutes remaining in the third quarter. Exeter was in front 43-34 at that point and 46-39 entering the final period. The (24-6) Eagles used a 7-0 run to jump up 54-45. The (15-12) Foxes responded by scoring ten of the next twelve points. A layup by Kam Greil pulled them within 56-55 with one minute to go. The 5’10 senior point guard finished with a game-high 22 points including eight in the fourth quarter. Greil averages a team-high 13 points and nearly 5 assists. Kelsey, a lefty guard, drove down the right side of the lane for a key bucket with 25 seconds left. Asher White missed a game-tying trey from the right wing and Reece Garvin pulled down the rebound. White, a 6’3 sophomore, connected 51 times from long distance this season. Garvin sank both foul shots for a 60-55 lead with 12 seconds remaining. Greil raced down the court for a layup. Zyion Paschall was then fouled with seven seconds left. The all-county guard made the first free throw, but missed the second attempt. Fox Chapel couldn’t secure the loose ball, however, and Exeter was given possession while up 61-57. Greil received a technical foul for yelling at an official. As tempers flared, Greil and Kelsey were both ejected. Ashcroft expects that Kelsey won’t be able to play in Tuesday’s second round matchup with Mechanicsburg. “It’s huge. He’s your consummate two-way player. He guards the best or the second best option every night. He plays so hard and, oh by the way, he might be the most unselfish guy on the team,” remarked Ashcroft. Kelsey was one of five Eagles in double figures with 13 points off the bench. 6’7 center Anthony Caccese and Garvin had 12 points apiece. Paschall and Kevin Saenz each provided 11. Ashcroft loves how his squad shares the ball. He replied, “In this day and age, it’s so hard to come by that guys truly don’t care who gets the credit…It’s very difficult to scout a team like that.” Exeter went 10-16 from the charity stripe, while the Foxes were 9-11. Moorefield-Brown ended up with 13 points and 6’3 sophomore Caden Kaiser added ten. Fox Chapel dropped seven games this year by five points or less. Penn State freshman tight end Joey Schlaffer returned to cheer on the Eagles. Schlaffer was honorable mention all-division in basketball as a junior. He strongly considered playing again this season before enrolling early at PSU. “He bleeds Exeter blue. Joey is just an awesome kid, always positive [and] such a hard worker,” noted Ashcroft.

Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 10:57:00 +0000

Exeter head coach Matt Ashcroft was expecting a tough game on Thursday in the District 3-5A quarterfinals. Milton Hershey has four District 3 championships on its resume. The Spartans won the Mid-Penn Keystone Division title this year. They came into Reiffton averaging nearly 64 points per game. The Eagles held them to 35 points through three quarters and soared to a 80-58 victory. Ashcroft was very proud of his team. “They played hard, they played smart, they played aggressively, [and] they played in attack mode, said the former Central Catholic and Albright standout. #3 seed Exeter trailed 9-5 early as point guard Larry Onabanwo scored seven points in less than two minutes. Onabanwo had 19 points and eight assists in Milton Hershey’s first round rout of Red Land. The 5’8 senior finished with 16 points against the (21-6) Eagles, but he was limited to three in the second half. Exeter was on top 24-19 after a fast-paced opening period. The Eagles were scoreless for the first three minutes of the second quarter. They switched gears midway through that period and led 41-29 at halftime. The Spartans were shutout for three minutes and 25 seconds of the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Kevin Saenz made it 55-32. The 6’3 junior provided seven points in a 22-6 quarter for the Eagles. Saenz ended up with 17 points in a balanced attack. Teddy Snyder tied his career-high with 19 points. The 6’1 senior drilled five of Exeter’s nine treys. Snyder has 37 points in two District 3 playoff games this postseason. 6’7, 280-pound center Anthony Caccese added 16 points. “He loves competing. He loves playing with his brothers on the team. He’s an outstanding defender, and boy has he stepped up around the basket. He’s been a monster for us down the stretch,” stated Ashcroft. Caccese, a Delaware football commit, was added to the roster for the Big 33 Classic on Thursday. All-County guard Zyion Paschall also reached double digits with 12 points. “It’s drastic the amount of improvement that we’ve seen from Zyion. It’s incredible how good he gets on a week-to-week basis,” noted Ashcroft. The Eagles have won 11 of their last 12 contests. Their 80 points is a season-high. #6 seed Milton Hershey got a game-high 24 points from Malachi Thomas. The 6’3 senior scored ten points in the fourth quarter. The (18-7) Spartans travel to #2 Lampeter-Strasburg on Monday for a consolation game. Exeter will host #7 Hershey in the semifinals. “It’s exciting. It’s a great environment here. The student section obviously brought a lot of energy. We’ll be ready for Hershey come Monday night,” remarked Ashcroft.

Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 23:54:00 +0000

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.

Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:30:00 +0000

Matt Ashcroft never lost faith. The Eagles’ third-year head coach has been telling everyone involved with his program that the team is improving and their record doesn’t reflect how good they are. Despite losing four in a row and seven of their last eight games, the players didn’t waiver either. #6 seed Exeter beat #3 seed Wilson 55-51 in the Berks County quarterfinals at West Lawn. The (11-11) Eagles led 15-12 after the first quarter. Three consecutive layups by Anthony Caccese made it 21-12 early in the second period. The 6’6, 265-pound junior erupted for a career-high 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Caccese (OT) and Colin Payne (QB) were a big part of Exeter’s District 3 championship football team. They came through again with a lot on the line. Caccese and Payne combined for 25 of the Eagles’ 30 points in the first half. Exeter was on top 30-25 at the break. The (14-8) Bulldogs trailed by one point in the third quarter. Payne, who finished with a game-high 21 points, sank a top of the key 3-pointer with thirty seconds remaining in the period. The Eagles held a 43-35 edge entering the fourth quarter. Wilson increased its defensive intensity over the final eight minutes. Turnovers by Exeter allowed the Bulldogs to get out and run. The Eagles’ advantage was trimmed to 50-46 with just over a minute to go when Caccese got a wide open layup. Teddy Snyder (11 points) converted an easy basket after Exeter broke Wilson’s pressure with 24 seconds to play. That shot made it 55-48 until freshman guard Madyx Gruber banked in a triple from the right corner with twelve seconds left. The Bulldogs, who were without head coach Matt Coldren, wouldn’t score again. Coldren received two technical fouls in their previous game at Reading. Ryan Trupe served as head coach against Exeter. Coldren hadn’t missed a game in his 27 years as an assistant and head coach at Wilson. The Eagles held junior point guard Cam Jones to a season-low two points. Ashcroft said it was a team effort, but he gave a lot of credit to 5’9 junior Zyion Paschall. Cleveland Harding ended up with a team-high 14 points. Junior forward Ofure Odiale chipped in with eleven points including seven in the fourth quarter. Gruber and Aidan Melograna each provided eight points off the bench. Melograna hit two of Wilson’s five 3-pointers. All of his points were in the first quarter. The Bulldogs were 8-12 from the charity stripe, while the Eagles went 10-13. Joey Schlaffer missed his fourth straight game for Exeter. The 6’6 junior is out with a left wrist injury. The Penn State football commit averages ten points and seven boards. Ashcroft mentioned that Caccese has shown flashes of dominance, but needs to be more consistent. Payne entered the week as the third-leading scorer in the county at 19ppg. Ashcroft said that the 6’3 senior wouldn’t be denied. Payne drilled three 3-pointers giving him 48 this season. Ashcroft noted that Payne is one of the few players in Berks County who can score at all three levels. Ashcroft knows a little something about filling it up. He was a 1,000-point scorer at Central Catholic before becoming a two-time all-conference selection at Albright where he made 167 triples for the Lions. Ashcroft believes that Santander Arena is one of the best venues in this area. His team will meet Berks Catholic there in the semifinals at 6pm on Wednesday. Ashcroft gave a preview of that matchup and had some fun talking about his former coach Snip Esterly. Wilson will return to action next week as the #9 seed in the District 3-6A playoffs.

Matt Ashcroft-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 19:10:00 +0000

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.