Caccese – Berks Sports Report

Anthony Caccese-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 01:09:00 +0000

When Exeter faced Berks Catholic two weeks ago, Anthony Caccese erupted for a career-high 27 points in a 49-45 win. The Eagles met the Saints again in the Berks Conference semifinals on Wednesday at Santander Arena. As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like deja vu all over again.” Caccese finished with 27 points and eight rebounds in a 59-45 victory. The 6’7, 280-pound senior got off to a great start with eight points in the opening quarter. Caccese was surprised at Berks Catholic’s defense. “I heard they had something special planned for me. I was expecting a little more aggressive help, aggressive double-teams, but it wasn’t really coming as much,” he remarked. The Delaware football commit stayed in the game after picking up his second foul with 6:24 remaining in the second quarter. Head coach Matt Ashcroft never even considered taking his star center off the floor. He trusted Caccese and it paid off. The big man had a putback before the buzzer to put second-seeded Exeter on top 30-24 at halftime. Snip Esterly turned to 6’2 junior forward Javen Diaz in the third quarter, but Caccese couldn’t be stopped. He repeatedly got deep post position for jump hooks and layups. Caccese provided nine points in the final period. The (19-5) Eagles were up 43-34 entering the fourth quarter and the (20-4) Saints never threatened them. Exeter only attempted five 3-pointers. The Eagles preferred to let Caccese go to work in the paint. Zyion Paschall and Kevin Saenz chipped in with ten points apiece. Paschall also helped to limit Ryan Koch to four points. Koch, a Pitt-Johnstown commit, is averaging nearly 14 ppg. with 50 treys. The 6’3 senior has 932 career points. Reece Garvin added seven points and eleven boards. He’s a big part of Exeter’s success defensively. They held third-seeded Berks Catholic 18 points below its season average. “Defense is where we start every game. That’s kind of a staple of Exeter basketball now,” noted Caccese. JayJay Jordan and Josh McKoy each scored 14 points for the Saints. McKoy, a 6’2 junior, nailed four 3-pointers. Jordan increased his career total to 1,144 points. Berks Catholic knocked off the Eagles 41-40 in the county semifinals a season ago. Exeter is marching on this year. “It feels amazing. I’m gonna be all smiles the rest of the night,” replied Caccese. The Eagles have won nine in a row. They advanced to the Berks County championship game for the first time since 1974. Exeter will battle the (23-1) Red Knights on Friday at Santander Arena. Reading blew out fifth-seeded Wilson 54-30 on Wednesday. Yadiel Cruz had 18 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. The 6’2 junior was 7-11 from the field. Ruben Rodriguez piled up 14 points, ten boards, and four steals. Ten of his points came in the second half when the defending county champions pulled away. The (17-7) Bulldogs were within 20-16 at the break. They average 54 points, but managed just 14 over the last 16 minutes. The Red Knights cruised despite going 2-12 from beyond the arc. They were 8-12 from the free throw line. Aidan Melograna had a team-high eight points for Wilson. Reading has won seven straight in the rivalry. The Red Knights are looking for their 25th county title. Caccese and the Eagles stand in their way.

Anthony Caccese-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 02:07:00 +0000

If you’re wondering how exciting Exeter’s 21-17 win at Manheim Central was on Friday night, Anthony Caccese said it was the best game he thinks he ever played in. Keep in mind that Caccese and the Eagles upset Gov. Mifflin for the District 3-5A championship a season ago. Nate Pashley’s interception with 31 seconds left wrapped up the Section 2 championship for Exeter. The undefeated Eagles handed the Barons their first loss in front of 2,241 fans. “It’s emotion overload right now. It feels amazing. I think this is where we belong. We’re gonna keep it going, no plan on stopping,” stated Caccese. The 6’6, 280-pound OT/DT helped Exeter rush for 252 yards while holding Manheim Central to 206 total yards. The Barons entered Week 10 averaging 465 yards per game and 56 points. The top-rated offense in the Lancaster-Lebanon League was shutout in the second half. Aaron Enterline’s incredible 40-yard catch along the left sideline put Manheim Central at the 2-yard line with a minute and a-half remaining. Brycen Armold was thrown for a 3-yard loss on the next play. Lucas Palange then sacked Zac Hahn back at the 15-yard line. That set the stage for Pashley’s pick in the back of the end zone. Coming into Friday, only Wyomissing had allowed fewer points than Exeter in the L-L League. The Eagles held the Barons to 84 yards on the ground. Armold finished with 99 yards on 24 carries. The 5’8, 172-pound junior surpassed 1,700 rushing yards this season. Hahn ended up 10-of-20 for 122 yards and a touchdown. Enterline made big plays in all three phases of the game. The 6’2, 180-pound junior had two interceptions including one in the end zone with 8:37 to go in the fourth quarter. Enterline caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 11 early in the second quarter. Three minutes later, he returned a punt 73 yards for a score which gave Manheim Central a 17-7 advantage. Exeter has a prime time pass catcher as well in Penn State commit Joey Schlaffer. After Mason Rotelli took a big hit, Schlaffer took one snap at quarterback and it was certainly a memorable one. The 6’6, 215-pound senior took off down the left sideline before cutting back all the way across the field. He managed to stretch the football across the goal line before going down. That 70-yard touchdown got the Eagles right back in it. They trailed 17-14 with just over five minutes before halftime. I asked Caccese what makes Schlaffer such a special talent. He replied, “He’s huge, but he’s one of the fastest guys on the field. He’s one of the shiftiest guys on the field. He’s pretty unstoppable.” Caccese, who’s committed to Delaware, also had plenty of nice things to say about Richie Karstien. The 215-pound senior rumbled for 155 yards and 2TD on 30 carries. “This man is a dog. If there’s a kid in the hole, he don’t care. He’s gonna run right through you and get an extra five yards. That’s what he does,” emphasized Caccese. Karstien capped a 14-play, 87-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown on Exeter’s opening possession. He put the Eagles up for good on a 3-yard plunge with 7:25 left in the third period. Exeter only needed to go 50 yards on that series because of a key kickoff return by Pashley. Karstien has 1,151 rushing yards and 17TD this year. Rotelli was 4-of-10 for 62 yards. Schlaffer reeled in two passes for 49 yards. Exeter is ranked second in the state in Class 5A. Manheim Central was #6 in 4A. The Barons have won a record 18 District 3 titles. They’re eight victories shy of 600. This is the football program’s 75th season. The Eagles have recent history on their side. They rolled over the Barons 43-26 in the District 3-5A quarterfinals last year. This time they left Manheim with the Section 2 championship. Caccese likes the odds of Exeter repeating as District 3 champs. “I think the chances are looking pretty high. I think we definitely got the motivation. We got the guys and we got the grit to go get it done,” he said.

Anthony Caccese-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 18:32:00 +0000

There are some things in sports that you can’t teach. You either have it or you don’t. Size is one of those things. Measurables are very important when it comes to getting noticed by Division I football programs. Anthony Caccese has the frame that college coaches love to see. The rising senior at Exeter has received a lot of attention this summer. The 6’6, 270-pound offensive tackle has more than twenty Division I offers. Caccese would like to be around 285 pounds before he heads off to college. He expects to add more weight there. The second team all-county OT told me that he wants to announce where he’s attending before the high school football season gets underway. His offers include Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Colgate, and Lafayette. A quality education is something that Caccese values. He said, “I don’t want to just go to school and play football. I want to go to school and come out with a good degree that means something. It’s definitely important.” Caccese attended camps last month at Penn State and Maryland. His athleticism stood out to the coaches, but he knows that he needs to improve his flexibility and strength. Caccese helped to open holes for Eric Nangle last year. The all-state RB selection in Class 5A ran for 1,824 yards and 21 touchdowns. The (10-4) Eagles averaged 38 points and 387 yards per game. They claimed the first District 3 football championship in school history by upsetting #1 seed Gov. Mifflin 31-28. The Eagles had lost to the Mustangs 54-21 in the regular season. Caccese admitted that he still watches the film of the District 3 Final often. Fifteen seniors, including record-setting quarterback Colin Payne, have moved on from that memorable team. However, Caccese still has extremely high expectations for the 2022 season. Exeter will be part of Section 2 of the new Lancaster-Lebanon League along with Gov. Mifflin, Manheim Central, Warwick, Lebanon, Conestoga Valley, and Muhlenberg. Caccese acknowledged that he’ll miss playing Berks Catholic. Joey Schlaffer, one of Caccese’s best friends, will once again be a focal point of the Eagles’ offense. The PSU commit piled up 48 catches for 834 yards last year. Schlaffer finished second in Berks County with 9 TD receptions. Don’t be surprised if the 6’6 tight end makes the transition to quarterback. Exeter will open the season versus rival Daniel Boone. Caccese mentioned that he would prefer not to enroll in college early because he really enjoys playing basketball. “I think I could have a great year and I want to improve at that too. I want to win. I want to get in the playoffs and do something big on the basketball court.” Caccese contributed nearly 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per contest as a junior while shooting 54% from the field. He poured in a career-high 19 points at Wilson in the Berks County quarterfinals. He also grabbed 13 boards in that 55-51 victory. The Eagles qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 1999. They gave Chester all the Clippers could handle in the opening round before falling 61-52. Caccese had a monster night with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He was in double digits in six of Exeter’s last seven games. We had some fun talking about his nickname “Cheese.” I also learned that Caccese is a fan of “Stranger Things.” He revealed what show he’s waiting to watch next. Meanwhile, several college football coaches are waiting to see where the soft-spoken OT from Reiffton decides to continue his education.

Anthony Caccese-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 22:20:00 +0000

Anthony Caccese and Allen Iverson don’t see eye to eye, and it’s not just because Iverson is 6’ while Exeter’s junior center is 6’6. Caccese and Iverson apparently have very different views on practice. Yes, we’re talking about practice. Caccese told me that the Eagles had an outstanding practice on Sunday and that momentum carried into Monday’s Berks County quarterfinal at third-seeded Wilson. Exeter held off the Bulldogs 55-51 in a tense matchup of Division 1 foes. The (11-11) Eagles entered the playoffs as the #6 seed after losing four straight and seven of their last eight games. Caccese said everything was clicking at yesterday’s practice and it showed against the (14-8) Bulldogs. He piled up a career-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. The Eagles soared to a 21-12 advantage early in the second quarter. They were in front 30-25 at halftime thanks in large part to Caccese’s 13 points. Wilson climbed within one point in the third quarter. Colin Payne, the third-leading scorer in the county at 19ppg., nailed a top of the key trey with thirty seconds remaining in the period. Exeter was on top 43-35 entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs didn’t go away quietly. The front court duo of 6’3 junior Ofure Odiale and 6’4 senior Foday Sillah combined for 11 points in the final period. They trailed 50-46 when Caccese converted a wide open layup with 1:10 to go. The Eagles beat Wilson’s pressure which resulted in a layup for Teddy Snyder with 24 seconds left. The 6’1 junior had eleven points. It was 55-48 until freshman guard Madyx Gruber banked in a triple from the right corner with 12 seconds to play. The Bulldogs wouldn’t get any closer. Exeter was 10-13 from the free throw line, while Wilson went 8-12. Payne ended up with a game-high 21 points. The 6’3 senior knocked down three of Exeter’s five 3-pointers. Payne was a record-setting quarterback on the Eagles’ District 3 championship football team. The 265-pound Caccese is a second team all-county offensive tackle. I asked Caccese about their chemistry and he answered, “I know him like he’s my brother.” Caccese mentioned how playing in so many big football games is benefiting him on the court. We discussed the emerging rivalry between Exeter and Wilson. They split their two matchups in the regular season. Caccese emphasized how the Eagles kept their composure and controlled the pace this time around. They also limited standout point guard Cam Jones to two points. Jones came in averaging 13 points and poured in 18 the last time these teams squared off. Cleveland Harding had a team-high 14 points and Odiale chipped in with eleven. Gruber and Aidan Melograna provided eight points apiece off the Bulldogs’ bench. All eight of Melograna’s points were in the first quarter when Wilson fell behind 15-12. The Bulldogs were without head coach Matt Coldren. He received two technical fouls in their previous contest at Reading. This was the first game that Coldren has missed in 27 years as an assistant and head coach at Wilson. The Bulldogs will be the #9 seed in the District 3-6A tournament which begins next week. Meanwhile, the Eagles are headed to downtown Reading on Wednesday. They’ll face Berks Catholic at 6pm in the county semifinals. Caccese is really looking forward to playing at Santander Arena.

Anthony Caccese-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 20:18:00 +0000

The Eagles are averaging 219 rushing yards per game and nearly seven yards per carry! Give credit to the offensive line which includes 6’6, 265-pound RT Anthony Caccese. The junior, who also plays basketball, gets some action at DE too. Caccese told me that former Exeter and Penn State standout Michal Menet is a big inspiration to him. I asked Caccese how significant a win over Gov. Mifflin would be on Friday and he responded, “it would mean the world.” The Mustangs have taken 14 of the last 15 meetings with the Eagles. Exeter put up 77 points last week vs. Muhlenberg and 42 the week before at West York. Caccese said they’re getting better and better as the season moves along. We also discussed his favorite classes and his nickname.