The fifth-seeded Eagles used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Trojans in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Exeter outgained #12 seed Hershey 489-to-214 at Don Thomas Stadium. A pick 6 by Alex Jones pulled the Trojans within 14-12 in the second quarter. The Eagles led 20-12 at halftime.

Josh Jackson ran for 161 yards on eleven carries. He had touchdown runs of 64 and 56 yards. Jackson also caught a 2-yard TD pass from Aidan Gerhart. Donovyn Alvarez added 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries. Gerhart finished 13-of-15 for 205 yards and 2 TD. Markeem Graham emerged with five receptions for 73 yards and a score.

Exeter advanced to the District 3-5A quarterfinals. The (9-2) Eagles travel to #4 seed Spring Grove on Friday. Hershey ended its season at (6-5). The Trojans lost their last four games.

Fleetwood-38, Daniel Boone-0

The Tigers blew out the Blazers in the Eastern Conference Class 4A Championship on Friday night. Fleetwood raced out to a 24-0 advantage at halftime. Chase Adams was 8-of-14 for 186 yards and 3 TD. His touchdown passes went to Jeyzaiah Pletz, Bryce Ryan, and Trey McKinney. Pletz was also a force on defense with two tackles for loss. Adams used his legs for 87 yards on just six carries. Beau Fegely provided a touchdown run and a pair of interceptions. Daniel Boone was held to 132 total yards.

The Tigers finished (5-6) in Mel Fegely’s first season as head coach. He took over for Steve Pangburn who left Fleetwood to take the job at Daniel Boone. The Blazers wound up (2-9) after splitting their first four games.

Berks Catholic-49, Hamburg-20

The (7-4) Saints piled up 360 yards on the ground in the Eastern Conference Class 3A Championship. The visiting Hawks made it 21-13 with 2:48 left in the second quarter thanks to a 28-yard TD run by Blaise Ernst. However, Berks Catholic scored the next 28 points in a row. Ryan Spatz turned eight carries into 161 yards and two touchdowns. Coy Koller reached the end zone three times. He had 125 yards on eleven rushing attempts. Mason Mace showed his versatility with a 16-yard TD run and a 6-yard TD catch.

The Saints outgained Hamburg 418-to-269. Isaac McFadden was 17-of-27 for 164 yards. The sophomore quarterback threw for one score and ran for another. Ernst gained 95 yards on 22 carries. The Hawks wrapped up their season at (6-5). Berks Catholic won its final six games.

The (8-2, 6-0) Bulldogs earned the Section 1 championship on Friday night in Lancaster. Wilson has won 31 section titles overall, the most in Lancaster-Lebanon League history. The Bulldogs led 21-0 after twelve minutes and 35-0 at halftime. Damian Greer returned an interception 14 yards for a score just 90 seconds into the game. Mike Glover made it 14-0 midway through the first quarter with a 2-yard TD run. Sophomore Jaiden Whitehurst followed with a pair of touchdown runs. He finished with 73 yards on seven carries. Cole Peterson was an efficient 6-of-9 for 96 yards. The Bulldogs allowed 187 total yards and only 58 on the ground against the (1-9) Red Tornado.

Exeter-23, Conestoga Valley-13

The (8-2, 6-0) Eagles wrapped up the Section 2 championship with a 74-yard drive late in the game. Donovyn Alvarez’s 1-yard TD run put Exeter on top 23-13 with 1:31 on the clock. That possession included 13 plays and lasted six minutes and fourteen seconds. Alvarez turned 20 carries into 118 yards and 2 TD. Josh Jackson added 99 yards on 21 carries. The Eagles were in front 10-0 at halftime and 10-6 entering the fourth quarter. Conestoga Valley quarterback Camryn Bair pulled the Buckskins within 16-13 on a 4-yard TD run with 7:50 remaining. Conestoga Valley’s defense couldn’t stop Exeter’s rushing attack on the ensuing drive.

Aidan Gerhart went 10-of-15 for 107 yards. He threw a 22-yard TD pass to Braylon Reinert with 1:14 left in the second quarter. Sophomore tight end Cayden Reinert, Braylon’s younger brother, had three catches for 46 yards. The Buckskins fell to (8-2). The fifth-seeded Eagles host Hershey on Friday in the first round of the District 3-5A tournament.

Conrad Weiser-47, Daniel Boone-28

The (6-4) Scouts clinched a spot in the District 3 playoffs, but it wasn’t easy on Friday in Birdsboro. The (2-8) Blazers trailed 28-6 at the half, but got as close as 35-28 with 7:46 to play. An 8-yard TD run by Kole Kupper gave Conrad Weiser a 41-28 advantage. Connor Sellars sealed the deal with a 27-yard touchdown run. The Scouts’ senior quarterback was 7-of-12 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Sellars used his legs for 95 yards on 16 carries. Conrad Weiser ran the ball 46 times for 303 yards. Kupper, a 185-pound junior, piled up 132 yards and 3 TD on 16 carries. Luke Walter and Lincoln Harting led the defense with ten tackles apiece.

Daniel Boone ended up with 304 total yards. Freshman John Burmester went 11-of-25 for 143 yards. Mason Ruffner, Dominic Stoudt, Donovan McKenzie, and Burmester each had a rushing touchdown. Ruffner contributed 53 yards on just three carries. Taran Robinson chipped in with four receptions for 81 yards. Conrad Weiser is the #8 seed in the District 3-4A bracket. The Scouts face ELCO on Friday in Robesonia.

Berks Catholic-30, Lancaster Catholic-14

The (6-4) Saints won their fifth straight game, but missed out on the District 3 playoffs by a slim margin. Berks Catholic’s .577 power ranking was slightly lower than Trinity’s .582 rating. The Shamrocks grabbed the fourth and final berth in the Class 3A tournament. Trinity will visit top-seeded Wyomissing in the District 3 semifinals on Saturday, November 14th at 1pm.

The Saints outgained the Crusaders 330-to-139 on Friday in Lancaster. Berks Catholic turned 43 rushing attempts into 308 yards. Coy Koller ran for 149 yards and 4 TD on 20 carries. The 180-pound junior also came up with an interception on defense. Freshman Lincoln Miller rumbled for 74 yards on ten touches. Mason Mace added 40 yards on a handful of carries. All-State defensive end Faith Zudie was in on 17 tackles. The 6’3, 210-pound senior made two tackles for loss. Lancaster Catholic quarterback Rowan DeMarco was 11-of-23 for 79 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Chris Baumler ran for 57 yards and a score on eleven carries. The (4-6) Crusaders have lost five consecutive games.

Berks Catholic earned a share of the Section 5 championship, along with Schuylkill Valley and Annville-Cleona. The (8-2) Panthers fell to the Dutchmen 56-21 in Week 10. Yama Navarro had a career night. He finished with 411 yards and 6 TD on 36 carries. Schuylkill Valley and Annville-Cleona will square off again on Friday, November 13th. That District 3-3A semifinal will take place in Leesport.

Bell is ranked as the #1 lefty in the Class of 2028. He throws six pitches, including a fastball at 91-93 mph. As a sophomore, he allowed just twelve hits over 41.2 innings. Bell was (6-1) with a 1.01 ERA. He racked up 75 strikeouts with only 14 walks. Bell fired a no-hitter in the BCIAA quarterfinals. The Blazers defeated Oley Valley 2-0. He was a first team All-State selection in Class 5A.

Daniel Boone rolled over Lebanon 55-0 last week. The Blazers handed the Cedars their 53rd consecutive loss. Ruffner ran for 180 yards and four touchdowns. What’s really amazing is that he only needed six carries to put up those numbers. “I gotta give it all to my line. They played a big part in blocking for me and getting me down the field,” noted Ruffner. That offensive line is comprised of four juniors and 290-pound sophomore Dylan Beto. Beto and Jabrae Pratt (6’2, 285) are the tackles with Colt Saudarg (5’11, 270) at center. Chace Jardin and Timmy Kretzman are the guards. They’re joined by senior Tiegan Rickard, a key blocker at tight end. Daniel Boone finished with 397 yards against Lebanon, including 345 on the ground.

Ruffner certainly isn’t the biggest running back in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The 5’6, 155-pound junior gave some advice to younger players who may be undersized. “Don’t ever stop the grind and don’t get down on yourself. You always gotta keep pushing yourself to be better,” emphasized Ruffner. Quarterback Dominic Stoudt can also carry the rock for the Blazers. The 5’10, 190-pound senior ended up with 89 yards and 2 TD on 11 carries. Stoudt was 2-of-4 for 17 yards through the air in Week 1. Jardin, a 195-pound DE, led the defense with six tackles. “He laid the hammer last game. He was running through everybody like a train,” said Ruffner.

Daniel Boone hosts Pottstown this Thursday at 7pm. The Trojans hammered Harriton 53-0 last week. Harriton has decided to suspend its season due to low participation and player safety concerns. Ruffner is optimistic about getting to (2-0). “I think we have a good chance of having another successful game. We gotta have more good blocks,” he stated.