Eagles – Berks Sports Report

Exeter QB out with Shoulder Injury

Paul Roberts — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:29:53 +0000

Berks Sports Report has learned that Exeter quarterback Riley Martinez needs surgery after suffering a shoulder injury last Friday at Boyertown. Martinez is expected to miss the rest of the season. The 6’3, 205-pound senior is a three-year starter for the Eagles. He was 7-of-10 for 159 yards and three touchdowns this season. Exeter hosts Pleasant Valley tonight. The Eagles are (2-0) and ranked #5 in the state in Class 5A by PennLive.

Jake Hafer, an All-County baseball player, will take over at quarterback as he did last fall. Martinez fractured his right leg in Week 7 of the 2024 season. Hafer started six games last year and helped Exeter reach the District 3-5A Championship. The 6’3, 190-pound senior finished 31-of-57 for 535 yards a season ago. Hafer tossed five touchdowns along with two interceptions. He’s 4-of-7 for 71 yards this year with a TD pass and a pick. Hafer also has five carries for 42 yards and a pair of scores. The Eagles beat Boyertown 28-10 last week.

Riley Martinez-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 23:33:03 +0000

Riley Martinez suffered a fractured fibula in his right leg during a Week 7 matchup with Muhlenberg last year. That injury has given Exeter’s quarterback a new perspective. “I learned I can’t take anything for granted…it’s been a long journey,” remarked Martinez. The 6’3, 205-pound senior burst onto the scene in Reiffton as a sophomore when he threw for nearly 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns. Despite missing time last fall, Martinez finished with 1,016 passing yards and 16 TD. He took care of the football, ending the season with just three interceptions.

The (12-2, 5-1) Eagles reached the District 3 Championship for the third time in four years. After falling to Bishop McDevitt 48-14, Martinez said they took about two weeks off and then got right back to work. That meant hitting the weight room from 5:45-7:30am. “It’s been a grind, but we all lead our younger guys to want to be as great as we can on and off the field,” noted Martinez. Exeter returns seven starters on each side of the ball. The Eagles have great depth at tight end including Aidan Dauble, Braylon Reinert, and Berks Catholic transfer Jackson Kozik. Dauble (16 ppg.) and Reinert were starters on Exeter’s basketball team, along with WR/DB Jayden Ware. Dauble, a three-year starter, piled up 67 tackles in 2024. The 6’2, 215-pound senior was voted a first team linebacker in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Ware (6’, 160) had seven touchdown receptions and a team-high three interceptions. Jake Hafer and Jake Franek, both baseball players, will join Ware in the receiving corps this fall. Hafer filled in admirably at quarterback when Martinez was hurt last season. The speedy Leo Brown has big shoes to fill at running back. All-State selection Jayden Zandier set single season and career rushing records last year. Zandier ran for 2,086 yards and 30 TD a season ago. Logan Wegman, another All-State pick, has moved on to the Naval Academy. However, the Eagles return three starters on the offensive line. Joel Ummarino, Kevin Oswalt, and Andre Osborne are back in the trenches. Ummarino (6’1, 270) was a first team DL and a second team OL in Section 2 last year. He racked up 12.5 tackles for loss. Oswalt won the BCIAA individual wrestling championship at 215 pounds as a sophomore. He was named a second team OL/DL in Section 2 in 2024. Exeter has put together 14 consecutive winning seasons, and Martinez likes how this group is getting along. “We’re gonna have the better chemistry so we can outperform them on the field, even if they’re better on paper,” he replied.

Matt Bauer is entering his 17th season at the helm. He owns the school record for victories with 125. The Eagles have won 106 games over the past twelve years. Exeter opens its season versus rival Daniel Boone on August 22nd at Don Thomas Stadium. This will be their 67th meeting. The Eagles haven’t lost to the Blazers since 2011. Exeter travels to Conestoga Valley in Week 9 for a key Section 2 battle. The Buckskins prevailed 28-27 in the regular season last year, but the Eagles got revenge with a 48-14 rout in the District 3-5A semifinals. Exeter has qualified for the District 3 tournament 13 times in the past 14 seasons. Martinez is healthy and looking to do big things this fall. “We’re gonna try and put on a show this year,” he stated.

Gavin Miller-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sun, 11 May 2025 12:15:57 +0000

Exeter started this month with a 8-1 loss to Fleetwood. “We were kind of dead. It was the end of the year. We were really tired, but we had a little break and got our get back,” said Gavin Miller. The Eagles were motivated for their BCIAA quarterfinal against the Tigers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Miller threw a complete game five-hitter as Exeter defeated Fleetwood 4-1. The Shepherd University commit finished with five strikeouts and no walks. “I preach don’t let anyone get free on base. It’s very important. It doesn’t let them get the momentum,” emphasized Miller. The hard-throwing senior righty has allowed just 26 hits over 40.2 innings this season. Miller (6-0, 1.38) has piled up 50 strikeouts and only eight walks. The game was suspended on Thursday night at Owls Field due to rain. It resumed on Saturday afternoon in the top of the 2nd with one out and a man on second base. Chase Youse, who entered the day with five hits all season, ripped a RBI double to right-center. The No. 8 hitter went 2-for-2 with a walk on his birthday. Youse knocked in a pair of runs and made a nice catch in center field. The fourth-seeded Tigers stranded a runner on third in the 3rd when Brayden Sobjak lined out sharply to right field. They put men on first and second with one out in the 4th, but Miller got a strikeout and popup to end the threat. Youse began the 5th with a walk. A popup that was dropped would lead to two unearned runs for the fifth-seeded Eagles. Brenton Feathers provided a sacrifice fly to center. Jake Franek followed with a high chopper over the third baseman’s head for a RBI single. A two-out bloop single to center by Youse made it 4-0 in the 6th. Sobjak led off the bottom half of that inning with a triple to right field. He scored Fleetwood’s lone run on an infield single by sophomore Gabe Seidel. Nick Noll took the loss despite pitching well. The senior southpaw went the distance for the (13-6) Tigers. He was charged with four runs, two earned, on nine hits. Noll struck out four and walked one. Carter Redding went 3-for-4 and raised his average to .453. “He had an amazing game…He’s been a really important piece to our team all year. He’s getting on base. He’s very fast,” noted Miller. Redding is going to East Stroudsburg for football. He also played basketball at Exeter. Sophomore catcher Brandon Weller added two hits. The (15-6) Eagles will take on top-seeded Gov. Mifflin in the nightcap at FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday. Wyomissing and Berks Catholic meet in the first Berks League semifinal at 3:30pm. Exeter went (4-8) in league play last spring and missed the postseason. “Last year, we had a very young team. This year, we grew into our own. We trust our coaches and our team chemistry has been a lot better,” stated Miller.

Ben Kulp-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:29:56 +0000

Wilson squared off with Exeter in a Division 1 matchup at Reiffton on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs hadn’t played since last Thursday when they were blanked 1-0 in twelve innings at Muhlenberg. Wilson’s bats came alive early against Kamren Martin. The 6’3 junior entered the day with a (3-0) record and a 0.98 ERA. After Ryan Marmolejos was hit by a pitch, Christo Hunsicker launched a triple to center field in the top of the 1st. Ben Kulp followed with a RBI groundout and the Bulldogs were quickly on top 2-0. The (10-3) Eagles got one run back in the bottom half of the frame. Sophomore catcher Brandon Weller ripped a 2-out RBI triple to center. That would end up being one of only two hits allowed by Kulp in a 6-1 victory. The 6’2, 215-pound junior threw 97 pitches over 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. Kulp turned to his curveball after struggling with the slider. “It was an all right day out on the mound, not everything was working,” he said. Kulp (3-1, 0.81) has been much better than just all right this spring. He’s only given up 13 hits while piling up 34 strikeouts in 26 innings. The right-hander, who also plays water polo, got himself in better shape during the offseason. “I did a lot of explosive work and a lot of sprinting to train your body to move faster,” he explained. “I try to stay away from carbs, definitely high protein intake,” added Kulp. He helped himself by going 2-for-4 with a RBI. “I love swinging the bat,” he replied. Wilson went in front 3-1 in the 3rd when courtesy runner Colby Kostelac scored following two wild pitches by Martin. Kulp, who bats from the left side, led off that inning with a double down the right field line. Exeter stranded runners on third base in the first, fourth, and fifth innings. Kulp stopped each of those threats with a strikeout. The (7-3) Bulldogs broke it open with three runs in the 6th. Marmolejos provided a 2-run triple to left-center. The talented sophomore second baseman was 1-for-2 with two runs scored. He’s hitting .333 this year. Hunsicker knocked in Marmolejos with another triple to center field. “Breathing room is nice because then you’re not stressing every pitch,” said Kulp. Hunsicker leads the team with six extra-base hits. The Millersville commit has three doubles and three triples through ten games. He had two of Wilson’s nine hits off of Martin. The tall righty allowed six runs over 5.1 innings. He struck out four, walked two, and hit three batters. Senior Kaden Ballas got the final four outs for the Bulldogs without giving up a hit. Wilson ended its scoring drought and snapped the Eagles’ six-game winning streak. The Bulldogs claimed their 13th Berks League championship in 2024. On Wednesday, they showed that they’re a contender again this spring.

Kamren Martin-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:51:24 +0000

In six career starts, Kamren Martin has thrown two no-hitters. The Exeter junior continued to impress with another quality outing against Twin Valley on Wednesday in Reiffton. The 6’3 righty allowed one earned run on six hits over 6.1 innings as the Eagles held off the Raiders 3-2. “I definitely could’ve located my off-speed [pitches] a little better. They couldn’t hit the fastball and that’s what took me all the way,” explained Martin. He struck out seven and walked four to improve to (3-0) with a 0.98 ERA. Martin has 22 strikeouts over 21.1 innings, while giving up just a dozen hits. Twin Valley put together three singles in the first inning, but only managed one run. Luke Wagner, a senior catcher who’s committed to Alvernia, delivered a RBI single through the left side with two outs. Brandon Weller helped Martin by throwing out two runners attempting to steal second base in the first two innings. The promising sophomore catcher is hitting .321 with a team-high five doubles and ten RBI. Exeter put two runs on the board in the 3rd. Aiden Rhoades, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a double to center. Jake Hafer followed with a triple to deep right field. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Chase Youse to make it 2-1. Hafer is off to a red hot start to the year. He has a .469 batting average with three doubles and three triples. Hafer went 2-for-3 on Wednesday. The 6’2 southpaw is (2-0, 0.88) on the mound. “He’s definitely a dog on this team,” said Martin. The (8-2) Eagles added an important run in the 5th. Rhoades scored on a double steal to give them a 3-1 advantage. The (4-3) Raiders made things interesting late. Logan Crunkleton ripped a RBI double to left-center with nobody out in the top of the 6th. Wagner then hit a ball down the third base line that could’ve been trouble for Exeter. However, Brenton Feathers dove to his right, knocked down the ball, and then threw out Crunkleton who was trying to get back to second base. “That’s definitely a game changer. If he doesn’t get that, they could score a lot more runs,” emphasized Martin. Luke Raines grounded into a double play to end the inning. Martin walked two in the top of the 7th and was taken out after throwing 97 pitches, 61 for strikes. Junior Liam Porter earned the save with back-to-back strikeouts of Brody Majeski and Stevenson commit Ben Vaughan. “It’s huge to have a closer that can come in and finish your work for you,” replied Martin. Kooper Zdimal went the distance for Twin Valley. He limited the Eagles to two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Zdimal (3-1, 1.17) is headed to Kutztown University where his brother Kannon is a sophomore pitcher. The Eagles’ extended their winning streak to four. Gavin Miller hurled a gem in a 10-2 victory over Muhlenberg on Tuesday. “We definitely have a really solid rotation this year,” stated Martin. Miller (3-0, 1.58) is committed to Division II Shepherd. The senior has piled up 27 strikeouts with only two walks in 17.2 innings. Exeter only had two seniors in its starting lineup last year when the Eagles finished (11-9, 4-8). They’re now second in the District 3-5A power rankings behind Palmyra. “I hope to go all the way. We definitely have the talent,” said Martin.

Exeter falls to Hershey in District 3 Final

Paul Roberts — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 22:42:49 +0000

Exeter limited Hershey to seven points in the first quarter of the District 3-5A championship on Friday night. However, the eighth-seeded Eagles couldn’t slow down the second-seeded Trojans over the final 24 minutes at the Giant Center. Hershey defeated Exeter 69-49 for its third District 3 title overall and first since 1974. The (15-12) Eagles were in front 11-7 after the opening quarter. They were outscored 20-to-4 in the second period. The (22-3) Trojans trailed 15-12 before rattling off 15 straight points. “We turned the ball over more in the second quarter and allowed them to get out in transition. They also did a good job on the offensive glass getting second chance opportunities,” explained Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder. The Eagles committed eight turnovers in the second period. Aidan Dauble and Brady Murray were scoreless in the first half. They average 16 and 13 points per game respectively. Cameron Sweeney, a 6’3 junior guard, jammed nine points into the second quarter. “He’s elite in transition and a very good offensive rebounder. He cuts so well off the ball even in transition. I thought in the half-court we did a very good job on him, but he got us in transition and on the offensive glass,” said VanGorder. Sweeney finished with 28 points including eleven in the fourth quarter. Jayden Ware hit a triple from the left corner to pull Exeter within 44-32 with ten seconds remaining in the third period. The 6’1 junior had a team-high 17 points. Grant Later came off the Trojans’ bench and drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing. On their next possession, Sweeney converted a three-point play to give Hershey a 55-37 cushion with 5:15 to play. James Campbell came alive in the third quarter and ended up with a dozen points. The 6’6 senior guard is committed to Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. Jack Zakovitch provided a spark off the pine with ten points. The Trojans went 6-of-10 from the foul line, while the Eagles were 12-of-23. Each team made three 3-pointers. Paul Blackburn earned his 434th career victory, perhaps none bigger than this one. Blackburn is in his 27th year as a head coach. He’s spent fifteen years at Hershey. Dauble chipped in with eight points for Exeter. Murray and Carter Redding, both seniors, had six points apiece. The Eagles beat Middletown and York Suburban in overtime to reach the District 3-5A Final. “Very proud of the guys for not only this playoff run, but the entire season so far. We played a tough schedule that was more of a 6A type schedule. I believed we were a top team in 5A all season long and they went out and proved it,” noted VanGorder. Exeter will now prepare for the state tournament which begins on Friday, March 7th. “They have represented the school and community in the very best ways possible. I’m excited for them to host a state playoff game,” replied VanGorder.

Brady Murray-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 05:21:56 +0000

Brady Murray has made more 3-pointers than any player in Berks County this season. Exeter’s 6’2 senior guard gives all the credit to his father. “I couldn’t do it without him. He’s the whole reason why I’m a good shooter so shout out to my dad,” said Murray. During the summer, Brady practices his jump shot with his dad every day. Brady will take at least three hundred 3-pointers. The offseason work is paying off. Murray hit five triples and scored a game-high 19 points in a 58-50 win over Spring Grove on Friday night. The (14-11) Eagles advanced to the District 3-5A semifinals on Tuesday at York Suburban. Exeter jumped all over the (11-13) Rockets who were coming off a 45-38 upset of top-seeded Manheim Central. The Eagles led 11-0 after a steal and layup by Jayden Ware with three minutes left in the opening quarter. Cooper Smith, Spring Grove’s leading scorer at 12 ppg., picked up his second foul and headed to the bench just 34 seconds into the second period. Exeter built a 25-9 cushion with four and a-half minutes remaining in the first half. It was 28-13 at the break, but Murray and his teammates understood that they couldn’t relax against the #16 seed. “We knew that they played a really hard schedule like us. We knew that they were battle-tested. It wasn’t like a walk in the park,” emphasized Murray. The Rockets are part of Division 1 in the York-Adams League which includes all Class 6A schools. They caught fire in the third quarter. Six of their ten treys came during that eight minute span. Smith and Kayleb Allen each connected three times from beyond the arc in the third period. Murray responded with a pair of long range shots to keep Spring Grove at a distance. The eighth-seeded Eagles were on top 43-33 entering the fourth quarter. Murray splashed another trey from the top of the key with six and a-half minutes to go. The Rockets were down 48-37 before going on an 8-to-2 run. Owen Renda, who provided seven points off the bench, sank a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to 50-45 with three minutes to play. Aidan Dauble, who poured in 22 points in the first round of the tournament, had back-to-back buckets to increase Exeter’s edge to 54-45 with 55 seconds left. After Dom Pierre knocked down a triple, Carter Redding went 2-for-2 from the foul line to make it 56-48 with 37 seconds remaining. Ware sealed the victory with a breakaway layup with 21 seconds on the clock. Murray thought having home-court advantage was important. “It was great. Fans really were into it, our bench was into it. It’s always fun playing here. I love the rims,” he replied. Dauble (13) and Redding (11) combined for 24 points. Ware chipped in with nine. The Eagles were just 4-of-9 from the charity stripe, but they made eight 3-pointers. Murray has connected 73 times from long range this season. Allen, a 6’2 junior guard, finished with a team-high 14 points. He hit four triples. Pierre added a dozen points. The 6’4 senior had eight points in the fourth quarter. Smith, a 6’3 junior, scored all eleven of his points in the second half. Spring Grove was 2-of-6 from the free throw line. The Rockets outscored Exeter 37-to-30 after halftime. They’ve clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the third time in program history. Spring Grove didn’t qualify for the District 3 tournament a season ago. The Eagles earned their first District 3 championship in 2023. They’re headed back to the Final Four in Class 5A. “I want this season to last as long as possible. I love these guys. I love this team. They’re really fun to be around,” said Murray.

Aidan Dauble-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:16:36 +0000

Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder was extremely disappointed that Aidan Dauble wasn’t named to the All-County team on Sunday. The 6’2 junior guard used that snub to fuel him on Tuesday night against Middletown. “It motivated me a lot because that was one of my goals this season. To not get it really made me strive to do good tonight and push through it,” remarked Dauble. He scored a game-high 22 points as the eighth-seeded Eagles outlasted the ninth-seeded Blue Raiders 60-53 in overtime in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Dauble nailed a 3-pointer with two minutes left in the extra period to put Exeter on top 54-51. “Carter [Redding] came off a screen and I’m trailing him. I had a little bit of space and I was feeling good all game so I just let it fly,” explained Dauble. After Aleel Batts missed a tough scoop shot in the lane, Braylon Reinert sank a pair of free throws with 1:10 remaining. Avery Askins misfired on a triple from the right corner on the next possession. Redding then converted four consecutive foul shots to extend the Eagles’ margin to 60-51 with 24 seconds to go. Exeter outscored Middletown 11-to-4 in overtime. Reinert finished with 17 points including nine after the third quarter. The 6’4 sophomore tied it at 49-49 in the final seconds of regulation. VanGorder used a baseline out of bounds play called “4 down” for the first time this season, and it worked to perfection. The Eagles had four players along the baseline, while the Blue Raiders were in a zone defense. One defender ran to the right corner to cover sharpshooter Brady Murray, but they left Reinert wide open underneath the basket for an easy layup. Landon Keyser went 1-for-2 from the free throw line with 14 seconds to play which made it 49-47. The 5’11 senior, who averages 8 ppg., had 17 points. Batts led Middletown with 19 points. The crafty 6’ senior went 3-for-6 from the stripe. “He got to the free throw line a lot. He was able to get downhill and use a slow step to get to the basket. He’s a good player,” said Dauble. Batts is providing nearly 22 points a night this year. Kylin Noon, a 6’2 freshman forward, chipped in with seven points off the bench. The (13-10) Blue Raiders won the Colonial Division of the Mid-Penn Conference. They trailed 17-6 late in the opening quarter at Reiffton. Middletown went on a 14-to-3 run to even things up at 20-20 with 3:15 left in the first half. Exeter was down 25-24 at the break after getting outscored 15-to-7 in the second period. Murray splashed a 3-pointer from the right wing with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. His 68th trey of the season put the (13-11) Eagles in front 37-30. Batts scored five points to cut the deficit to 39-38 with 5:18 to go. A layup by Askins gave the Blue Raiders a 41-39 lead with 3:45 to play. That was his first bucket of the contest. He made another layup one minute later for a 43-41 edge. Jayden Ware answered on the other end with a drive for Exeter. The 6’1 junior had eight points, as well as the difficult task of guarding Batts. Keyser scored along the baseline with 1:40 left and Middletown regained the lead at 45-44. Dauble was then whistled for an offensive foul which wiped his bucket off the board. Keyser connected twice from the foul line with 39 seconds remaining to give the Blue Raiders a 48-45 advantage. A layup by Murray cut the deficit to one point with 21 seconds to go. The 6’2 senior guard ended up with seven points. The Eagles were 13-of-20 from the charity stripe, while Middletown went 10-of-19. The Blue Raiders made just one 3-pointer. They fell into the consolation bracket after dropping their fifth straight game. The Eagles advanced to the District 3-5A quarterfinals and clinched a berth in the state tournament. Exeter hosts #16 seed Spring Grove on Friday at 7pm. The Rockets upset top-seeded Manheim Central 45-38. “It’s crazy. It’s gonna feel amazing with the home crowd for a second round game in District’s. We’re ready to win,” stated Dauble. He’s averaging 16.6 points and nine rebounds while shooting 51% from the field. Dauble is one of four football players that start on the basketball team. The Eagles reached the District 3-5A championship game this fall. They’re motivated to make another run on the court.

Jeff VanGorder-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:07:18 +0000

Exeter’s boys basketball team hasn’t enjoyed smooth sailing during the 2024-25 campaign. The Eagles’ game at Berks Catholic was a microcosm of the season. Exeter overcame adversity and shooting woes to beat the Saints 48-40. The (6-6, 3-1) Eagles outscored Berks Catholic 35-to-19 in the second half. “I told our guys stick with it, we’re gonna be fine. Guys are learning on the fly. This was a big growing up moment. I’m excited moving forward,” said head coach Jeff VanGorder. He had to replace three starters who each averaged double digits, including All-County selection Kevin Saenz. Exeter was scoreless for four and a-half minutes on Thursday evening at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The (8-3, 3-2) Saints jumped out to a 9-0 advantage. The Eagles didn’t score for the first three minutes of the second quarter and found themselves in a 18-6 hole. Aidan Dauble provided a much-needed offensive spark when he banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer. Berks Catholic was on top 21-13 at the break. Kingston McKoy’s three-point play made it 30-25 with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter. McKoy, a 6’2 junior, had 16 points after 24 minutes. The All-State guard was limited to one point in the final period. Exeter used a 3-2 zone defense with Jayden Ware in the middle. “Our goal was to make him see black jerseys everywhere. We were gonna have to live with some other guys on their team making some shots…Jayden just blanketed him,” explained VanGorder. Brady Murray drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Eagles their first lead at 35-32 with 5:10 left. VanGorder mentioned that Murray had been fading away on his jumper because McKoy was guarding him. “He stepped into that one. Right when he stepped into it, I go ‘bang.’ It was a Jay Wright moment. I’m really proud of him for sticking with it,” added VanGorder. Carter Redding followed Murray with another triple to increase the margin to 38-32. Meanwhile, the Saints went scoreless for five minutes in the fourth quarter. A layup by Ware made it 40-37 with 1:31 to go. Gavin Welker’s trey from the right corner popped out on the ensuing possession. Dauble and Dylan Donate then went 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Exeter had seized control at 44-37 with 44 seconds to play. Welker connected from beyond the arc with 14 seconds remaining, but Berks Catholic was still down 46-40. That was the Saints’ first field goal of the quarter. Welker, a 6’2 junior, provided eight points while Zach Suski was held to six. Suski had been averaging 14 ppg. Redding led a balanced Eagles’ attack with ten points. Murray contributed nine points and 6’4 sophomore Braylon Reinert chipped in with seven. Reinert provided a presence inside and helped on the glass. He’s one of a handful of football players in VanGorder’s rotation. Dauble and Ware had eight points apiece. They helped Exeter reach the District 3-5A football championship game during the fall. The Eagles sealed the victory by going 15-of-18 from the foul line. The Saints were 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. Each team made three 3-pointers. Exeter got key contributions from everyone who stepped on the floor. “I told them at the start of the fourth quarter, no matter what happened, I was the most proud of a group that I’ve ever been based on circumstances,” said VanGorder.

Exeter drops Opener to Cedar Crest

Paul Roberts — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:18:23 +0000

Exeter got off to a hot start in its first game of the season. The Eagles were knocking down 3-pointers all over the gym and led Cedar Crest 12-2. “Our guys came out with a lot of energy and were locked in defensively and offensively,” said second-year head coach Jeff VanGorder. However, the long range bombs missed the target after the opening quarter in a 59-53 loss to Cedar Crest at the CoBL Winter Classic. Five of Exeter’s eight triples came in the first period. The Eagles struggled from beyond the arc until Carter Redding hit a pair of treys in the final minute when the game was out of reach. “I think we fatigued a little in the end of the second quarter and to start the third. We have some guys coming off a very successful football season who are still getting into game shape,” noted VanGorder. Four of his starters were part of a football team that reached the District 3-5A Championship game. Exeter was on top 28-23 at halftime. The Falcons outscored the Eagles 20-11 in the third period. Isaac Wolfe, one of ten seniors on Tommy Smith’s roster, nailed a 3-pointer to begin the fourth quarter. That ignited a key 6-0 run that put Cedar Crest in front 49-39. The defending Lancaster-Lebanon League champions had a 57-43 advantage with two and a-half minutes remaining. Danny Speaks finished with a game-high 15 points. Wolfe added eleven points and 6’7 senior RJ Young had ten. Young provided seven points in the pivotal third period. The Falcons were just 9-of-19 from the free throw line. They missed seven foul shots in the final quarter. Exeter was 5-of-10 from the charity stripe. Redding and Brady Murray scored 13 points apiece. Aidan Dauble chipped in with a dozen points including six in the fourth quarter. The Eagles (19) and Falcons (21) combined for 40 wins a season ago, but these are much different squads. Cedar Crest had to replace four starters. Exeter lost three starters including All-County selection Kevin Saenz who averaged 16 points. VanGorder appreciates the early season competition. “This is a great opportunity for us to learn what competing against a 6A or 5A playoff team takes. That is an outstanding coach and program who made us better as we continue to get first-year varsity players up to speed,” he replied. The Eagles host Penncrest tonight at 7:45pm. Five games are on tap today in Reiffton.