Exeter faces heavyweight challenge in 17-time district champ Bishop McDevitt
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Bishop McDevitt has been so dominant in recent seasons that it was moved up a classification for this season to 5A by the PIAA’s “Success Formula.”
When the Mid-Penn Conference realigned before this season the Crusaders were bumped up to the Commonwealth Division, where the league’s Class 6A heavyweights reside: Harrisburg, State College, Central Dauphin, Cumberland Valley.
Most coaches would cry foul after such a double-whammy; Crusaders coach Jeff Weachter welcomed the challenge.
“It was no fun (dominating the Keystone Division) when you can only play your starters for half a game,” Weachter said. “We were glad.”
Weachter has no illusions his guys won’t get a full workout Friday in the District 3 Class 5A championship game against Exeter at Elco at 7. The Eagles (12-1), he said, are physical and fast and would fit right in with the big boys of the Commonwealth.
“They’ve got the size,” he said. “They’ve got some guys with decent speed. The running back’s really good.”
The running back, of course, is All-State tailback Jayden Zandier, who last week cruised past the 2,000-yard mark and tacked on four more touchdowns in Exeter’s demolition of unbeaten Conestoga Valley.
Exeter’s front line is playing so well right now that Zandier had his way against the stunned Buckskins. His offensive line, led by Navy recruit Logan Wegman, sealed the edges, allowing the fleet Zandier to get to the outside and run free, piling up 268 yards in less than three quarters. With the Eagles well ahead in what became a 48-14 beatdown he didn’t touch the ball in the final quarter.
That’s unlikely to be the case against the state-ranked Crusaders (11-2). Zandier and the rest of the Eagles’ weapons – wide receivers Carter Redding and Jayden Ware, and H-back Genuine Stutzman – will need to go the distance against a McDevitt team that can put up points against anyone.
The Crusaders are led by Kentucky recruit Stone Saunders, who has thrown more touchdowns (194) than anyone in Pennsylvania history. He lit up unbeaten Conrad Weiser in the district quarterfinals, throwing for 303 yards and five touchdowns on just 13 attempts in a 42-7 win.
Saunders’ numbers are staggering. He has thrown for 2,991 yards and 41 touchdowns this season. Over his four-year career he’s thrown for 13,134 yards, 428 shy of the state record. In 55 games he’s thrown just 24 interceptions and has a passing efficiency rating of 215.
“He’s very accurate and makes great decisions,” said Exeter coach Matt Bauer, who compares him favorably to current Penn State quarterback Bo Pribula, who the Eagles faced in 2021.
Saunders is ranked among the Top 10 seniors in Pennsylvania and among the Top 20 quarterback recruits in the nation.
This McDevitt team doesn’t have the experience or nearly as much big-time talent as it has in recent years, when it won three straight District 3 Class 4A titles and a PIAA championship in 2022.
Still, Saunders has plenty of weapons. Wide receiver Dominic Diaz-Ellis is averaging nearly 20 yards on his 59 receptions, with 13 TDs; Jontai Quick has 999 receiving yards on 54 catches with 14 TDs. Running back Nazir Jones Davis averages 8.5 yards per carries and has topped 1,000 yards two straight years.
The Crusaders had scored 28 or more points in every game before last week’s semifinal when they took out unbeaten Mechanicsburg 26-14.
Bishop McDevitt is the No. 6 seed, Exeter is No. 8, but those numbers mean nothing. Each has gone on the road the last two weeks and taken out an unbeaten opponent. Both could easily be unbeaten.
The Crusaders’ losses came to Harrisburg, 35-33 in overtime when Saunders overthrew a pass on a two-point conversion, and to State College, 58-55. State College is ranked No. 2 in the state in 6A; Harrisburg is ranked No. 6 and playing Wilson for the District 3 Class 6A title.
Exeter’s lone loss came in Week 9 by a point to Conestoga Valley. The Eagles felt they had the game won when Zandier plunged into the end zone on a two-point conversion run in the final minute. The officials ruled he wasn’t in, though photographic evidence disputes that.
That loss came just two weeks after starting quarterback Riley Martinez was knocked out with a broken leg and the Eagles were adjusting their offense to play without him.
He returned last week for one series and threw a touchdown on his only attempt. He could see more time this week, Bauer hinted.
The Eagles put that Conestoga Valley story to bed last week when they nearly mercy-ruled the Buckskins on their home field. Now they’re going for their second district title in four years; they knocked off unbeaten Gov. Mifflin and ended Nick Singleton’s high school career in the 2021 district finale.
They’re doing it against a true District 3 blue blood: The Crusaders can match Manheim Central by winning an 18th title. They are 17-3 in championship games.
“Last week was amazing, no question about it,” Bauer said, “but the job’s not done. We don’t want to earn a spot in the championship game and just be happy to be there. We want to do everything we can to try to be successful.”
