Nothing goes right for star-crossed Eagles in championship game

By Mike Drago Last updated Nov 26, 2024

Exeter's Donovyn Alvarez (30) tries to console teammate Jayden Zandier after loss to Bishop McDevitt Friday. (PhilMarPhoto)

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Bishop McDevitt 48, Exeter 14

By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor

MYERSTOWN — Even with Exeter down three touchdowns at halftime Genuine Stutzman still felt team had a chance Friday against Bishop McDevitt.

He thought back to last season, and a district playoff game the Eagles lost at Hershey after leading by 21 points at the half.

“I felt we had an opportunity to do the same thing,” the Eagles’ senior linebacker said. “I had confidence in my team to make something happen.”

Instead it was the Crusaders who made something happen.

Jerome Larue Jr., a freshman already with a college offer to play at Virginia Tech, took the opening kickoff of the second half back 86 yards for a touchdown. He bobbled the ball briefly, found himself surrounded by Exeter jerseys, somehow escaped and eventually found daylight after cutting across the field.

It was that kind night for the star-crossed Eagles: Just about anything that could go wrong did in their 48-14 loss in the District 3 Class 5A championship game at Elco High School.

They saw Stutzman lose control of the ball at the goal line just as he was about to score; McDevitt’s Jaeden Chase scooped it up and went 99 yards for a score.

They saw Justin Prizer field a short punt in McDevitt territory at full speed and with room to run only to see him separated from the football moments later, one of Exeter’s season-high four turnovers.

Worst of all they saw All-State running back Jayden Zandier hobble off the field twice early in the game, first with what looked to be a foot injury, then with an ankle injury after being tackled around the ankles.

The Eagles’ all-time rushing leader never returned, his night limited to four carries and 4 yards — one week after he surpassed the magical 2,000-yard plateau for the season. He spent the second half on crutches.

“If we had him back in the mix, it’s a whole different ballgame,” said Exeter quarterback Riley Martinez. “I feel like we could’ve put up a great fight; it would’ve been way more fun.”

This was no fun for the eighth-seeded Eagles (12-2) on this night, not for a moment. They went three-and-out on their first series, then saw the sixth-seeded Crusaders (12-2) gash their defense with a series of big runs and go up 6-0 on their opening 10-play drive.

Eagles’ Genuine Stutzman goes up to make reception. (PhilMarPhoto)

After another Exeter three-and-out the Crusaders did the same again, going 71 yards for a 12-0 lead.

When Martinez, seeing his first extensive time at quarterback since breaking a bone in his leg seven weeks ago, was picked off on the final play of the first quarter the Crusaders were back in business again, at the Exeter 21. A few minutes later McDevitt was in the end zone again and leading 20-0.

McDevitt had 10 first downs before Exeter had its first.

“They’re a very good football team, and they took the momentum early and they never really gave it back,” said Exeter coach Matt Bauer.

The Crusaders barely needed to use the skills of one of the state’s all-time great passers, Stone Saunders, as they gashed the Exeter defense with huge gains on the ground.

Maurice Brown and Nazir Jones-Davis, interchangeable parts in the McDevitt backfield, ripped through the line time after and time, cranking out first down after first down. They combined for 90 yards on 11 first-quarter carries and had 138 yards by halftime.

They were too quick, and their O-line was getting too big a push, for the Eagles to stop.

“Their back ran hard,” Bauer said. “It was yards after the initial hit that really got us.”

No one had done that to the Exeter defense this season, but none of the Eagles’ opponents had this much team speed, and none had run the kind of shell-toughening gauntlet the Crusaders had coming out of the Mid-Penn Conference’s rugged, eat-your-own Commonwealth Division.

The Eagles were the best team in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League – they proved that with a 48-14 win last week at Conestoga Valley – but they never faced a team close to McDevitt’s caliber.

“I feel we were playing scared,” Stutzman said. “We were up against a higher competition team, and we just came (out) scared. That just doesn’t work against a team like that.”

Four quarters and 20 or more touches by Zandier would have, as Martinez suggested, made things a lot more interesting but it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. The Crusaders had too many dangerous weapons, such as wide receiver Dominic Diaz-Ellis, who ate the Eagles up with 10 catches for 110 yards and two TDs.

McDevitt barely leaned on its biggest gun, Saunders. He’s thrown more touchdowns than anyone in Pennsylvania history – he’s now up to 199 – and became the first player in state history to pass for 3,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. Friday he did more handing off than throwing.

The University of Kentucky recruit did finish an efficient 14-of-18 for 142 yards and showed that, if needed, he could’ve riddled the Eagles secondary. It wasn’t needed.

Exeter trailed 48-0 before Martinez found Jayden Ware on a 73-yard bomb with 8:00 remaining to avoid a shutout. The Eagles scored again in the final seconds, on Stutzman’s 1-yard TD plunge.

“It wasn’t our night,” Bauer said, “but I’m proud of our kids’ effort and everything they’ve accomplished this year.”

Those late scores, at least, made this season-ending debacle just a little more palatable.

“We were down a lot, but it felt good to score for this team one last time,” said Stutzman. “I wouldn’t trade that moment for the world.”

Eagles’ Jayden Ware collects 73-yard scoring pass. (PhilMarPhoto)

	1	2	3	4	Final
Exeter	0	0	0	14	14
Bishop McDevitt	12	8	22	6	48

Scoring summary

1	Bishop McDevitt	Barnes, 1 run (kick failed)	5:53
1	Bishop McDevitt	Diaz-Ellis, 9 pass from Saunders (kick failed)	1:39
2	Bishop McDevitt	Jones-Davis, 9 run (Diaz-Ellis pass from Saunders)	9:42
3	Bishop McDevitt	Larue Jr., 86 kickoff return (kick failed)	11:43
3	Bishop McDevitt	Diaz-Ellis, 21 pass from Saunders (Barnes run)	5:29
3	Bishop McDevitt	Jones-Davis, 33 run (Barnes run)	2:42
4	Bishop McDevitt	Chase, 99 fumble return (kick failed)	9:34
4	Exeter	Ware, 73 pass from Martinez (Franek kick)	8:00
4	Exeter	Stutzman, 1 run (Franek kick)	0:08

Team statistics

	Exeter	Bishop McDevitt
First downs	8	19
Rushes-yards	17-54	32-191
Passing yards	145	158
Total yards	199	349
Passes	9-22-2	14-18-0
Fumbles-lost	2-2	2-2
Punts-average	4-34.7	1-20.0
Penalties-yards	4-22	7-55