District 3 playoff preview: Exeter vs. Bishop McDevitt
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District 3 Class 5A semifinal
No. 7 Exeter (10-2) vs. No. 3 Bishop McDevitt (9-2)
Kick: Friday, 7, at Rocco Ortenzi Field, Harrisburg.
Series: Crusaders lead 1-0.
Last meeting: Eighth-seeded Bishop McDevitt took advantage of four Exeter turnovers and scored a special teams touchdown in dominating the Eagles 48-14 last year to win its fourth straight district title, and first in Class 5A, at Elco. The sixth-seeded Eagles trailed 48-0 before they got a pair of fourth-quarter scores. The night started badly for Exeter as 2,000-yard back Jayden Zandier limped off the field after four carries and never returned. McDevitt All-State quarterback Stone Saunders completed 14-of-18 passes and threw three TDs.
District playoff history: Exeter, making its 16th appearance, is 15-14 overall with a championship in 2021 and championship-game appearances in 2022 and 2024. It has won 11 of its last 14 playoff games. . . Bishop McDevitt has won 18 championships, is 21-5 in the semifinal round, and 70-9 overall.
Fast fact: Exeter’s Leo Brown needs 9 yards to break the Berks County single-season rushing mark of 2,403 yards, set by Central Catholic’s David Gilmore in 1983. Brown has rushed for 2,395 yards in 11 games, has topped 200 yards five times in the last six games, and had a season-high of 305 at Conestoga Valley in Week 9.
Eagles update: Leo Brown ran for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 41-34 quarterfinal win last week at Conestoga Valley. . . Jayden Ware had a pair of TD catches. . . Had 3 turnovers for the second straight postseason game after committing only five during 10 regular season games. . . Riley Martinez made his second straight start at QB after missing eight weeks following shoulder surgery. . . . He completed 3-of-10 passes with two INTs vs. Conestoga Valley. . . Martinez did not start last year’s game against McDevitt because he was coming off an injury but entered in the first quarter and went on to complete 5-of-15 passes with a 73-yard TD pass to Ware in the final quarter. . . Brown shares Lancaster-Lebanon League lead with 29 touchdowns, second-most in program history and 5 short of record set last year by Jayden Zandier. . . Finished regular season ranked No. 1 in the league in defense against the rush, allowing 67 yards per game. . . Ranked No. 3 in total defense and scoring defense. . . Allowing 11.8 points per game, fourth-fewest among District 3 teams. . . LB Aidan Dauble leads team with 88 tackles. . . DT Joel Ummarino leads team with 14 tackles for loss and is second with 7.5 sacks. . . LB Jackson Kozik leads team with 8 sacks and is second with 13.5 tackles for loss. . . Team has recorded 29 sacks, 45 hurries, and 26 takeaways. . . PK Jake Franek has been good on 58-of-59 PATs. . . Ranked No. 8 in the state by PennLive.com.
Did you know? Bishop McDevitt has produced nine NFL players: Larry Conjar, Ricky Watters, LeRon McCoy, LeSean McCoy, Jaimie Thomas, Aaron Berry, Cameron Artis-Payne, Noah Spence, and Bryce Hall.
Crusaders update: Defending PIAA Class 5A champs have won nine straight after opening the season with losses to Clarkson North (of Canada) and Harrisburg, which is undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 6A. . . Fell to Harrisburg 29-21. . . Have averaged 43.3 points during winning streak with an average winning margin of 33.6 points. . . Roster includes 10 players with Division I scholarship offers, including All-State LB Maurice Barnes, who has offers from Notre Dame, Colorado and West Virginia, and All-State WR Jontai Quick, who has offers from Pitt, Syracuse, and West Virginia, among others. . . Returned four starters on offensive line, top three running backs, and much of its defense from a team that went 14-2 last year and beat Roman Catholic 34-31 in OT last year in PIAA title game. . . Biggest change has been at QB, where Sebastian Williams has taken over for state record-setter Stone Saunders. . . Williams has passes for 1,502 yards and 14 TDs. . . Top target has been Isa Palmer, with 24 catches. . . Howard Holton, who has an offer from Sacramento State, has 21 catches and team-high 5 receiving scores. . . All-State RB Nazir Jones-Davis, committed to Eastern Michigan, leads team with 950 rushing yards and 15 TDs. He rushed for 127 yards and had two TDs last year against Exeter. . . RB Jerome Larue Jr., who has offers from Tennessee, Pitt, and Syracuse, is averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He returned a kickoff 86 yards for a TD last year against Exeter. . . Barnes has run for 12 TDs, including three last week in 5=47-7 win over Mechanicsburg. . . Barnes is a four-year starter and one of the key cogs on a defense that has recorded 20 sacks, 48 hurries, 12 INTs and 18 takeaways. . . LB Zack Brown, a transfer from C.D. East, leads team with 5 sacks. . . PK Aidan Grella kicked two 42-yard field goals last week. . . Ranked No. 6 in state by PennLive.com.
Winner plays: No. 1 New Oxford (11-0) or No. 4 Solanco (10-1) for championship Nov. 21 at neutral site to be determined.
