There’ll be more than one Zandier brother to watch at Exeter this season

College football coaches around the country know all about Exeter tight end Zach Zandier, a 6-5 rising senior who has more than two dozen Division I offers.

They might want to check out his little brother, too.

Jayden Zandier, a rising junior, put on a show at the annual Chris Nunn Memorial Berks County Football Combine this week, winning three of the six events and piling up the highest point total of any athlete from the nine competing schools.

Teammate Nate Pashley scored 25.2 points, second to Zandier’s 31.5, and helped the Eagles win the team title. Daniel Boone and Gov. Mifflin tied for second.

Jayden Zandier had the best time in the 40-yard dash (4.5), the L-Cone agility drill (7.2) and the top distance in 3-Hop event (30 feet, 10 inches). He also scored in the Vertical Leap.

Top scorers	School	Points
Jayden Zandier	Exeter	31.5
Nate Pashley	Exeter	25.2
Conner Pennington	Berks Catholic	16
Jake Myers	Daniel Boone	15.2
Anthony High	Daniel Boone	14.5
Reese Hohl	Gov. Mifflin	11.5
Nigel Meekins	Exeter	10.2
Owen Reber	Berks Catholic	9.5

He was the only athlete to finish first in more than one event; he and Pashley were the only athletes to score in four events.

Berks Catholic’s Conner Pennington and Daniel Boone’s Jake Myers each won one event and scored in three; they finished third and fourth, respectively, with 16 and 15.2 points.

Daniel Boone’s Anthony High scored in three events and finished fifth with 14.5 points.

Jayden Zandier didn’t see much varsity time as a sophomore but that will change this season. He’s an early candidate to get playing time at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield, most likely at safety.

“I always knew he was tremendously athletically gifted and explosive,” said Exeter coach Matt Bauer. “I feel the combine may have been his coming out party, so to speak. He was really ready to compete. I could see he was locked in and focused. He just put it all together.”

Zandier completed a successful track season that saw him take second place in the long jump at the Shaner Meet and qualify for districts in the event. He ran an 11.53 in the 100 at the Firing Meet and was an alternate on the 4×100 relay team.

“Any time you can run two 4.5’s in a laser-timed (40), that’s pretty impressive,” Bauer said. “Mentally, he’s matured a lot going from his sophomore to junior year. I’m sure with his brother getting as much attention as he’s getting, he doesn’t want to take a back seat.”

Pashley, an all-league defensive back as a junior, finished second in the 40-yard dash and L-Cone Drill, tied for second in the Pro Agility Shuttle and tied for third in the 3-Hop.

Pennington, a rising senior linebacker, won the bench press with 26 reps, one more than Berks Catholic teammate Owen Reber. Pennington tied for third in the L-Cone and scored in the 40.

Myers, a rising senior running back and linebacker, won the Vertical at 37-5 and scored in the Pro Agility and 40.

Gov. Mifflin’s Reese Hohl, a rising junior defensive back, won the Pro Agility Shuttle and scored in the L-Cone. He finished sixth overall with 11.5 points.

High, a rising junior wide receiver, scored in the Vertical, 3-Hop and L-Cone.

The Quarterback Challenge, which was not a scored event, was won by Conrad Weiser. Donovan Gingrich was the passer; David Keppley and Evan Rittle were the receivers.

The Kicking Challenge was won by Twin Valley’s Jack Hafer, with 290 points. Robbie Gaston of Exeter was second, Eli Blatt of Hamburg third.

The individual point totals, an unofficial part of the event, were awarded for top-six finishes. First place earned 10 points, second place eight points, third six, fourth four, fifth two and sixth one point.

Exeter dominated the team portion, winning four of the six scored events. Daniel Boone won the Vertical Leap, Berks Catholic the Bench Press.

Exeter scored 15 team points. Daniel Boone and Mifflin were next with 20 points. Conrad Weiser scored 21 and Hamburg was fifth with 25.

Bauer said the competition is a focal point of Exeter’s offseason conditioning program.

“It definitely motivates us for offseason training,” he said. “I like the opportunity for our kids to see what’s out there and what they’re about to face.”

At last year’s event Exeter’s Joey Schlaffer, a Penn State recruit, finished second overall. Lucas Palange, who went on to earn All-State honors, won the Bench Press; teammate Richie Karstein was third.

The Eagles went on to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 championship and reached the District 3 Class 5A Championship game.

“Is it a measuring stick, as far as offseason training?” Bauer said of the competition. “Sure. Is it an indicator of how successful your season’s going to be? I’m not so sure on that.”

The nine competing schools: Berks Catholic, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, Exeter, Gov. Mifflin, Hamburg, Muhlenberg, Twin Valley and Wyomissing. That’s two more schools than competed in last year’s event.

40-yard dash	School	Mark
Jayden Zandier	Exeter	4.5
Nate Pashley	Exeter	4.6
Nigel Meekins	Exeter	4.7

L-Cone Drill	School	Mark
Jayden Zandier	Exeter	7.2
Nate Pashley	Exeter	7.2
Conner Pennington	Berks Catholic	7.4
Genuine Stutzman	Exeter	7.4

Pro Agility Shuttle	School	Mark
Reese Hohl	Gov. Mifflin	4.1
Nigel Meekins	Exeter	4.2
Nate Pashley	Exeter	4.2
Cohen Correll	Hamburg	4.2
Tristen Baily	Twin Valley	4.2
Jake Myers	Daniel Boone	4.2

Vertical Leap	School	Mark
Jake Myers	Daniel Boone	37-5
Anthony High	Daniel Boone	36
Markos Karros	Twin Valley	35.5
Ousman Conde	Conrad Weiser	35.5

3-Hop Drill	School	Mark
Jayden Zandier	Exeter	30-10
Jahmair Johnson	Gov. Mifflin	29-8
Anthony High	Daniel Boone	29-6
Nate Pashley	Exeter	29-6

Bench Press	School	Reps
Conner Pennington	Berks Catholic	26
Owen Reber	Berks Catholic	25
Sevon Parham	Conrad Weiser	20
Kabine Toure	Gov. Mifflin	20
Javian Sanchez	Gov. Mifflin	20
Ashton Kiebach	Conrad Weiser	20