Three TDs by Nathan Pashley help Exeter overcome slow start, beat Boyertown
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Chris DeAntonio — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Exeter gave up two early scores, then held Boyertown in check the rest of way and ended the game with 36 unanswered points for a 36-14 non-league victory Friday night in Boyertown.
After only carrying the ball once in the first half, Exeter receiver Nathan Pashley made his mark in the second half, grabbing a go-ahead 39-yard touchdown catch to give Exeter its first lead. It was the first of three Exeter touchdowns in the third that put them ahead for good.
Things didn’t look good in the early going for the Eagles (2-0). They trailed 14-0 in the second quarter. Starting quarterback Riley Martinez tossed two interceptions in the first half.
“The mark of a good team is how you respond to adversity,” said Exeter coach Matt Bauer. “These kids answered the call tonight.”
Exeter’s comeback began in earnest with a blocked punt that was recovered by Boyertown (1-1) in the end zone. The Eagles scored for the first time with just under four minutes left in the first half.
While the offense didn’t get going until a 21-point third quarter, Exeter’s defense kept it in the game.
“Our defense played lights out,” said Bauer. “We gave up two big plays, but other than that, we can’t play much better.”
Exeter sacked quarterback Ryder Gehris four times and applied pressure several more times. It forced and recovered a fumble, as well.
While the defense made sure the deficit didn’t get beyond two scores, Exeter’s second-half comeback was led by Pashley, who had two third-quarter touchdown catches.
Pashley caught just two passes but made them count, turning both receptions into scores. He finished with 50 receiving yards. He also carried the ball once for 9 yards.
Martinez overcame his two first-half interceptions by throwing two touchdown passes in the second half. Martinez completed 9-of-16 pass attempts for 167 yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown.
Exeter scored on its first three possessions of the second half, with running back Zaymar Paschall scoring on a 7-yard run. Paschall shared the load with Pharrell Caceres in the second half.
“It helps a lot that we can spread the ball around,” said Paschall. “We have a lot of talent with our running backs. It keeps us fresh and lets us finish games.”
Paschall carried the ball six times for 43 yards and a touchdown. Caceres finished with a game-high 71 yards on 11 carries.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Exeter | 0 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 36 |
| Boyertown | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Boyertown | Oakes, 1 run (Morgan kick) | 9:56 |
| 2 | Boyertown | Yesavage 1 run (Morgan kick) | 8:47 |
| 2 | Exeter | Safety (blocked punt) | 4:59 |
| 2 | Exeter | Martinez, 1 run (Franek kick) | 3:52 |
| 3 | Exeter | Pashley, 39 pass from Martinez (Martinez pass failed) | 10:27 |
| 3 | Exeter | Paschall, 7 run (Franek kick) | 6:26 |
| 3 | Exeter | Pashley, 11 pass from Martinez (Franek kick) | 2:26 |
| 4 | Exeter | J. Zandier, 15 run (Franek kick) | 3:51 |
Team statistics
| Exeter | Boyertown | |
| First downs | 15 | 9 |
| Rushes-yards | 24-138 | 40-52 |
| Passing yards | 167 | 122 |
| Total yards | 305 | 174 |
| Passes | 9-16-3 | 8-18-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 3-33.3 | 4-22.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 11-95 | 7-45 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Exeter: Caceres 11-71, Paschall 6-43, J. Zandier 1-15, Pashley 1-9, Martinez 3-2, Hafer 1-0, Boston 1-(-2).
Boyertown: Yesavage 19-53, Gehris 7-13, Sennott 1-10, Reinert 2-4,Oakes 6-(-3), Foskey 1-(-7), Team 4-(-18).
PASSING
Exeter: Martinez 9-16-3–167.
Boyertown: Gehris 8-18-0–122.
RECEIVING
Exeter: Redding 4-59, Pashley 2-50, Z. Zandier 1-30, J. Zandier 1-23, Dauble 1-5.
Boyertown: G. Daddario 4-44, Oakes 3-69, Genovese 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS
Boyertown: G. Daddario 2, Parker.
MISSED FIELD GOALS
Boyertown: Morgan 48.
