Back in familiar spot, Jake Hafer leads Exeter to another win
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Andrew Clauser — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
It was a win and confidence-booster the Exeter football team needed after losing Riley Martinez, its leader and star quarterback, for the second year in a row.
| Final | |
| Exeter | 42 |
| Pleasant Valley | 0 |
Pleasant Valley, its opponent Friday night at Don Thomas Stadium, won’t be the toughest test the Eagles will see all year but it was good enough to prepare their squad for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 schedule, which opens next week against rival Governor Mifflin.
In Friday night’s 42-0 rout of the Bears it was the Eagles’ talented senior class that stepped up much like they did last year when Martinez went down with an injury.
And just like last year, backup quarterback and starting wide receiver Jake Hafer was called in to step up and lead his team to another win.
He did so last week against Boyertown when Martinez suffered an injury on his non-throwing shoulder at the end of a 9-yard run in the first quarter. He did so last year when he started seven games in Martinez’s place and led the team to five wins and a District 3 Class 5A championship game berth.
“I could not ask for more from Jake,” said Exeter coach Matt Bauer. “He managed the game tonight. He made some plays when he needed to and delivered when needed.”
Senior running back Leo Brown made sure this game would be over by halftime and did so by scoring four times and rushing for 140 yards before sitting out in the second half to allow for the backups to get some meaningful reps.
His dazzling touchdown runs of 51, 16, 17, and 21 yards were the plays his team needed the most. Brown’s elevated play this season has been massive, especially if Exeter hopes to have a long playoff run.
“Leo is getting better each week,” Bauer said. “He is becoming more patient and seeing things a little bit better. When he hits the hole and gets in the open field and takes it the distance he proves to be an effective weapon for our offense.”
“I feel it’s about getting more opportunities,” said Brown, “and that is based on the coaches trusting me more but also none of my touchdown runs were possible without great blocks from our line.”
Senior leadership was also evident on the defensive side, led by hard-hitting, all-league linebacker Aidan Dauble. The Exeter defense has only allowed 17 points in its first three games.
“They played ‘assignment football’ and executed it the way we wanted all week,” Bauer said of the defense. “We face a similar opponent and rival next week and we hope to build off of this win as we prepare for our league schedule.”
Senior wide receiver Jayden Ware was also a key contributor and favored target of Hafer. The two connected early in the third quarter on a 54-yard touchdown to seal the win. Ware also had a spectacular 50-yard punt return in the second quarter, setting up another quick score.
“This is a great team and we know how to respond to adversity, ” said Bauer. “They worked too hard at this point to make any excuses. We just need to move forward like we always do and get better each week.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Pleasant Valley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exeter | 7 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 42 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Exeter | Brown, 51 run (Franek kick) | 4:36 |
| 2 | Exeter | Brown, 16 run (Franek kick) | 8:03 |
| 2 | Exeter | Brown, 17 run (Franek kick) | 4:37 |
| 2 | Exeter | Brown, 21 run (run failed) | 1:57 |
| 3 | Exeter | Ware, 54 pass from Hafer (Adams, pass from Hafer) | 11:04 |
| 4 | Exeter | Fuller, 40 run (Franek kick) | 3:39 |
Team statistics
| PLEASANT VALLEY | EXETER | |
| First downs | 5 | 9 |
| Rushes-yards | 34-22 | 20-239 |
| Passing yards | 38 | 71 |
| Total yards | 60 | 310 |
| Passes | 5-9-0 | 3-8-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 3-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 5-12.8 | 1-20 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-25 | 9-70 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Pleasant Valley: Ward 7-20, Westerman 9-14, Solt 1-0, Caron 1-0, Brown 1-0, Mercedes 1-0, Payan 1-(-3), Haines 6-(-4), Tyner 7-(-5).
Exeter: Brown 11-140, Fuller 1-40, Ware 1-26, Alvarez 4-20, Jackson 2-20, Hafer 1-(-7).
PASSING
Pleasant Valley: Haines 5-9-0—38.
Exeter: Hafer 3-8-0—71.
RECEIVING
Pleasant Valley: Payan 2-21, Ward 2-6, Schmids 1-11.
Exeter: Ware 3-71.
