Berks boys playoff preview: No. 2 Exeter vs. No. 7 Oley Valley
No. 2 Exeter (17-5) vs. No. 7 Oley Valley (18-4)
When, where: Monday, 7, at Reiffton.
Head to head: The teams have not met since 2010.
Eagles update: A year after limping into the playoffs the Eagles enter in a full sprint, having won seven straight, 11-of-12 and their first division title in 39 years. They beat Berks Catholic last week to move into sole possession of first place in Berks II.
Anthony Caccese, a 6-6 senior center and University of Delaware football commit, had a monster game to put the Eagles over the top but they’re truly a balanced team, with three players averaging between 11 and 12 points, and each of their starters between 8.1 and 11.8.
Reece Garvin, Kevin Saenz and Teddy Snyder each have hit 30 or more 3-pointers. Snyder, Garvin and Zyion Paschall each shoot 74 percent or better from the foul line. And they all play defense. Only six of their opponents have scored more than 50 points.
All of the starters were around for last year’s postseason run, which saw them crack the state tournament for the first time since 1999. They figure to do that and a lot more over the next month.
Lynx update: Enter postseason at their best, having won 11 straight. Earned second division title in past three seasons posted program’s best league record in at least 50 years; lone league loss came to Berks III champ Fleetwood.
Getting it done with defense and a balanced scoring approach. Allowing 45.4 points per game, fourth-lowest in the league. Only three opponents during current winning streak have scored more than 50 points.
(PhilMarPhoto)
The five starters average between 8.1 and 11.5 points per game, led by sophomore Ben DeBalko, who’s 55 3-pointers are third-most in the league. He’s hit two or more 3’s in all but two games. He’s shooting a team-best 72.7 percent from the foul line.
Senior Keith Neal is averaging 10.7 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Junior center David Turchi is averaging 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Senior point guard Jaden Kelly averages 8.1 points and a team-best 3.5 assists. Senior Chase Rubendall averages 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Last played at Santander Arena in a 2007 league semifinal against Reading High (when it was still called Sovereign Center).
Will go into District 3 Class 3A Tournament as the No. 3 seed, with an opening-round home game against No. 6 Brandywine Heights.
Did you know? Oley Valley enters having lost 10 consecutive playoff games, and has not won a postseason game since 2007. It won both a Berks and District 3 game that season.
Monday’s schedule
| 1 | Reading High | vs. | 8 | Schuylkill Valley | 7:00 |
| 4 | Fleetwood | vs. | 5 | Wilson | 7:00 |
| 2 | Exeter | vs. | 7 | Oley Valley | 7:00 |
| 3 | Berks Catholic | vs. | 6 | Muhlenberg | 7:00 |