District 3 playoff preview: Exeter vs. Conestoga Valley
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No. 8 Exeter (11-1) vs. No. 4 Conestoga Valley (11-0)
What: District 3 Class 5A semifinal.
Kick: Friday, 7, at Witmer.
Series: Buckskins lead 2-1.
Last meeting: Conestoga Valley survived a last-minute Exeter touchdown to win 28-27 in Week 9 when officials ruled that Jayden Zandier did not cross the goal-line on a two-point conversion attempt that would have given the Eagles the lead, and subsequently the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 title. Exeter battled back from early deficits of 14-0 and 21-7 to tie the game late in the first half, then came up with a pair of red zone defensive stops to hold Conestoga Valley scoreless in the second half.
Key stat: Both teams have excelled in turnover differential. Exeter has 26 takeaways and is plus-17. Conestoga Valley has turned the ball over just 6 times and is plus-13. In the first game the Eagles had 2 turnovers, the Bucks zero.
Eagles update: Advanced to district semifinals for third time in four years when Jake Franek kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to hand top-seeded New Oxford its first loss, 24-21, in a quarterfinal last week. . . Franek’s field goal, his first attempt of the year, came on the heels of a game-tying score from the Colonials with 1:07 left. . . Senior RB Jayden Zandier continued his assault on the record book, rushing for 159 yards to set a program record for rushing yards in a season (1,826). . . He also holds program records for career rushing yards (3,184), career touchdowns (50) and touchdowns in a season (30). . . He rushed for 172 yards against Conestoga Valley in the first meeting. . . QB Jake Hafer found senior WR Carter Redding on a pair of deep balls for touchdowns of 68 and 57 yards last week, erasing a 7-0 New Oxford lead. . . Hafer, filling in for injured Riley Martinez, has completed 55.8 percent of his passes for 419 yards and 6 TDs with 2 INTs. . . Martinez was leading the league in passing efficiency when he suffered a lower leg injury in Week 7. . . Despite that, offense continues to produce big numbers. . . Averaging 354 yards per game, seventh-highest in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. . . Allowing 9.0 points per game, the second-lowest figure in District 3 (Lampeter-Strasburg is allowing 8.0). . . Finished regular season ranked No. 7 in the league in total defense, No. 4 against the pass. . . LB Casey Gerhart leads team with 86 tackles. . . LB Genuine Stutzman leads team with 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks for loss. . . DE Joel Ummarino leads team with 12 QB hurries. . . S Carter Redding and CB Jayden Ware each have 3 INTs.
(Purdon Photography/Brad Drey)
Did you know? Exeter is one of the highest-scoring teams in Berks history, averaging 44.7 points per game; only four teams have finished a season averaging more. Gov. Mifflin set the record in 2020, averaging 54.5 points. The Eagles are the highest-scoring team in District 3; Twin Valley is second at 42.6 per game.
Buckskins update: Have opened season 11-0 for the first time since 1985. . . Section 2 title was first since 2006. . . QB Sawyer Esbenshade is No. 2 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League in passing efficiency, No. 3 with 1,934 passing yards, and No. 2 with 24 touchdowns. . . He threw for 277 yards and three TDs in the win over Exeter, 192 of it in the first half, completing 18-of-31 passes without an INT. . . He attempted just 9 passes last week in 35-24 win over Shippensburg. . . Isaiah Sensenig opened that game with an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD. . . Out-gained Exeter 433-362 in first meeting but did not score in second half. . . Ranked No. 8 in the league in total defense and No. 4 in scoring defense during the regular season. . . Defense is led by Seth Morgan, the Section 2 Linebacker of the Year in 2023. He has team-leading 123 tackles. . . Sensenig has 6 of team’s 11 INTs. . . Defense has been vulnerable in recent weeks. Muhlenberg’s Cameron Small rushed for 290 yards and 3 TDs in Week 10 and Shippensburg rushed for 204 yards and scored on a kickoff return last week. . . Have allowed 73 points over last three games after allowing 61 the first 8 games. . . Overall, 10-11 in District 3 play. . . Have gone 5-3 in semifinals but just 1-4 in championship games. . . Finished 9-3 overall last season and second in Section 2, behind Manheim Central; beat Exeter 34-27 in Week 9, handing Eagles their first loss after 8-0 start. . . Ranked No. 9 in the state.
Fast fact: Exeter lost its first four District 3 playoff games and 10 of its first 12. Since 2019 the Eagles are 10-3 in district play with a Class 5A championship in 2021. They can even their playoff record at 13-13 with a win.
Quotable: “It’s going to be a wild one, that’s for sure. It was a great game the first time. I know they’ll be prepared and ready to go, and we’ll be in the same boat. It’s going to be a very physical game. We’ll have to put in a lot of work and be ready for them next week.” – Conestoga Valley coach Jon Scepanski on rematch with Exeter.
(Chris Knight/LNP photo)