Eagles’ Leo Brown scored the TDs but he knows where the game was really won

By Mike Drago Last updated Sep 15, 2025

Exeter's Leo Brown heads for the end zone last week against Governor Mifflin. (Tim Macrina photo)

2025 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor

There was no real need to launder Leo Brown’s No. 5 jersey Friday night. There was barely a smudge or fingerprint on it.

Final
Exeter	43
Mifflin	15

The Exeter tailback ran free and clear all night; almost no one laid a hand on him and he rarely hit the turf in a 43-15 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2-opening victory over visiting Governor Mifflin.

“I love my linemen,” Brown said after he cruised through some wide running lanes on the way to 206 yards and three touchdowns. “They make the best lanes and best running holes. I’m able to follow their path and end up in the end zone.”

Exeter tackles Kevin Oswalt and Wyatt Richard, guards Andre Osborne and Matt Lis and center Joel Ummarino set the tone early up front. No one’s cleared a path so well since Charlton Heston as Moses in the “Ten Commandments.”

Brown, who’s scored nine touchdowns in four games, appreciated it. He runs hard and runs fast, and Friday he was running with vision, patiently waiting for his blocks to develop before he burst through.

Eagles coach Matt Bauer calls him one of the most explosive players he’s ever coach – this after watching Jayden Zandier run to back-to-back All-State nods and a program rushing record a year ago.

The 6-foot, 176-pound senior has enjoyed following in Zandier’s footsteps but he knows where his bread is buttered.

“Our linemen, they’re the ones that really do the work,” said Brown. “They work the hardest out of all of us. Our game is won up front with them.”

That’s always been Bauer’s way, and it’ll have to be this season as the Eagles (4-0) adjust on the fly after losing quarterback Riley Martinez in Week 2 to a busted (non-throwing) shoulder.

The Eagles might never have the passing game they were hoping to but with Brown, a powerful offensive line, and an active defense that swarmed all over the Mustangs (2-2) they’re going to again be playing deep into the postseason.

Exeter put up touchdowns on each of its first three possessions to go up 22-0, then put the game away quickly in the second half when Jayden Ware returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and 36-7 lead.

Lineman Andre Osborne celebrates Leo Brown’s touchdown. (Tim Macrina photo)

Next time they had it Josh Jackson scooted 21 yards around right corner and Eagles, ranked No. 5 in the state in Class 5A, put the mercy rule into effect.

Brown ran for 162 yards and all three of his scores in the first half. That was more than enough, considering how well the Eagles defense played.

Osborne was a menace all night from his spot at end; he looked like he knew what the Mustangs were going to run before they called it. Inside linebackers Aidan Dauble and Braylon Reinert made sure the middle lanes were closed off and outside linebacker Donovan Alvarez seemed to be everywhere all at once.

They combined to limit the Mustangs to 109 first-half yards and 166 in total. Never an easy task against Option attack that has been known to make life miserable for opposing defenses. Mifflin had just one first-half run of longer than 7 yards, a 37-yard touchdown sprint by dangerous quarterback Lebron Leaf.

“We executed our responsibilities very well,” said Ummarino, a defensive tackle. “Playing an (option) team like that we all have a gap responsibility; I thought we all did a great job. Corners, safeties, linebackers, we all did a great job tonight.”

Bauer was thrilled with the way his defense came through.

“Assignment football,” he said of the key. “We challenged the kids all week not to do too much, to (just) do your job. Our mantra was play fast and play physical, and that’s exactly what these kids did. Aside from one play we were perfect on our assignments, and that’s a testament to how hard these kids worked. We did live contact drills all week. These kids were ready for a physical game and they came out and delivered.”

The Mustangs went three-and-out on their first series, then were stuffed on a fourth-and-1 from their own 39 when Osborne stormed into backfield and took out Nick Kalis’ feet.

Had it not been for a rash of penalties – including one that erased Jayden Ware’s 62-yard punt return following Mifflin’s first series – the Eagles would’ve put this one away even sooner. The Mustangs managed just one first down on their first four possessions.

“We’ve gotta clean up some holds and things of that nature,” Bauer said of seeing his team assessed for 11 penalties, for 95 yards. “The penalties were aggressive penalties; we were trying to finish blocks. That’ll be a point of emphasis for this week. All in all I was very pleased with how we won the battle in the trenches.”

By the time Leaf broke free, providing his team’s lone highlight, Exeter was up 22 points.

Jake Hafer, who’s taken over for Martinez, burned the Mustangs twice in the first half on play-action passes. The first went for 36 yards to Dauble, the tight end taking it to the 2 and setting up Hafer’s 2-yard TD run. The second was good for 54 yards to tight end Braylon Reinert, who escaped from the line uncovered and ran to the 4 before being caught by Patrick Steuer.

Martinez, a three-year starter, was injured early in a Week 2 win at Boyertown. He had surgery earlier this week and is looking at about a 10-week recovery period, which would take him deep into the district playoffs if he is to return.

Martinez was injured last year in Week 7 and did not start again, though he returned to play in two district playoff games.

The Eagles seem confident they can repeat that run to the district championship game.

“It’s hard,” Osborne said of losing Martinez, “but you’ve gotta bounce back no matter what. Sometimes you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got; I think we did that very well today.”

Eagles Braylon Reinert tries to wrap up Patrick Steuer. (Tim Macrina photo)

	1	2	3	4	Final
Governor Mifflin	0	7	0	8	15
Exeter	14	15	14	0	43

Scoring summary

1	Exeter	Brown, 24 run (Franek kick)	7:45
1	Exeter	Hafer, 2 run (Franek kick)	1:49
2	Exeter	Brown, 3 run (Reinert, pass from Ware)	11:18
2	Gov. Mifflin	Leaf, 37 run (Koenig kick)	5:04
2	Exeter	Brown, 19 run (Franek kick)	3:36
3	Exeter	Ware, 94 kickoff return (Franek kick)	11:45
3	Exeter	Jackson, 21 run (Franek kick)	5:02
4	Gov. Mifflin	King, 2 run (Kreider, pass from Miller)	6:29

Team statistics

	GOVERNOR MIFFLIN	EXETER
First downs	7	18
Rushes-yards	35-139	40-310
Passing yards	27	96
Total yards	166	406
Passes	4-8-0	3-5-1
Fumbles-lost	3-0	1-0
Punts-average	6-31.2	1-40.0
Penalties-yards	6-60	11-95