Exeter’s perfect start snapped in shootout loss to Conestoga Valley
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
WITMER — It was, in his own words, the biggest defensive play of his football career.
“Yes sir,” Conestoga Valley linebacker Seth Morgan said.
With Exeter facing a do-or-die fourth-and-14 at Conestoga Valley’s 23-yard-line with 1:47 to play, Morgan sniffed out the Eagles’ pass play, jumped the route and broke up the pass as the Bucksins thwarted Exeter’s last-gasp drive.
End result: Bucks 34, Exeter 27 in a wildly entertaining Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 game Friday night on Senior Night in Witmer.
Morgan’s play iced it.
“They’d been running their tight end (Zack Zandier, the intended target) over the middle the whole game,” Morgan said. “They threw it to him there and I was sitting there perfectly. He sat and I sat right there with him. Jumped the route. And it was right there. I swatted it down.”
“We were fortunate to get them in a passing situation,” Conestoga Valley coach Jon Scepanski said. “Big play by a great kid who works so hard. I’m very proud of him.”
Manheim Central (5-0, 8-1) now sits alone the section race, with Conestoga Valley (4-1, 7-2) and Exeter (4-1, 8-1) on the Barons’ heels. Central is at Exeter next Friday. The Barons will win the title outright with a victory. Exeter can tie for the title with a win. The Buck finish at Muhlenberg and will be part of a three-way tie if Exeter wins.
The Eagles, who had a 27-26 lead with 8:53 to go Friday, saw their 20-game regular season unbeaten streak come to a crashing halt. The Bucks got the go-ahead 58-yard TD sprint from Jayden Johnson with 6:59 to go.
That TD capped a jaw-dropping fourth quarter, when the Bucks and Eagles combined for five touchdowns in a dizzying five-minute clip.
Exeter had a 12-7 lead at the half. Conestoga Valley took a 13-12 lead when Liam Cheek lobbed a 7-yard TD toss to Josiah Garcia late in the third quarter.
Then things got crazy.
Cheek hit Kyle Jankowski for a 20-yard TD pass and CV had a 20-12 lead. Exeter answered immediately, with Jayden Zandier zooming 53 yards for a TD. The two-point pass made it 20-20 with 9:23 to play.
Isaiah Sensenig returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a TD and CV had the lead right back. Undaunted, Zandier raced 58 yards for a TD on Exeter’s next play from scrimmage and the Eagles had a short-lived 27-26 lead.
That’s because Johnson broke through the line and bolted 58 yards for the go-ahead score with 6:59 to go, putting a bow on the score-fest fourth quarter.
Cue Morgan, who sealed the deal.
“Words can’t even describe this,” Morgan said. “Insane.”
“We go in at halftime and it’s 12-7,” Scepanski said. “How it ended up (34-27) . . . for us to handle the adversity like that, it was impressive to see.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Exeter | 6 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 27 |
| Conestoga Valley | 0 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 34 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Exeter | Stutzman, 2 run (kick failed) |
| 2 | Conestoga Valley | Mobley, 1 run (Showvaker kick) |
| 2 | Exeter | J. Zandier, 34 pass from Martinez (pass failed) |
| 3 | Conestoga Valley | Garcia, 7 pass from Cheek (run failed) |
| 4 | Conestoga Valley | Jankowski, 20 pass from Cheek (Showvaker kick) |
| 4 | Exeter | J. Zandier, 53 run (Z. Zandier, pass from Martinez) |
| 4 | Conestoga Valley | Sensenig, 88 kickoff return (kick failed) |
| 4 | Exeter | J. Zandier, 58 run (Gaston kick) |
| 4 | Conestoga Valley | Johnson, 58 run (Epstein, pass from Cheek) |
Team statistics
| Exeter | Conestoga Valley | |
| First downs | 13 | 19 |
| Rushes-yards | 31-217 | 42-273 |
| Passing yards | 65 | 117 |
| Total yards | 282 | 390 |
| Passes | 5-14-1 | 11-15-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 3-38.7 | 2-34 |
| Penalties-yards | 6-60 | 5-60 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Exeter: J. Zandier 21-189, Martinez 4-19, Stutzman 2-4, Redding 1-3, Boston 1-3, Caceres 2-(-1).
Conestoga Valley: Johnson 16-170, Cheek 15-57, Garcia 1-18, Mobley 5-14, Ruble 3-13, Byers 2-1.
PASSING
Exeter: Martinez 5-14-1—65.
Conestoga Valley: Cheek 11-15-1—117.
RECEIVING
Exeter: J. Zandier 2-39, Z. Zandier 2-26, Redding 1-42.
Conestoga Valley: Jankowski 3-67, Johnson 2-31, Garcia 2-6, Fisher 1-7, Santana 1-4, Ruble 1-2, Sensenig 1-0.
INTERCEPTIONS
Exeter: Gerhart.
