Exeter Eagles ‘have a chance to do something really cool’

Zyion Paschall had the worst seat in the house for the final minutes of Exeter’s District 3 Class 5A semifinal against Hershey: On the Eagles’ bench.

The All-Berks point guard picked up his fifth foul on a charge with 1:41 left, the Eagles leading by four – their once nine-point lead quickly dwindling away.

The senior had to watch as he was replaced by a freshman, Aidan Dauble. A minute later he saw backcourt mate Alex Kelsey foul out; he, too, was replaced by a freshman, Jaden Ware.

“It was hard,” Paschall said of having no longer having control of Exeter’s fate as it tried to make it back to a district final for the first time in 30 years. “Very hard.”

The freshmen did OK. Dauble grabbed a couple boards; Ware beat Hershey’s trapping defense with pass, then hit a free throw to make push Exeter’s lead to five with 25 seconds left.

The third-seeded Eagles survived, advancing to the title game Thursday at Giant Center at 4:15 against top-seeded Manheim Central.

Paschall was relieved his teammates bailed him out; Eagles coach Matt Ashcroft was just plain relieved after some anxious minutes. With two minutes to go Paschall, Kelsey and Mr. Double-Double, senior center Anthony Caccese, each had four fouls.

Ashcroft left them on the floor, in part because his already-thin bench was even thinner with No. 2 scorer and rebounder Reece Garvin out for the tournament with a sprained ankle.

Moreso, he left them out there because he trusted them. Caccese, after all, delivered the Berks II title with a courageous performance at Berks Catholic when he played most of the fourth quarter with four fouls. He made it to the finish line with 27 points and 17 rebounds.

Ashcroft can’t bring himself to take Paschall out of the game. He’s become a team leader as a senior, holding things together not only with his stellar defense and consistent scoring but with a presence that has carried the Eagles to new heights.

“He’s such a calming presence out there,” Ashcroft said of Paschall. “(If he’s in foul trouble) we’re gonna take a chance. We’ve been aggressive (with that) all year. He’s out best option out there, obviously.”

You could tell by the look on Paschall’s face during the win over Hershey that he was not to be denied. His shot wasn’t falling; he made just one of his final eight attempts in the first half. He figured out a different way in the second half. He attacked the basket relentlessly, scored nine third-quarter points and brought the Eagles back from an eight-point hole.

“He came over to me on the sideline and said: ‘Coach, just get me the basketball,’ ” Ashcroft related afterward. “Of course we will.”

It’ll be vital for the Eagles to have Paschall on the court throughout the championship game. He’ll likely draw the defensive assignment on Trey Grube, the Lancaster County version of Charlie Copp.

A basketball is a lethal weapon when it’s in Grube’s hands. He’s got NBA range and gets shots off faster than Wyatt Earp.

“Trey Grube is the truth,” said Ashcroft.

The senior guard, an All-State pick as a junior, is averaging 22.2 points and has 1,707 for his career. He set the Lancaster-Lebanon League record with 101 3-pointers last season and has 303 in his career.

“He can flat out score,” Ashcroft said. “And he has a lot of talented basketball players around him.”

Grube is the centerpiece of a balanced, deep, athletic team that won the Section 2 title. The Barons (22-5) ended Fleetwood’s unbeaten start at 13 with a 67-57 win on the Tigers’ home court; they beat Muhlenberg 64-54 in the district quarterfinals.

Junior forward Aaron Enterline, an All-State wide receiver, adds length and averages 9.7 points per game. Sam Witmer, a junior guard with size, averages 8.2 points. He’s one of six guys who have hit a dozen or more 3’s.

Sixth-year coach Charlie Fisher, a Reading High grad, runs guys on and off the floor at a rapid pace and constantly switches defenses.

This is just the second championship game the Barons have reached. They’re looking for their first title, as are the Eagles: They’re 0-3 in championship games, having lost in 1974, 1980, and 1983.

Paschall is determined to change that.

“We’re planning on winning it,” he said.

“We have an opportunity to do something really cool,” Ashcroft said. “And we’ll be ready.”