GoBigRecruiting.com Game of the Week: Exeter vs. Berks Catholic

GoBigRecruiting.com Game of the Week

Exeter (4-3) vs. Berks Catholic (5-2)

Kick: Friday, 7, at Forino Sports Complex.

Berks Section 1 records: Eagles 1-1, Saints 2-0.

Series: Saints lead 4-1.

Last season: Colby Newton ran for 198 yards and scored three touchdown as Berks Catholic won 56-28. The Saints rushed for 430 yards and had 513 total yards. They trailed 28-21 at the half but scored 35 unanswered points in the second half, getting some key takeaways and a pair of late fourth-down defensive stops. Exeter turned the ball over four times, with Josiah Jordan picking off a pair of passes.

Series flashback: In a 2019 season-opener Berks Catholic trailed 10-0 heading into the final quarter before getting long touchdown runs from Nolan Larkin and Abdul McFoy to win 14-10. The Eagles out-gained the Saints 330-172, and had 18 first downs to BC’s six. The Eagles drove to the Saints’ 4 in the final minute before being stopped on downs.

Eagles update: Fell behind 30-0 en route to 54-21 loss to Gov. Mifflin last week, their worst loss since falling 56-14 to the Mustangs in 2020… WR Joey Schlaffer had a big game, catching five passes for a season-high 110 yards, despite tight coverage; that was his third career 100-yard receiving game… Colin Payne is the top-ranked passer in Berks; he has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 1,195 yards and 11 TDs, with just two INTs… Schlaffer is fourth in Berks with 25 receptions… Eric Nangle went for 100 yards on 19 carries last week and has 638 rushing yards… Nangle shares team touchdowns lead with Ty Yocum, each with eight… Yocum punched in a pair of TDs last week… Lost Jacob Wolfe, a two-way starter and key special teams player, to season-ending injury last week before the Mifflin game… Defense allowing just 117 rushing yards per game, third-best in Berks… Yocum leads team with 46 tackles; Luke Palange has 39, to go with 3 1/2 sacks and a team-high 11 tackles for loss… Richie Karstien has team-leading 10 QB hurries… Plus-10 in turnover differential, tied for best in Berks… Have forced 14 takeaways, tied for most in Berks; have committed just four turnovers… Averaging 40.0 points per game… Ranked No. 12 in District 3 Class 5A playoff chase; top 14 qualify.

Saints update: Have opened league play with a pair of lopsided wins, beating Daniel Boone 40-7 and Reading High 42-12… Potent offense has produced 40 or more points in each of the five wins… Overall, averaging 34.7 points and 303 yards per game… Senior halfback Christian Cacchione has been the main catalyst, with 15 TDs and a team-leading 761 rushing yards… He is averaging 7.32 yards per carry and 25.9 yards on nine receptions… He has scored twice on punts returns, once on a kickoff and once on a fumble return… Junior halfback Josiah Jordan has 13 TDs and is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 22.7 yards on nine receptions… He also leads team with three INTs… First-year starting QB Mitchell Gatz has been extremely efficient, completing 67.4 percent of his passes with 11 TDs and one INT; his 247.5 passing efficiency rating would be highest in Berks but he doesn’t have enough attempts (46) to qualify for the leader board… Defense has had trouble against the run, allowing an average of 7.6 yards per carry… Ranked No. 10 overall in Berks in total defense… Ranked No. 1 in District 3 Class 4A power ratings.

Did you know? Berks Catholic missed the District 3 Tournament last season for the first time in eight years. From 2013-2019 it played for a district championship. In 2017 the Saints became the first Berks team to win three straight district titles.

For the record: Future NFL placekicker Taylor Bertolet has the longest field goal in Exeter history, at 48 yards (vs. Pottsville in 2010). That broke the record of 46, set by his brother Matt five years earlier.

For the record: The Saints have had two players return an interception 100 yards for a TD: Isaac Lutz in 2013, vs. Kutztown, and Tre Dabney, in 2016, vs. Lampeter-Strasburg.