GoBigRecruiting.com Game of the Week features new QB for Exeter
Exeter (10-4) vs. Daniel Boone (5-4)*
Kick: Friday, 7, at Brazinsky Stadium.
Series: Eagles lead 40-22-1, with nine straight wins.
Last meeting: Gavin McCusker went 8-for-8 for 208 yards and two TDs as Exeter won the 2020 meeting 49-16.
Trophy Game: The Eagles and Blazers will be playing for the Pig Iron Trophy, a tradition that began in 1966. Exeter leads the trophy series 37-18-1. The Blazers haven’t had their hands on the trophy since 2011, the last of Dave Bodolus’ nine seasons as their head coach.
Did you know? Daniel Boone had played Exeter 61 straight seasons, from 1960-2020, the longest continuous rivalry in Berks football history, until being forced to cancel last year’s game due to COVID issues.
Eagles update: Senior Mason Rotelli will draw his first start at QB after emerging as the No. 1 following a prolonged competition with senior Joey Schlaffer. . . Rotelli hasn’t thrown a varsity pass; in fact, last season Carter Redding was the only Exeter player to throw a pass other than starter Colin Payne. . . Rotelli has played quarterback coming up through the program and his game-management experience led head coach Matt Bauer to give him the nod. . . Schlaffer could still see time at QB in certain packages but for now will be used primarily as a receiver, at TE, SE or WR. . . He is committed to Penn State as a TE. . . Senior Richie Karstien will be the lead running back but Bauer was impressed with the progress of a pair of sophomores, Carter Redding and Pharrell Cacceres, each of whom could see time at RB. . . Karstien will also see time at DE, sharing that spot with Schlaffer. . . Schlaffer didn’t play much defense last season but Bauer wants to take advantage of his athleticism and 6-7 frame as an edge rusher. . . Redding, a multi-sport athlete, was in the early running for the QB spot, then was switched to WR before landing at RB. . . Cacceres, a transfer from Muhlenberg, came up as a QB but caught Bauer’s eye in camp as a RB. . . Cacceres ran the 100 and competed in the LJ and TJ during track season. . . Another key addition is Nate Pashley, a two-way starter at Conwell Egan last season. He’ll play WR and DB. . . Juniors and twin brothers Ryan McConnell and Matt McConnell will start on the O-line, at LT and C, respectively. . . They’ll join return starters T Anthony Caccese, a Delaware recruit, and Gs Kyle Lash and Lucas Palanage on what could be the top line in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. . . Schlaffer, Karstien, Lash and Caccese will join Joey Reedy on what figures to be a standout D-line. .. The Eagles are replacing 11 starters and eight all-league picks from last year’s District 3 Class 5A championship team. . . They open the season ranked No. 7 in the state in Class 5A by PennLive.com.
Quotable: “Mason’s come up through our program, he’s had the most coaching as a quarterback in the system, and he’s paid his dues. He deserves an opportunity (to start at QB). He showed us that he can manage the game, and that’s what we’re asking him to do. It also will allow us to move Joey around a significant amount.” — Eagles coach Matt Bauer, on starting QB Mason Rotelli.
Blazers update: 2021 got off to a disastrous start when Carter Speyerer, expected to be one of the top QBs in the Berks League, was lost for the season on the second series of the opening game. Sophomore Dean Rotter, a converted WR, quickly grasped the offense and helped the Blazers win five of their final six games following an 0-2 start to qualify for the District 3 Tournament for the first time since 2014. . . Rotter ended up throwing for nearly 1,000 yards, had a 12-to-3 TDs-to-INTs ratio and completed nearly 60 percent of his passes. . . He’ll be working behind a big, veteran line that includes G’s Tony Rulli and George Quinter, who go 270 and 278, respectively, 215-pound C Reilly Mentzell, 6-4, 250-pound T Jorden Meyer and 6-3, 212-pound T Jessie Smith. . . Draven Klick, a TE who goes 6-5 and has Division I potential, adds size up front and gives Rotter a reliable target. . . That group figures to give Rotter plenty of time to throw and Ethan Kryman, a potentially explosive RB, room to run. . . Klick will be part of a receiving package that includes newcomers Robbie Burns, Max Heffner and Anthony High at WR. None of them caught a pass last season. . . Klick, Meyer and Quinter will man the defensive line in new 3-4 look installed by new Defensive Coordinator Ron Zeiber, the former Exeter and Boyertown head coach. . . The toughest guy to replace from last season might be All-State kicker Nate Millard, perhaps the Blazers’ best defensive weapon with his punting and kickoffs. . . Heffner takes over as P and Chad Brown as PK. . . Freshman Freddy Lacey could see time as a KR, along with Kryman. . . . Will have six sophomores in starting lineup.
Quotable: “Our bigs are the strength of our team. We return four offensive linemen, plus our tight end. That’s a big deal for us. There haven’t been many times for us when we have returned four or five linemen; three of them have been playing since they were freshmen. We want to control the line of scrimmage; that’s going to be very important for us.” — Blazers coach Rob Flowers.
Did you know? The Eagles won three games on the road last season en route to capturing their first District 3 championship. Their four playoff wins last year equaled the program total in 15 previous district games.
On schedule: Daniel Boone and Exeter traditionally played for the Pig Iron Trophy in the final week of the regular season but meet in a season opener for the first time since 1964. Their first two meetings, in 1960 and 1961, were also season-openers. With the Blazers in Section 3 and the Eagles in Section 2 they can’t meet in Week 10 under the current Lancaster-Lebanon League format.
*2021 final records
