It’s a Player of the Week hat trick for Exeter’s dynamic Jayden Zandier

By Mike Drago Last updated Dec 4, 2024

Electric.

That’s the word Exeter football coach Matt Bauer often uses to describe his All-State running back Jayden Zandier, and it was the perfect description for the senior tailback’s latest effort.

Zandier ran for 268 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 48-14 destruction of Conestoga Valley Friday in a District 3 Class 5A semifinal. He scored on runs of 48, 7, 12, and 9 yards and set up another TD with a 79-yard run to the 1-yard-line, more than enough to earn Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.

“He’s just a clutch player in these types of games,” Bauer said. “You’ve got to give him the ball. Sometimes he’s not going to make a great decision, but he makes up with it for six other ones that are 20-plus yards. And how can you stop that?”

So far, not many people have.

Zandier’s fifth 200-yard game of the season pushed his season rushing total to 2,089 yards, second-highest in Berks history. Central Catholic’s David Gilmore owns the record with 2,403, set in 1983 when the Cardinals became the first Berks team to win a district championship.

Zandier became just the fifth Berks back to hit 2,000 yards in a season.

Afterwards, as usual, he thanked his offensive line of center Joel Ummarino, guards Aven Acuna and Andrew Osborne, and tackles Logan Wegman and Kevin Oswalt. They helped him top 100 yards for the ninth time in 12 games, more than any other Berks back.

The Buckskins had no answer for him. He broke away for a 48-yard score on his second touch of the game and dominated the rest of the way. He set the tone by carrying the ball on 15 of Exeter’s first 16 plays.

Jayden Zandier races for the end zone Friday against Conestoga Valley. (PhilMarPhoto)

He finished the game with a program-record 3,447 yards, 15^th-most in Berks history – remarkable considering he didn’t move to tailback until the 14^th game of his junior season.

His 34 touchdowns this season are fourth-most in Berks history, as are his 212 points.

Zandier has authored three of the fourth biggest rushing totals in program history, going for 312 against Muhlenberg in Week 7 this season and 262 against Hempfield last year. Eric Nangle’s program-record 332 yards came against Cedar Crest in a 2021 district playoff game.

After he ran for four touchdowns, scored on a pair of two-point conversions, and threw a touchdown pass against Muhlenberg, Bauer said: “Could you ask for anything more?”

Zandier earned All-State honors last season after he scored 19 touchdowns, rushed for 1,358 and averaged 10.7 yards per carry. He has dwarfed those numbers this season. He’s averaging 11.7 yards per carry (and 11.2 for his career).

“He’s more elusive (than he was last year),” Bauer said earlier this year. “He’s definitely faster, but he’s hard to get a direct hit on because he is so agile. He has exceptional body control.”

Zandier was named Player of the Week after his big performance against Muhlenberg, and after rushing for 216 yards and a pair of TDs in a Week 4 win over Gov. Mifflin. He was selected for the award twice last season.

Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.

This is the fourth consecutive season that Wyomissing Physical Therapy has sponsored the Offensive Player of the Week award. At the end of the season an Offensive Player of the Year will be selected.

Also nominated for Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week: