Exeter takes out unbeaten New Oxford on Jake Franek’s last-second field goal
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Exeter 24, New Oxford 21
By Dustin Haluska — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
NEW OXFORD — Over his 16 seasons leading Exeter, head coach Matt Bauer has seen it all, from challenging beginnings to championship victories.
Friday’s game was a vivid illustration of the struggles and successes that have marked his tenure.
In a nail-biting finish, Jake Franek’s 32-yard field goal as time expired clinched the Eagles’ 24-21 victory over top-seeded and unbeaten New Oxford in the District 3 Class 5A quarterfinals.
This was not just another win; it was a historic moment for Bauer, marking his 124th victory and establishing him as the winningest coach in Exeter’s history.
Reflecting on his journey, Bauer compared the tension of his first victory, which broke a 21-game losing streak, to Friday night’s high-stakes game, noting the evolution in team mentality from learning to win to expecting to win.
“It was a white knuckler just like tonight” he said. “The difference? Those kids were learning to win; these kids expect to win.”
Franek’s field goal came on the heels of a game-tying score from the Colonials with 1:07 left. On the ensuing kickoff, Jayden Zandier took a reverse flip 47 yards to the New Oxford 33-yard line to give the eighth-seeded Eagles (11-1) a chance to get into field goal range.
“Jake started coming into own around Week 4 and we had a lot of confidence putting him in that high-pressure moment,” Bauer said of his kicker.
Franek also had a good night punting the football as he pinned the Colonials inside their own 10-yard line twice.
Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter and only managing three first downs in the first 18 minutes, Exeter’s offense came alive with two big pass plays to take a 14-7 first-half lead.
Quarterback Jake Hafer found speedy receiver Carter Redding on a pair of deep balls, 68 and 57-yard touchdowns late in the second quarter.
“They were loading nine in the box at times, so I knew we were going to get Carter matched up one-on-one coverage and he would have an opportunity to shake loose,” Bauer said.
For Hafer, it was a much-needed boost after he started the game just 1-for-5 with an interception. The junior quarterback was filling in for Riley Martinez, who has been sidelined with a lower leg injury since Week 7.
“I think the nerves got to me early,” Hafer said. “I know Carter’s speed and I knew if I just got the ball out to him, he would make a play.”
Added Redding: “We have been playing baseball together since we were 8-years old. We’ve been playing catch for a long time, and I have trust in my quarterback.”
The biggest plays came through the air, but Zandier was still the rock on offense for Exeter. The Eagles’ All-State running back, ripped off several key first-down rushes as well as runs to dig Exeter out of poor field position on his way to 159 yards on 29 carries.
“He just keeps answering; that’s what Jayden does,” Bauer said.
Meanwhile, Franek wasn’t the only key performer on special teams for Exeter.
With the score knotted at 14 in the middle of the fourth quarter and New Oxford punting from deep within its own territory, a mishandled long snap was scooped up by Exeter’s Casey Gerhart at the 2-yard line.
On the next play Zandier, lined up as a Wildcat quarterback, handed off to Genuine Stutzman, who powered through for a 2-yard touchdown, giving Exeter a 21-14 advantage.
New Oxford outgained the Eagles 371-291 as quarterback Luke Frey was 15-of-24 passing for 227 yards and a TD. Brayden Billman hauled five balls for 99 yards and shifty running back Clayton Nieves rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Similar to Exeter’s offensive night, the difference maker defensively was three key sacks by Gerhart, Stutzman, and Cameron Aiken, which halted three Colonials drives. The Eagles came into the night allowing the fewest points of any team in District 3.
“These kids know how to respond to adversity,” said Bauer, who was drenched after getting doused with ice water after the game in celebration of his milestone.
While Eagles will shift their focus to a much-anticipated rematch with Conestoga Valley — the only team to beat them — the players couldn’t be happier to savor the historic moment for their head coach.
“He does everything for us and it was great to be able to play a part in getting this win for him so he gets the respect he deserves,” Redding said.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Exeter | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| New Oxford | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
Scoring summary
| 2 | New Oxford | Nieves, 2 run (Miller kick) | 10:35 |
| 2 | Exeter | Redding, 68 pass from Hafer (Franek kick) | 4:20 |
| 2 | Exeter | Redding, 57 pass from Hafer (Franek kick) | 0:41 |
| 4 | New Oxford | Nieves, 13 run (Miller kick) | 11:18 |
| 4 | Exeter | Stutzman, 2 run (Franek kick) | 6:25 |
| 4 | New Oxford | Billman, 21 pass from Frey (Miller kick) | 1:07 |
| 4 | Exeter | Franek, 32 FG | 0:00 |
Team statistics
| Exeter | New Oxford | |
| First downs | 14 | 21 |
| Rushes-yards | 34-147 | 41-144 |
| Passing yards | 144 | 227 |
| Total yards | 291 | 371 |
| Passes | 4-9-1 | 15-24-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Punts-average | 6-36 | 4-33.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 8-47 | 8-67 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Exeter: Zandier 29-159, Brown 1-7, Redding 1-2, Stutzman 1-2, Hafer 1-(-7), Team 1-(-16).
New Oxford: Nieves 25-98, Frey 8-51, Brown 3-11, Houck 2-3, Team 3-(-19).
PASSING
Exeter: Hafer 4-9-1–144.
New Oxford: Frey 15-24-0–227.
RECEIVING
Exeter: Redding 3-130, Stutzman 1-14.
New Oxford: Billman 5-99, Holmes 4-57, Nieves 3-33, Jacoby 2-30, Vargas 1-8.
INTERCEPTIONS:
New Oxford: Brown.
