Joey Schlaffer picks up Exeter in win over Conestoga Valley
By Andrew Clauser— MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
It’s easy to overlook a team and think about next week’s big game.
That was the situation for Exeter Friday night, which faced Conestoga Valley a week ahead of a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 showdown with Manheim Central.
After a few early turnovers and untimely mistakes Exeter’s stellar group of seniors, led by Joey Schlaffer, Anthony Caccese, Mason Rotelli and Richie Karstien, made sure the Eagles did not slip up while looking ahead.
Schlaffer, the Penn State recruit, delivered when it mattered the most as Exeter came away with a 38-10 Section 2 win over Conestoga Valley, setting up a Week 10 battle of unbeatens.
The section co-leaders have identical 5-0, 9-0 records.
The Buckskins (2-3, 4-5) trailed 24-3 late in the third quarter before cutting Exeter’s lead to two scores going into the fourth quarter. That’s when Schlaffer broke off a magnificent 91-yard TD run to help the Eagles regain control. It looked like a minimal gain until Schlaffer stopped, pulled back and turned on the jets, racing down the sideline for the score.
”We needed a spark to get our offense moving and we got it,” said Schlaffer. “To be honest it was a play I suggested to Coach (Matt Bauer) and it worked out well for us.”
On Exeter’s next possession Rotelli found a well-covered Schlaffer down the sideline for a 31-yard TD catch and run. He finished the night with five catches for 129 yards and 220 total yards.
Despite two early interceptions, Rotelli turned it on in the second quarter, delivering a 13-yard pass in the flat to Karstien, then running for a 2-yard TD run with four seconds left in the first half.
After a huge performance last week against Hempfield, Karstien carried the load again for the Eagles with 94 yards on the ground on 18 carries, along with two scores.
“Every week we try to go 1-0,” said Schlaffer.
The same words were echoed by Bauer after the game.
“We fought through some adversity early on but the kids really came through,” he said. “We challenged them not to look down the road. We also needed to clean up the mistakes at crucial points in the game.
“(Conestoga Valley) was a tough and physical team that we had to get through. We got through it healthy and that’s what matters: 1-0.”
The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 5A by PennLive.com, visit Manheim Central, ranked No. 6 in 4A, Friday.
Exeter will travel to Manheim Central for the second year in a row. Last year, the Eagles stunned the higher-seeded Barons (43-26) in the District 3 playoffs on their home field. The Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2 title is on the line as well as District 3 playoff seedings.
The Eagles know what’s at stake next week and they are ready to go.
“We are all well aware of the importance of our next opponent, ” says Schlaffer. “Our mindset is 1-0 every week and this week is no different. We’ve been battle-tested, hungry, and ready to play right now.”
“We’ve been in a one game at a time mindset this year,” said Bauer. “It’s going to be a huge game which is great for our league and great for Pennsylvania football and hopefully we will be up for the challenge.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Conestoga Valley | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Exeter | 7 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Exeter | Karstien, 2 run (Skipper kick) | 10:16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conestoga Valley | Irwin, 27 FG | 1:00 |
| 2 | Exeter | Karstien, 13 pass from Rotelli (Skipper kick) | 8:21 |
| 2 | Exeter | Rotelli, 2 run(Skipper kick) | 0:04 |
| 3 | Exeter | Skipper, 22 FG | 5:04 |
| 3 | Conestoga Valley | Fisher, 55 pass from Kneisley (Irwin kick) | 1:05 |
| 4 | Exeter | Schlaffer, 91 run (Skipper kick) | 9:04 |
| 4 | Exeter | Schlaffer, 31 pass from Rotelli (Skipper kick) | 2:46 |
Team statistics
| Conestoga Valley | Exeter | |
| First downs | 5 | 10 |
| Rushes-yards | 24-32 | 36-253 |
| Passing yards | 104 | 176 |
| Total yards | 136 | 429 |
| Passes | 6-15-1 | 10-18-2 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 6-36.3 | 2-18.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 12-100 | 9-70 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Conestoga Valley: Tran 17-34, Johnson 3-0, Camacho 2-0, Kneisley 2-(-11).
Exeter: Karstien 18-94, Schlaffer 1-91, Paschall 9-34, Rotelli 6-27, Choy 2-7.
PASSING
Conestoga Valley: Kneisley 6-15-1–104.
Exeter: Rotelli 10-18-2–176.
RECEIVING
Conestoga Valley: Fisher 4-80, Johnson 1-16, Santana 1-8.
Exeter: Schlaffer 5-129, Karstien 3-29, Zandier 2-18.
INTERCEPTIONS
Conestoga Valley: Tran, Fisher.
Exeter: Ummarino.
