Joey Schlaffer picks up Exeter in win over Conestoga Valley
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details and postgame reaction.)
By Andrew Clauser— MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Penn State recruit Joey Schlaffer delivered when it mattered most Friday as Exeter came away with a 38-10 win over Conestoga Valley at Reiffton, setting up a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 showdown with Manheim Central next week.
The two section leaders have identical 5-0, 9-0 records.
The Buckskins (2-3, 4-5) cut Exeter’s lead to two scores going into the fourth quarter; that’s when Schlaffer tore off a magnificent 91-yard TD run to help the Eagle 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.
On Exeter’s next possession quarterback Mason 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.
Despite two early interceptions by Rotelli the senior quarterback turned it on in the second quarter, delivering a 13-yard pass in the flat to senior running back Richie Karstien, then a 2-yard TD run with four seconds left in the 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.
After some early turnovers by the Eagles, their defense came through and limited the Buckskins to only 66 yards in the first half.
The Buckskins were able to get on the board with a 55-yard TD pass from Macoy Kneisley to Jeffery Fisher late in the third but numerous penalties and Exeter’s stout defense didn’t allow for much more.
The No. 2 state-ranked Eagles travel to Manheim Central Friday at 7 to decide the section title.
Exeter will head there for the second year in a row. Last year, the Eagles stunned the higher-seeded Barons 43-26 in the District 3 Class 5A playoff.
| 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.
