Showdown vs. unbeaten Buckskins can’t get here soon enough for Eagles

By Mike Drago Last updated Oct 18, 2025

Conestoga Valley's Sawyer Esbenshade. (Mark Palczewski/LNP photo)

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It has seemed like a long week for Exeter’s football team.

The Eagles can’t wait to get to Friday night and their long-anticipated Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 showdown at Conestoga Valley.

And they’re eager to put distance between themselves and their last game.

“They’re anxious to get last week past us,” said Exeter coach Matt Bauer.

It appeared the Eagles (4-0, 7-1) were so eager to play the Buckskins (4-0, 8-0) that they looked completely past Hempfield.

The Black Knights entered Week 8 with a losing record but pinned a surprising 30-28 defeat on the Eagles, ending their chances for an undefeated season and shooting a hole into their hopes for a high seed in the district playoffs.

Hempfield quarterback Derek Katch passed for 263 yards and hit on some big plays against an Exeter defense that had barely been dented over the first six weeks of the season. Before that the Eagles had allowed more than 100 passing yards just once, and never more than 125.

Pass defense is a definite concern this week against Sawyer Esbenshade and the league’s most potent passing attack. The senior has completed 71.1 percent of his passes and leads the league with 1,722 passing yards and 24 touchdowns; he’s thrown just three interceptions.

A year ago, in leading Conestoga Valley to 11 wins, he threw for 2,075 yards and 25 TDs, with just three interceptions. He was a first-team all-league pick. Now, Bauer said, he’s even better.

Eagles’ Joel Ummarino pressures CV’s Sawyer Esbenshade. (Purdon Photography/Brad Drey)

“His accuracy’s improved,” Bauer said. “He makes very good decisions and he can put the ball in some tight spots. His receivers are doing a really nice job of sitting down in space and giving him windows to throw into. You can tell that his senior leadership has really developed, as well.”

The Bucks line up three and four wideouts on most plays and put the ball in the air a lot, testing defenses.

That was a problem the first time Exeter faced him last year. Esbenshade shredded the Eagles in the first half, throwing for three touchdowns and 192 yards and producing 28 first-half points. The Bucks held on for a 28-27 win at Don Thomas Stadium.

A month later, in a district semifinal rematch at Witmer, the Eagles were better-prepared for him. Rather than sit back in coverage they forced the action, blitzed, and forced Esbenshade to throw quickly. He completed just 8-of-20 passes and was sacked four times. The Eagles won in a romp, 48-14.

That eased some pain for the Eagles, who have experienced some stinging defeats at the hands of the Bucks.

In 2023 Exeter was unbeaten and cruising toward a Week 10 showdown with Manheim Central for the Section 2 championship when it was tripped up at Conestoga Valley, 34-27.

The Eagles were 8-0 again last season when they ran into the Bucks. They were just feeling their way at that point, and had played just one game without quarterback Riley Martinez, who suffered a lower leg injury in Week 7 and wouldn’t return up until deep in the postseason.

Exeter dug out of a 21-7 hole and put together a terrific last-ditch drive, with Jake Hafer throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Ware with 7.8 seconds left. The Eagles went for two and the win and thought they had it when Jayden Zandier crashed over the goal line.

Officials, after a slight delay and some apparent confusion, ruled that he didn’t cross the goal line. Video replay suggested otherwise but that didn’t change the standings, where Conestoga Valley ended up on top after closing the regular season by beating Muhlenberg.

The Eagles scored a large dose of revenge in the playoffs, evening the series record at 2-2.

Conestoga Valley took a huge graduation hit following last season, losing 11 all-league players, including Section 2 Receiver of the Year Jayden Johnson, Defensive Lineman of the Year Justin Corson, and Defensive Back of the Year Isiah Sensenig.

Jon Scepanski and his staff have done an excellent job reloading. Their defense, in fact, is even better. It is ranked No. 2 in the league in total defense, No. 2 against the pass, and No. 5 against the run. It has intercepted 14 passes and is allowing 7.8 points per game, the fewest of any team in District 3.

The Bucks have won 20 consecutive regular season games and are 28-4 in three seasons under Scepanski, a former Solanco quarterback who was head coach at Northeastern York for nine seasons before returning to the L-L.

Exeter’s loss didn’t affect its chances for the section title; Hempfield, from Section 1, is a non-league opponent. It did, however, set up an interesting narrative for their biggest game of the year.

Will the stunning loss to Hempfield ignite a fire, or was it a sign that the Eagles – completely dominant through seven weeks – have some vulnerabilities?

“It was definitely a wake-up call,” said Bauer. “Hopefully we respond the way I believe we will.”