Team of the Day: Exeter Eagles

By Mike Drago Last updated Jul 19, 2024

Anthony Caccese (62), Joey Schlaffer (11) and Kyle Lash (51) lead Exeter onto the field in 2022. (Susan L. Angstadt photo)

2024 Berks football coverage

presented by UECU

For years Exeter had trouble getting past Berks Football League Section 1 rival Gov. Mifflin, which dominated the league and dominated its series with the Eagles.

The Eagles evened the score with the greatest win in program history, eliminating the top-ranked team in the state on its home field in the 2021 District 3 Class 5A championship game. The Eagles had to win three straight games on the road and come back from a third-quarter deficit to beat the Mustangs 31-28 and win their first district title.

The Eagles followed that in 2022 with their greatest regular season, going 10-0 and stopping unbeaten Manheim Central in Week 10 to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 title in their first season in the league.

Eagles coach Matt Bauer. (Tim Macrina photo)

Exeter, which for the first time was ranked as high as No. 2 in the state, finished with a program-record 12 victories in 2022; one of them earned head coach Matt Bauer his 100th win.

The Eagles got off to another great start last season, winning their first eight games to extend their regular season winning streak to a program-record 20.

The Eagles have had many accomplished players in their program but none moreso than lineman Michal Menet, who in 2015 became the first Berks football player named first-team All-State three straight years.

Menet went on to captain Penn State and play in the NFL.

His half-brother, Joey Schlaffer, led the Eagles to the Section 2 title in 2022 and set virtually every receiving record in program history during his four seasons in Reiffton. He followed Michal’s path and is now playing at Penn State.

Matt Bauer is set to begin his 16th season as Exeter’s head coach. Only Don Thomas, the man they named the stadium in honor of, has coached or won more games. Bauer needs 10 wins to tie Thomas for the program record.

To find out more about Exeter football history and see the newly expanded team records page, check out the Eagles Team Page.

You’ll find this season’s schedule, the Eagles’ series record against all current opponents, results from the 2023, 2022 and 2021 seasons, and team rushing, scoring, and passing records you can’t find anywhere else.

Each day during the preseason, MikeDragoSports.com will feature a different Berks team.

Next up: Fleetwood.