Exeter defeats Twin Valley in boys basketball, wins division title for first time since 1984

Feb. 7—Balanced scoring and tenacious defense led the way for Exeter in a 69-27 win over Twin Valley that clinched the Berks Conference Division II title on Senior Night Tuesday at Reiffton. The division title is Exeter's first since the 1983-84 season.

Teddy Snyder, a senior, scored a career-high 19 points and made three 3-pointers for the Eagles (10-2, 17-5), while fellow seniors Anthony Caccese, Zyion Paschall and Andrew Bauer each finished with 10 points.

"I'm excited for these guys, I'm proud of them and I think they deserved it," Exeter coach Matt Ashcroft said. "I'm just happy for the seniors. The six seniors have been through a lot. They've been through the ups and downs, and they just continue to fight and continue to battle. They're a special bunch. They mean a lot to us and we're really happy for them to go out with a win on Senior Night."

In addition to Snyder, the seniors are Caccese, Paschall, Bauer, Deven Sheeren and Joshua Turman.

After leading 21-16 after the first quarter, the Eagles opened the second with a 13-0 run. Kannon Zdimal scored the first field goal of the quarter for the Raiders (3-9, 4-17) following a timeout with 5:00 minutes remaining.

Zdimal finished with a team-high 10 points.

Strong defense from the Eagles limited the Raiders to just one other field goal in the second, an Evan Myers 3-pointer. Exeter outscored Twin Valley 26-5 to take a 47-21 halftime lead. Snyder led all scorers with 15 points at the half and made all three of his game-high 3-pointers before halftime.

"It means a lot to finally like clinch our division for the first time since '84," Snyder said. "I think we can win it all and I think we haven't played to our full potential yet."

The Eagles' multifaceted offense was on full display as they shot well beyond the perimeter and made seven 3-pointers in the first half. Faced with tough defense on the inside from the Raiders, the Eagles used effective ball movement to find open looks on the outside and showcase their inside-out brand of offense.

Bauer made two 3-pointers, while Kevin Saenz and Aidan Dauble each made one.

"I think it's a result of being that inside-out type team and having that inside presence," Ashcroft said. "Even if Cheese (Caccese) is not being effective scoring the basketball, he demands so much respect and attention. He was double- and triple-teamed tonight, and then that opens up our shooters. So we want to get the basketball inside and really make that a focal point that opens up the rest of our offense, and it creates that balance."

In addition to a balanced offense, Exeter's defense remained dominant in the second half, limiting the Raiders to two points in third quarter and four in the fourth.

For Paschall, the Eagles have been fueled by togetherness. The years of hard work have come to fruition.

"They (his teammates) worked like hell," Paschall said. "Putting the work in the gym is really our main goal and then transitioning it onto the court for the games, and that's what we've been doing.

"We're all great friends. We talk to each other all the time; we have a group chat. So the chemistry will always be there."

Ashcroft furthered Paschall's sentiments and said that he believes his team's determination and selflessness in the face of adversity is what stands out.

During Monday's 51-47 win against Cedar Cliff, Exeter trailed 12-7 after the first quarter and 32-31 after three quarters. In a key divisional 49-45 win over Berks Catholic during the Eagles' recent seven-game winning streak, the Eagles trailed 12-6 after one quarter and then 19-15 at the half.

"The neatest thing about this group is they faced a lot of adversity," Ashcroft said. "One of our mantras has been just keep going, just keep battling through anything. And I think we've done that. They show up every day, ready to work. We use the word 'unflappable,' and I think our team is. We were down last night (against Cedar Cliff) by several points We were down to Berks, Catholic, and they don't seem to be fazed. They're pretty unflappable.

"And you know, I think the biggest thing with us is, we knew this was possible if we just stayed together. They all love each other. They all care about each other and they truly don't care who scores the basketball. There's one goal: We want to have more points than the other team at the end of the game. They're truly playing team basketball at the right time of year."

After earning the program's best regular season record since finishing 17-7 in 2014-15 season, Exeter is ranked third in District 3 Class 5A power rankings. With perhaps it's best squad in recent memory, the Eagles are hopeful for postseason glory after clinching a Berks II title.

"It means a lot, going out with a bang like this," Paschall said. "This is going to give us more momentum going into the playoffs. This is our first chapter, now we got to go to chapter two and win counties, districts and whatever we got to do."