It looked as if Exeter’s legendary season was going to come to a heartbreaking end after it dropped the first two games in Tuesday’s District 3 Class 2A semifinal.
However, the Eagles put together a comeback for the ages as they beat Manheim Central 3-2 at Reiffton.
Exeter won by game scores of 23-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22 and 15-12.
The third-seeded Barons (13-1) pulled out a close first set before dominating most of the second as everything went their way.
“We kept battling and battled back down 0-2,” Exeter coach Matt Hadley said. “Coming back to win is just awesome. Proud of how they battled and proud of how they fought.”
Hadley and the second-seeded Eagles (20-0) decided to make a lineup change going into the third set.
“We made a flip in the lineup just to see if something would change and help us out and it did, it worked out,” Hadley said. “Just one little change sometimes in these games can affect the outcome.”
The lineup change seemed to make all the difference as the Eagles were able to win the next two sets by a combined eight points.
“In my mind, I was like, ‘Nothing special,’ ” co-captain Gaige Gabriel said. “On the other hand, the other team is a great team. Solid defense. It’s insane. Put the ball on us but, all we needed to change was our mentality. I keep saying that over and over again. When we get down, we sometimes get on ourselves. When we change that, different game.”
Exeter lost two of the first three games against Gov. Mifflin in the Berks final but rallied back to secure the county title.
The Eagles knew they had it in them to mount another comeback.
In the fifth set, Exeter had to rally one more time after falling behind 11-10. The Eagles went on a 5-1 run to win the match and advance to the championship match at top-seeded Lower Dauphin (18-0) Thursday at 7 p.m. The Falcons beat York Suburban 3-0 in the other semifinal.
“We struggled, we found our peace and we found what we needed to change and the match went well from there,” Gabriel said. “That’s the hardest I think we ever worked. The Mifflin game (in the Berks final) kind of showed that, too … We came back and won and I think that’s kind of what happened here again.”
Gabriel led the team with a career-high 32 kills, three blocks and two aces. Also for Exeter, Chase Nugent had 14 kills, eight digs, two aces and two blocks; Tyler Cambell had 24 digs; Ashton Wilson had eight kills, four digs, two blocks and one ace; and Jack Forry had 53 assists and two blocks.
Exeter beat Lower Dauphin earlier this season at the Henfield Tournament.
“I’m pretty confident as long as we play the way we can play I don’t think anyone can beat us,” Hadley said of his team going into the final. “That’s just how confident I am in them. I just don’t think that there’s anyone that can beat us.”
The Eagles also clinched a berth in the PIAA playoffs as the district’s top three teams qualify for states.
“It’s a goal that we really didn’t talk about but I know it was on our minds,” Hadley said of making states. “I’m just proud of the way they’ve battled all year, just how hard they’ve worked and we’re still not done.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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