Exeter at Ephrata

Friday, September 2, 2011 @ 7:00 PM

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Final
Exeter 0 0 14 6 20
Ephrata 6 0 6 0 12
Highlights: At Ephrata, two second-half touchdown returns helped the Eagles overcome an oft-stalling offense and Exeter survived a late Mountaineers scoring threat to take the non-league opener at War Memorial Field.

Eagles sophomore defensive back Robbie Devich batted away a Jeremy Franck lob to the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the Eagles' 10-yard line with just over a minute left, and Exeter ran out the clock from there.

Junior Brian Beissel intercepted Franck and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to widen the Eagles' lead to 20-12 with 3:40 to play, but the extra point was blocked, giving Ephrata an opportunity to tie the game on its final possession.

The Mounts drove 60 yards to the Exeter 10, the last half of that hunk coming on a 30-yard Franck-to-Evan Weaver connection. But the Eagles then held Franck (15-for-30, 186 yards) to four consecutive incompletions.

Exeter, which trailed 6-0 at the half, got on the board behind senior running back Cody Manmiller, who banged in from a yard out to put the Eagles ahead 7-6 with 8:17 left in the third quarter. Manmiller had 50 of his team-high 58 rushing yards in the second half.

"Cody Manmiller, he really stepped up for us in a big way," said Exeter coach Matt Bauer.

Aside from Manmiller, the Eagles struggled offensively, scuffling to sustain drives and crippling themselves with mistakes whenever the were on the verge of gaining momentum.

But the two returns saved them. Four plays after Manmiller's TD, the Eagles extended their lead to eight when senior Christian Menet blocked a punt and senior Thomas Herb scooped it on a bounce and raced 27 yards to the end zone.

Franck later hit Weaver with a 15-yard scoring pass, which Weaver grabbed on a deflection, to close the Mounts to within two, but Ephrata's two-point run attempt failed.

Exeter quarterback Kyle Yocum rushed for 50 yards, but drops and overthrows hurt him in a 5-for-13, 58-yard, one-interception passing performance.

Exeter downs Ephrata
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Scoring Summary 
TeamPlay ByYardsFromExtra Point ByExtra Point
EphrataPstrak6 run  kick failed
ExeterManmiller1 run Lutzkick
ExeterHerb27 return of blocked punt Lutzkick
EphrataE. Weaver15 pass fromFranck run failed
ExeterBeissel32 interception return  kick failed
Team Statistics
Category Exeter Ephrata
First downs 12 11
Rushes-yards 40 - 135 27 - 86
Passing yards 58 186
Total yards 193 272
Passes 5 - 13 - 1 15 - 30 - 1
Fumbles-lost 2 - 1 0 - 0
Punts-avg. 6 - 38.00 7 - 26.10
Penalties-yards 11 - 72 5 - 30
Exeter Passing 
PlayerCOMP.ATTINTYDSTDsRating
K. Yocum513158061
Ephrata Passing 
PlayerCOMP.ATTINTYDSTDsRating
Franck153011861106
 
Exeter Rushing
PlayerCarriesYardsAvgTDs
Manmiller16583.61
K. Yocum17502.90
Connelly3227.30
Spiller3103.30
Mozo1-5-5.00
Ephrata Rushing
PlayerCarriesYardsAvgTDs
Murray6437.20
Nye12424.00
Pstrak5214.21
Burkholder53.60
Liebl122.00
Franck9-7-.80
 
Exeter Receiving
PlayerCatchesYardsAvgTDs
Bortz23417.00
Dundore2105.00
Menet11414.00
Ephrata Receiving
PlayerCatchesYardsAvgTDs
Murray5122.40
Keefer36421.30
E. Weaver34916.31
Pstrak22412.00
Burkholder13030.00
Nye177.00
 
Exeter Interceptions 
Player#
Beissel1
Ephrata Interceptions 
Player#
E. Weaver1
 
Exeter Field Goals 
PlayerDistanceMade
Ephrata Field Goals 
PlayerDistanceMade
Murray30N