Senior leadership lifts Exeter over Daniel Boone

EXETER >> Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Charles Truckermiller during his first year as head coach at Exeter.

Yet somehow his team remains as focused and resilient as ever.

“We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs this season — probably more downs than ups,” said Truckermiller. “Despite all the downs we’ve faced, we kept fighting and kept playing hard in every game all year.”

Friday night served as tribute to his team’s resilience, as Exeter dismantled Daniel Boone 44-21 in a Berks Conference I matchup at Exeter High School’s Main Gym.

The win served as Exeter’s third victory of the season, moving the Eagles to 2-7 in Berks I (3-16 overall). The loss drops Daniel Boone to 3-6 in Berks and 5-13 overall.

“It was good to see, especially for our seniors,” said Truckermiller. “They stuck together (tonight) and kept everyone on the team together. They’ve been doing it all season, and tonight it paid off. It was a good win for us, and I’m hoping they use it to gain some traction.”

Seniors Abby Mengel and Ali Snyder combined for all but nine of Exeter’s points on the night. Mengel scored 18 points, connecting on three 3-pointers and finishing 5-for-7 from the free throw line. Snyder scored 17 points and shot 7-for-12 from the free throw line including a perfect 4-for-4 in the final frame.

“We came into this one with a good attitude,” said Mengel. “Looking at our record, I don’t think people are expecting much from us, but we’re a different team now than we were earlier in the season.”

Entering Friday, Exeter had lost 13 of its past 14 dating back to a mid-December loss to Governor Mifflin. Still, Snyder says it’s all in the rearview.

“There were a lot of games we should have won throughout the year, but we can’t think about that now. Our focus has to be on the rest of the season and finishing it out the right way.”

“That’s how these girls have been all season,” said Truckermiller. “Win or lose, they’ve never gotten down on themselves or each other. I think a lot of that has to do with our senior leadership.”

That senior leadership has been a key ingredient missing for Daniel Boone. The Blazers returned just one starter from last year’s team, which presents a whole set of challenges.

With a roster with 14 underclassmen, the Blazers have been facing a learning curve all season.

“We’re young, and still very inexperienced,” said Daniel Boone head coach Ray Cinquanto. “It’s tough to go up against a team with six seniors like that. We just don’t have the experience to match.”

Senior forward Alayna Roesener finished with a team-high nine points for the Blazers. As a team, Daniel Boone shot 8-for-17 from the foul line and couldn’t convert a bucket in the final quarter

“We’ve just got to keep moving forward — keep learning with each game,” said Cinquanto of his team’s seventh consecutive loss. “Losses like this one are going to happen. It’s a matter of learning from it and using it as motivation down the road.”

Both teams will have to face a quick rebound today as Exeter travels to face Ephrata at noon while Daniel Boone hosts Manheim Central at 1 p.m.

NOTES >> Junior forward Taylor Kerling scored eight points for Exeter. … The Eagles shot 13-for-22 from the free throw line.