PA EAST WEEK 6 FEATURED GAME PREVIEW
RED-HOT DISTRICT 3 CONTENDERS COLLIDE: EXETER TOWNSHIP TRAVELS TO ELIZABETHTOWN FOR HUGE WEEK 6 SHOWDOWN
Week 6 features a huge District 3 showdown as Elizabethtown welcomes Exeter Township to White Family Dental Stadium Friday night. Both teams enter at 4-1, both are riding winning streaks, and this has all the makings of one of the most exciting games across Eastern PA this week.
Exeter comes in looking to extend its three-game winning streak, while Elizabethtown has ripped off four straight victories after dropping its season opener.
Something has to give Friday night.
EXETER TOWNSHIP
Exeter enters the game with a 4-1 record. The Eagles' only loss came against Spring-Ford (D1 6A #6) back on September 4. They come into this game on a three-game winning streak but will be heavily tested against this red-hot Elizabethtown team.
Exeter is a big, fast, physical football team that plays with great intensity.
One of the biggest reasons for the Eagles' strong start is SR T/DL Wyatt Richard. Richard is a nightmare for opposing offensive and defensive linemen. He is constantly putting defenders on the ground when he's blocking and is superb at stuffing the run and getting to the quarterback on defense.
SR TE/MLB Braylon Reinert is another player to look out for in this game. Reinert is a playmaker on both sides of the football. He's a big-bodied tight end who excels as a pass catcher and will destroy you off the line when blocking. He's physical on defense and does a great job reading the play as it develops and reacting quickly to make the tackle.
Young gun SO TE/DE Cayden Reinert, Braylon's brother, is another impact player for the Eagles. Cayden is an absolute playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, constantly making plays in the backfield and stuffing the run. He's also a reliable option at tight end and handles punting duties for Exeter.
He has a leg.
OTHER EXETER PLAYERS TO WATCH
JR QB Aiden Gerhart — Runs the read option very well and throws a nice ball. Elizabethtown will also have to account for his scrambling ability.
JR WR/CB Brady Adams — A reliable receiver with great hands. Adams plays really good coverage on defense and is also the punt returner for the Eagles.
SO RB/SS Jaiheer Dasilvio — A hard runner with good speed who can also make plays on the defensive side of the football.
SR RB/SS Joshua Jackson — A physical runner with nice cuts who is also very impactful defensively. He's good at reading the quarterback and is a great open-field tackler.
SO WR/FS Nick Kozik — Fantastic in coverage and another great open-field tackler for the Eagles.
EXETER KEY TO VICTORY — SHUT DOWN THE RUN
Exeter needs to shut down the run to win this football game.
Elizabethtown has an extremely explosive offense with JR RB Prince Wratto at the forefront of it all. Allowing Wratto and the Bears to consistently create explosive plays on the ground could make for a long night.
Exeter's front needs to win at the line of scrimmage, limit Wratto's opportunities in space, and force Elizabethtown to sustain long drives rather than allowing quick-strike plays.
ELIZABETHTOWN
Elizabethtown enters the game at 4-1 as well, with its only loss coming in Week 1 against Donegal (D3 4A #12).
The Bears enter Friday night red-hot on a four-game winning streak and will look to keep it rolling against the Eagles.
Elizabethtown is a fast, explosive, aggressive football team that can wear opponents down as the game progresses. What's especially exciting about this team is how young it is, with numerous star players set to return next season.
A huge reason the Bears are rolling is JR RB Prince Wratto.
Wratto has elite speed, is explosive, and is a nightmare for opposing defenses to bring down. Wratto already has 754 rushing yards, 158 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns this season for the Bears.
When this dude has the ball in his hands, watch out.
JR QB Kolton Eckinger has been playing remarkably well for the Bears. Eckinger throws a very impressive ball on the run and is extremely accurate with his throws. He's a dual-threat quarterback and a very good scrambler who does not go down easily. He makes smart decisions with the football and looks calm and relaxed in the pocket.
Then there's FR WR/CB Rudy Brisbane, who has been an absolute ballhawk for the Bears' defense.
The dude already has 7 interceptions this season. He's fantastic in coverage and isn't afraid to come up and lay a hit on you. He's also a very reliable receiver on offense with great hands and the ability to pick up plenty of yardage after the catch.
And he's only a freshman.
OTHER ELIZABETHTOWN PLAYERS TO WATCH
SR DL/T Noah Lloyd — Brings intensity to the defensive line for the Bears. He's very physical, a constant presence in the backfield, and a tough, physical blocker on the offensive line.
SR OLB Porter Avers — Everywhere on defense for the Bears. Avers has 39 tackles this season along with multiple tackles for loss.
JR Nick Sivulich — A key defensive player for the Bears. He's constantly around the football and making plays in the backfield.
SR WR Matthew Beck — A great option in the Elizabethtown passing game who can make big plays at receiver.
ELIZABETHTOWN KEY TO VICTORY — GET THE OFFENSE ROLLING EARLY AND CREATE EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
If the Bears' offense gets hot early, it's going to be difficult for Exeter to keep pace throughout the entire game.
Elizabethtown needs to establish the run, get Wratto involved early, and create explosive plays on the ground. Doing that will open things up for Eckinger and the passing game and force Exeter to defend the entire field.
PA EAST PREDICTION
EXETER TOWNSHIP 14 • ELIZABETHTOWN 21
This was a near-impossible game to pick.
On paper, Exeter looks like the better team. But the Bears are rolling right now, and they've got something going offensively that I think the Eagles are going to have a hard time stopping.
Elizabethtown's ability to create explosive plays — especially with Wratto — is what gives the Bears the edge in my prediction.
Either way, these are two really good football teams, and this is going to be a battle Friday night in Elizabethtown.
Week 6. Exeter Township. Elizabethtown. Friday night under the lights.
This should be a good one.
WE COVER. WE TELL. WE ARE. PA EAST.