A leader on the front lines, Exeter’s Anthony Caccese was a vanguard during the Eagles’ historic seasons

During a school year that can perhaps best be described as the renaissance of Exeter athletics, one student was, literally and metaphorically, leading the Eagles on the front lines: Anthony Caccese.

“It’s hard to describe what he meant to this community,” former Exeter boys basketball coach Matt Ashcroft said. “A lot of folks in Exeter talk about the rebirth of Exeter athletics; he was at the forefront of that.

“He was at the forefront of that with the district championship two years ago (in football), and then the district championship in basketball this year. Then the state title run this year (in basketball); Anthony was the common denominator amongst all of that.”

For those performances, Caccese has been selected as one of five finalists for the Reading Eagle’s male Athlete of the Year, which will be announced June 29.

Caccese, a University of Delaware commit for football at offensive tackle, was a member of the Exeter football team that won its first District 3 Class 5A gold with a 31-28 win over rival Gov. Mifflin in during his junior season in 2021. He followed that by helping the Eagles reach more milestones in his senior year while also adding to his career accolades on the gridiron.

In addition to helping Exeter complete a perfect regular season and reach another District 3 football championship game against Cocalico, Caccese’s athletic abilities at center on the basketball team led the Eagles to another unprecedented season.

Caccese averaged 13.1 points, 11.4 rebounds per game and 2.4 blocks per game as the Eagles went 27-7 and advanced to PIAA Class 5A final, where they fell to an Imhotep Charter squad loaded with Division I talent. In 2023, Exeter also won its first division title since 1984, made its first Berks Conference final since 1974 and also made its state final appearance since 1974.

A Class 5A All-State first-team selection in football and a second-team All-State pick in basketball by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers, Caccese surely wanted to add PIAA gold to his resume before completing his high school career.

Win or lose, his maturity and positive perspective always shined through. As a leader of the Eagles, Caccese demonstrated consistent composure. His unselfishness drove others to success, according to his coaches.

“I wish I had his maturity and his perspective when I was a senior in high school,” Ashcroft said. “You can’t teach that, and I know it’s cliche, but I truly do believe he is mature beyond his years. He’s someone who only sees the big picture.

“And even after that tough, tough loss (in the PIAA Class 5A basketball title game), he stepped up and said about what incredible memories we built and he was so proud to be a part of our program.”

“He made a quantum leap from his junior to senior year as far as leadership, as far as maturity, as far as understanding the big picture and being unselfish,” Exeter football coach Matt Bauer said. “The kids really responded to him, he was one of our leaders both vocally and by example.

“He really took an ownership role this year and understood the big picture and what needed to happen to give us the best chance of success. He always put the needs of the team before his own. In years past, we’ve had great leaders, too, but he had really understood that we needed him to step up and lead. That’s exactly what he did.”

For Caccese, who finished his senior football season with 41 tackles, seven sacks, 22 tackles for a loss and helped the Eagles rush for an average of 229.8 yards per game, the Exeter rebirth began with the district championship win his junior year.

The belief that he and his teammates had the ability to achieve greatness started with that game, then propelled the squad forward throughout his senior year. The Eagles (6-0, 12-1) finished first in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and won their 12 games by an average of 27.9 points per game.

“I think it really all started off with my junior year; we had a really great team and a lot of really good captains and people that were really telling us what we had to do to get things done,” said Caccese, the school’s first selection to the Big 33 Football Classic. “And that season was such a great season and I think after that, it really set in that we can do this; you know, it’s not something that is impossible.

“Our teams and our athletes are good enough to be in there with some of the best schools. From an individual stance, I never was one for stats. I was just more: I’ll do what I have to do, and had that kind of mentality; do whatever you have to do to help the team win.”

On the basketball court, Caccese saw the best in his team even in disappointing times.

“It takes a special person to not only be as talented as he was, but to obviously be that kind of leader on the court,” Ashcroft said. “There is no one else I’d rather go to war with than Anthony.”

Though the Eagles fell to the eventual PIAA Class 6A champion Reading High 70-63 in the Berks Conference title game, Caccese recognized that moment as a sign that his team could compete with the best and used the loss as a springboard that led to the program’s first district championship.

In the 67-53 victory against Manheim Central for the District 3 title, Caccese scored a game-high 22 points.

“Against Reading, even our first game (a 65-60 regular season loss) was a good game,” Caccese said. “It was close and it was winnable, and then in the county (championship) game, too. Reading is known around here as the basketball team, you know; they’re winning state championships. And in that county game, we could have easily beaten them, which, to all of us, really stood as we could be that team.

“To be up there hanging around with them, it told all of us that we’re a great team and we can do what they do.”

Caccese’s leadership reached further than his contributions on the field during games as the 6-6, 280 pound captain on both teams was continuously there for the community that supported him and his teammates.

As the main cog in the basketball team’s offense, he rightfully received plenty of attention from fans and family members following victories during Exeter’s postseason run. However, Caccese was never above anyone else as the Eagles’ big man consistently gave back to those who supported his teams.

“I received a phone call yesterday from someone who said, ‘Hey, make sure you tell Anthony, thank you for taking the time,’ ” Ashcroft said. “Their daughter was a huge Anthony Caccese fan. She wasn’t going to be at a game, but was hoping to get his autograph.

“He ended up bringing something to practice the next day and he said, ‘Hey, Coach, make sure you get her my autograph.’ He’s just extremely thoughtful. The fact that a 17-year-old kid had the presence of mind to take time to sign a basketball for a young fan, it’s really neat.”

“He’s definitely an ambassador for our school, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one,” Bauer said. “He’s such a nice young man. He’s so unselfish. Such a role model to younger players in the community, and the community really rallied behind him.

“He is one irreplaceable piece and one that will be remembered for everything he gave to our program.”

An irreplaceable piece who understood the significance of everything accomplished on the field also had a firm grasp of what those accomplishments meant to the people in the stands. Caccese interned for Exeter athletic director Tom Legath during his senior year and got a stronger appreciation for the high school sports scene during the process.

“It’s really been amazing going out there and made playing sports 10 times more fun,” Caccese said about the community’s influence on sports. “This basketball run, the support from the community and the amount of people. Even now just walking around people will come up to me and say, ‘You guys did such a great job. That was such a good run.’

“That kind of stuff happening means the world and that doesn’t happen everywhere. Having that community, it pushes people so much to live up to a standard, and the teachers, obviously, there’s tons of support from them. They lined the halls to cheer before going off to go play in a big game. And it’s also done by Legath.

“There’s not really any AD better than him, I think. He takes his job so seriously. He does so much for the school. He’s working 24-7. I interned for him so I know exactly how much he does. He does so much work and he cares so much. He loves sports. Having him there, he’s always asking how we’re doing, going out to the practices, he’s always at the games. So having that kind of support from him as well, it just means the world.”

Caccese will be taking numerous lessons away from his high school career that will serve him on and off the football field as he heads into college at Delaware.

“In my 15 years as head coach, that young man has shown the most growth and maturity over a four-year span,” Bauer said. “I think he’s ready to compete right away. I think Delaware’s getting an absolute gem and I think it’s a great fit.”

A selfless and mindful individual, Caccese is a golden illustration of a team player who is well ahead of the game.

“The way I’ve been raised is to not think all about yourself and that it’s about the greater image,” Caccese said. “But my coaches definitely instilled that into me (also). Coach Bauer, Coach Ashcroft, the assistant coaches, and the older guys themselves, watching them and how they did it, that set the bar for me, and I kind of sat back and learned as a young guy and worked my way up. Once I got there, I knew exactly what to do.”

“I feel like a lot of people in sports and people watching, they look at one guy, and they’re like, ‘You know, he’s doing all the work. He has all the points.’ But you know, it’s really just the team. Like, I’m at Delaware now and I’m not going to start. I’m not going to be the guy who is making a huge influence on the game, but, without the team and without everyone pushing each other, those top guys can’t be as good as they are.

“Really it’s a team sport. One person can be amazing, but you have to have a good team. You have to have your culture. You have to get along and you have to push each other. And that’s probably the one thing I’ll take away because I feel like it should apply to all aspects of life. When you’re working, or with family, it’s all about the team. It’s not about the individual.”