Just the beginning.
That’s how the back-to-back BCIAA boys soccer champions feel, with the best yet to come in 2026.
Top-seeded Conrad Weiser defeated second-seeded Exeter 3-1 in the Berks County championship Thursday night at Hawk, capturing its fifth title in school history.
“It’s great that we all love each other. We all love to be around each other. That’s what’s really going to take us there to the districts and states,” senior Owen Meredith said. “This was just the beginning of what we’re going to do this season.”
After playing in a double-overtime thriller against Wilson last season to end a 17-season title drought, Thursday’s game brought slightly less stress, at least down the stretch.
The Scouts (20-0-1) went down early when Exeter’s Andrew Correll scored off an assist from Brayden Karas in the eighth minute.
“I think having been here before, having the experience helped out big time,” coach Derek Long said after going down 1-0. “Our entire roster is filled with leaders that can bounce back… We know that if we play our style of soccer, good things will happen.”
For much of the first half, Exeter was backed by their exceptional defense, along with sophomore goalie Andrew Woram, who came up with a handful of saves.
But eventually, as many anticipated, the Scouts broke through.
With 46 seconds left in the half, Owen Meredith headed the ball into the back of the net off a corner kick from Miles Hunt, getting the biggest crowd pop of the night from the Conrad Weiser faithful.
“I saw that there wasn’t anybody on the front post, so I stood in front of the goalie. Miles (Hunt) put a perfect ball right on my head. I don’t normally win headers, but that was the time to do it,” Meredith said of his last-minute goal to tie the game.
Just prior to the corner kick, Long’s assistant called the goal before it happened, stating, “This is going in.”
That’s the type of camaraderie and team chemistry the Scouts have had over the years.
The teams went into halftime knotted at one apiece.
Then, in the second half, the Scouts’ offense, which the entire state is used to seeing, came alive.
In the 55th minute, off another corner kick, Sebastian Knoll found the net and proceeded to sprint over to the Scouts’ student section to get the fans into it as they took the lead.
The back-to-back District 3 Class 3A champions didn’t look back.
Corner kicks were the Scouts’ bread and butter against the Eagles (13-4-3), something that has been an extra emphasis in practice as of late.
“We try to press their guys to win the ball early, so we don’t have to play through as many defenders,” Long said. “When the ball gets wide, we try to get numbers in the box, and we’ve worked on free kicks and corners a lot in the last couple weeks, and it’s been working.”
In the 64th minute, Meredith scored his second goal of the game, finding the right side of the net to give the Scouts a 3-1 lead.
And that was all she wrote, as the Scouts’ defense continued to suffocate the Eagles, who couldn’t find any luck offensively to get themselves back into the match.
“It feels pretty good,” Meredith said. “Being a senior, knowing that I could end my Berks County career with a championship, it just means everything.”
As Meredith stated, this is just the start of the Scouts’ ultimate goals: another district championship and, finally, capturing a state title.
Last season, Abington Heights defeated Conrad Weiser 2-0 in the PIAA Class 3A boys soccer championship.
After gaining the experience and knowing what it takes to get there, the Scouts are more than geared up to make another deep run in November.
But first, the Scouts, ranked No. 1 in the District 3 Class 3A power rankings, will begin their playoff run Monday at home, with an opponent to be determined.
“Effort. Their effort level is second to none, and their technical skill is incredible,” Long said of the makeup of this team. “If we can connect those two things, it should continue to be a long season.”
Conrad Weiser has made it to three consecutive district title games, winning the past two over Susquehannock, 3-0 in 2025, and Kennard-Dale, 5-1 in 2024.
As for the Eagles, currently ranked eighth in the Class 4A power rankings, they’ll take the field again Tuesday, with an opponent and site to be determined.
Exeter fell in the Class 4A quarterfinals, 1-0, to Manheim Township last year.