Month: January 2022

After much deliberation, and several inches of snow, the Chesmont league held it’s championship tournament on Sunday 1/30 at Oxford HS. The irregular schedule presented some issues, but East wrestling showed up with a complete team and put their hard hats on. After the dust had settled, the Cougars finished in 8th place out of the 12 league teams. They had four wrestlers place in the top 6 of their respective weight classes. Connor Huntoon (172) was the only grappler to make the finals where he finished 2nd. Noah Pagaduan (145) secured 4th place after wrestling 5 times, and Ryan Loraw (152) followed his lead with the same 4th place finish. Valen Piff (106) wrapped it up coming in 6th. The tournament is now in the books and the Cougars must bring a renewed effort this week if they want to finish the last portion of the season strong! It’s time to dig deep!

On Wednesday 1/26, Downingtown East Wrestling hosted the Red Devils of Avon Grove to continue the league dual meet schedule. East found a way to get the right match-ups and beat the Grove 51-21. Valen Piff (106), Paxson Warnock (1260, Josh Hillestad (132), Liam Knott (138), Noah Pagaduan (145), and Tommie Grizzanti (189) all secured falls for the Cougars, while Felix Mason (215) and Adham Abouraya (285) picked up forfeits. Senior captain Connor Huntoon (172) earned a decision to add to the spread. East needed this recovery from last week’s league performance as the league tourney looms this coming weekend. Good luck Cougars!

In a rare Friday night event, Downingtown East wrestling travelled to Octorara HS for the school’s first ever “George Heebner Invitational,” an 8-man individual tournament. The Cougars fought hard and managed to secure a 5th place team finish out of the 8 teams participating. Noah Pagaduan (145) was East’s lone finalist and he took the championship with a first period fall. Ryan Loraw (152) wrestled back to take 3rd, while Valen Piff (106), Connor Huntoon (172), and Tommie Grizzanti (189) took 4th. Rookie sensation Felix Mason (215) went 2-1 on the evening to take 5th. Great job to all the East grapplers and good luck this upcoming week!

As league action continued on Wednesday 1/19, Downingtown East suffered a tough loss to West Chester Henderson as the reigning Chesmont champs taught them a firm lesson. The Cougars fell 56-10, winning only 2 of the 13 bouts wrestled. Noah Pagaduan (145) earned a major decision and Ryan Loraw (172) collected a pin. If there is anything to be learned, it’s that developing as a wrestler in the off-season is vital, and even more so, developing as a team. Good luck to East as they look to regroup with an individual tournament on Friday.

On Saturday 1/15, the Cougar wrestlers fought hard at Souderton’s heralded “Big Red Duals.” They finished the day with a 3-1 record in a 16 team dual meet extravaganza. East fell to hosts Souderton 28-43, but rebounded to beat Great Valley 43-16, Northeast 62-9, and Hanover (Dis. 2) 63-9. It was a long but rewarding day of wrestling with many lessons learned. Ryan Loraw (152), Connor Huntoon (172), and Adham Abouraya (285) all went 4-0 on the day. Much praise to the team and best of luck as they move back into league action!

In the annual crosstown clash, Downingtown East snatched a victory from Downingtown West in the epic “Battle of the Brandywine” on Wednesday 1/12. Despite the pandemic, the stands were packed and wrestling fans from across the district were there to see the contest. East won 7 bouts to claim the win with a final score of 36-30. Brent D’Archangelo (120), Josh Hillestad (132), Noah Pagaduan (145), Brandon Pacinelli (152), and Ryan Loraw (160) picked up falls for the Cougars while Connor Huntoon (172) and Paxson Warnock (126) earned hard-fought decisions. Congrats to all of the wrestlers from both sides of town for putting on a show and continuing to demonstrate the courage it takes to step on the mat!

On Saturday 1/8, the Cougars visited Garnet Valley HS for their annual “Rage in the Cage” 8-team dual tournament. East fell to a strong Pennsbury team 12-58, but rebounded to take two victories over Father Judge 51-21 and Hatboro-Horsham 42-29. Noah Pagaduan (152) was the lone undefeated wrestler with three falls on the day. Liam Knott (138), Ryan Loraw (160), and Adham Abouraya (285) went 2-1 and helped secure the two team victories for the Cougars. The Rage was another gutsy performance by a young East squad! Congrats and good luck this coming week!

In a heated league contest on the first Wednesday of 2022, the Cougar grapplers captured their first dual victory of the season. They defeated Coatesville 39-22 thanks to a total team effort. Brent D’Archangelo (120), Paxson Warnock (126), Noah Pagaduan (152), Connor Huntoon (172), and Felix Mason (215) scored falls for the Cougars while Ryan Loraw (152) earned a decision and Valen Piff (106) picked up a forfeit. But, hard-fought efforts by Josh Hillestad (132), Liam Knott (138), Brandon Pacinelli (145), and Adham Abouraya (215) are what sealed the victory. Congrats to the team and best of luck this coming weekend at Garnet Valley!