Month: December 2023

As the Christmas week came to an end, the Cougars participated in the Phil Carbonetta Memorial tournament at Marple Newtown High School. The commemorative event hosts eight teams to compete in the name of a fallen Delaware County wrestler and coach. The day was tense with a ton of back and forth action. In the end, East amassed 229 points and won the team title, edging league foe Avon Grove along with DELCO powers Ridley and Marple Newtown. The Cougars punched 9 into the finals with Declan McDowell (127), Paxson Warnock (139), Rick Jewell (152), Cade McDowell (172), Felix Mason (215), and Adham Abouraya (285) all winning individual titles! Valen Piff (121), Frankie Hydutsky (133), and Stephen Elinski (145) took silver medals while Misha Page (107) collected 4^th place, and Tommie Grizzanti (189) and Scott Zhang (160) wrestled back for 5^th. It was a terrific day for the East-side grapplers, but the work is just beginning with 2024 around the corner and the bulk of the schedule at the doorstep! East wishes everyone a happy and safe New Year’s holiday and best of luck to the wrestlers as they march on!

As the last week of school and dual meet competition wrap up for 2023, the East-side grapplers secured a convincing win over Inter-Ac opponent Episcopal on Wednesday night. It was East’s home opener for the season, and the team did not disappoint! Behind  a number of falls, the Cougars won 64-10 and will now enter 2024 on an undefeated note. Stephen Elinski (145), Ricky Jewell (152), Scott Zhang (160), Cade McDowell (172), Felix Mason (215), and Adham Abouraya (285) all pinned their opponents, while Frankie Hydutsky (133) added a major decision. In the JV tilt, Tommy Robson (133), Nick Capell (145), Pat Macauley (152), and Colin Kimble (215) collected falls to pick up the first JV dual victory of the season. Congrats to the wrestlers and coaches on a terrific performance! Now, it’s time to prepare for the holiday tournaments and the beginning of league competition coming up in 2024. Best of luck COUGARS!!

In last year’s meeting with Conestoga, the Cougars caught fire and wrestled well, but came up short about 9 points. This year’s goal was to turn the table, and East used a steady performance to get it done! On Wednesday 12/13, the team travelled to old Tredyffrin to take on the Pioneers in a revenge match. The Cougars won 9 of 13 bouts and closed out the dual with a 37-21 win. Valen Piff (121), Declan McDowell (127), and Ricky Jewell (152) all scored technical falls to lead the effort. Felix Mason (215) secured a major decision, while Paxson Warnock (139), Stephen Elinski (145), Cade McDowell (172), and Tommie Grizzanti (189) all took minors. Adham Abouraya (285) claimed the meet’s lone forfeit. The team will need to increase their pursuit of bonus points in the future, but it was a solid win overall. In the JV dual, every wrestler got a match. East winners were Misha Page (107), Tommy Robson (133), Mike Brady (139), Karsten Hodge (145), Gunnar Savidge (172), Caleb Aikens (189), and Colin Kimble (215). Congrats to the Cougars and best of luck as we go deep into December!

This past weekend saw the East grapplers compete in this season’s Chesmont League tournament. This annual competition brings the 12 league teams together to do some early rumbling in December. East entered 11 wrestlers, some brand new, a few seasoned. After a full day of action, the young Cougars battled and clearly left a mark! East finished 5^th out of the 12 teams, amassing 126 points. Freshman Ricky Jewell (152) had an incredible tournament and won the championship for the team’s lone gold. Felix Mason (215) also caught some fire and finished with silver. Team co-captain Valen Piff (121) wrestled back hard for 3^rd, Cade McDowell (172) took 4^th, Frankie Hydutsky (133) and Tommie Grizzanti (189) regrouped to take 5^th, and Stephen Elinski finished in 6^th. In Friday’s JV Jamboree, East had an excellent showing as well! Caleb Aikens (189), Tommy Robson (133), Mohamed Elkouly (152), and Nick Capell (145) all went undefeated with 3-0 records on the evening. The result was positive, but there is much work to do as the lion share of the season lies ahead. Next up, a rematch with Conestoga at mid-week. GOOD LUCK Cougars!

On Wednesday 12/6, the 23-24 Cougars took to the road to open up the official PIAA wrestling season. For the first time in their history, East travelled to the northern reaches of District 1 to take on the historic Pac-12 powerhouse, Upper Perkiomen. The ride was long, and the travelers were weary, but the trip paid dividends! After losing a number of matches in succession, and looking at a 28-4 deficit, East rattled off 6 straight wins to clinch their opening dual 32 – 28. Tommie Grizzanti (189), Felix Mason (215), and Adham Abouraya (285) collected falls while Cade McDowell (172) secured a major decision. Battling in the trenches, Stephen Elinski (152) and Ricky Jewell (160) held firm for decisions as Declan McDowell (127) picked up a crucial major earlier in the dual. Tommy Robson (133) and Adam Acevedo (160) posted victories in the JV scrum. The crowd was fired up and the season began with a bang! NICE JOB by the Cougars and good luck in the upcoming Chesmont League Tournament!