dtowneastwrestling

East Takes The Heebner For The 3rd Year In A Row!

After a strong dual meet win on Wednesday, the Cougar grapplers continued their focus and once again competed at Octorara’s annual “George Heebner Invitational.” This Friday night tournament is a blender with 3 lightning rounds and plenty of fast-paced action. East won the event last season for the second time, but as the event continues to evolve, nothing can be taken lightly. After the dust settled, and all of the 1^st place hammers had been distributed, the Cougars took the team title with 4 individual champions and 191.5 points, beating 2^ndplace Cheltenham by a stretch. Charlie Dunbar (107), Chris Fosmire (114), Declan McDowell (139), and Cade McDowell (172) all took top spot on the podium! Colin Smith (215) and Karsten Hodge (285) lost hard-fought finals to take second. Congrats also go out to Nick Capell (160) and Declan Jewell (145) who both battled back to claim 3^rd, and Rylan Piff (121), Joe Duque (189), and Beau Carlson (139) for securing 5^th place finishes. Now, the Cougars must set sights on the league again with a mid-week clash against WCE over on Ellis Lane. Stay WARM and stay SHARP!!!

The Cougars Take Revenge In Second League Showdown

In this third week of January, the Chesmont National reconvened and league duals took the spotlight across the county. Downingtown East opened up their home gym and took on the Warriors from Henderson, who they fell to last season with a lackluster performance. This year, the Cougars erupted and dominated Hendy for a 54-12 victory. East jumped all over the warriors and won 10 of 13 bouts. Mike James (114), Chris Fosmire (121), Beau Carlson (139), Declan Jewell (145), Declan McDowell (152), and Cade McDowell (172) picked up falls for East, while Nick Capell (160) grabbed a tech and Caleb Aikens (189) received a forfeit. Noah Fosmire (127) and Colin Smith (215) battled to small point losses and showed their grit! Max Zambrano (133) added a smooth major decision for the home team. The JV Cougars beat the Warriors 38-15, once again putting on an excellent performance! Now, East travels to Octorara/District III on Friday night for their annual George Heebner Classic. Best of luck to the Cougars! Keep the wheels rollin’!

Clutch Finish Lifts Lionville Past Avon Grove in Statement Dual Win

Lionville and Avon Grove traded blows all night in a dual meet that never allowed either side to get comfortable. From the opening bout, the margin stayed razor-thin, with Lionville grinding within a 6–12 point window as momentum swung back and forth deep into the lineup.

Then came the moment that decided it.

With just one match remaining, Cooper O’Donnell delivered when the spotlight was brightest, scoring a pressure-packed pin to pull Lionville even and electrify the gym. The comeback was completed moments later when a forfeit in the final bout tipped the dual in Lionville’s favor, sealing one of the most dramatic wins of the season.

Lionville’s path to victory was paved by contributions up and down the lineup. Pins from Kason Cosgriff, Jonathan Assante, Luca Bellia, Shane Houck, Miles Obenski, and Brendan Jewell kept the Lions within striking distance and set the stage for the late heroics.

It was a win built on patience, belief, and trust in the process. Lionville stayed composed under pressure, leaned on team depth, and executed when it mattered most. The result pushes the Lions to 5–2 on the season and sends a clear message about the group’s resilience and competitive edge.

On a night when every point mattered, Lionville proved it could handle the moment.

Go Lions.

Lions Show Fight Until the Final Whistle

Friday night brought a tough test for Lionville Wrestling, as the Lions battled hard but ultimately fell 45–30 against a strong Kennett Middle School squad.

While the final score didn’t go our way, the effort never dipped. The Lions stayed in the fight with big moments throughout the lineup, highlighted by pins from Luca Bellia, Shane Houck, Miles Obenski, Brendan Jewell, and Cemal Yilmaz. Each win helped swing momentum and keep Lionville pushing late into the match.

Results aside, performances like these continue to show the grit, growth, and competitiveness of this group — and the Lions will carry that fight forward.

🦁💪 #LionvilleWrestling #MatBattles #KeepFighting #EarnedNotGiven #BuildingMomentum

Downingtown East Takes Top Honors At The Chichester Duals!

On Saturday 1/10, the Cougar grapplers once again travelled down to Boothwyn, Delaware County to rumble at Chichester High School’s annual winter duals. The 6-team event brought some heat to the rainy Delaware Valley for sure. East held firm the entire day, and collected 5 dual meet victories to capture the 1^st place trophy. They avenged last season’s loss to Upper Dublin with a 38-33 victory, and also beat Springfield (D) 42-29, Chichester 59-16, Bristol 68-3, and Upper Moreland 44-25. Declan McDowell (139), Charlie Dunbar (107), Cade McDowell (172), and Caleb Aikens (189) were all undefeated at the day’s end. Chris Fosmire (114) and Karsten Hodge (285) finished with a single loss. On the JV mat, the Cougars took the competition by storm and won 9 of 10 bouts! Job well done by the entire squad! Next week brings more Chesmont league action mid-week and another individual tournament at Octorara at the week’s end. Stay Hungry!

East Opens the League Strong!

The new year has begun, and Chesmont wrestling has officially begun. On Wednesday 1/7, the league opened the gates and Downingtown East visited neighboring Coatesville in a high-powered dual. The Cougars executed some high-scoring performances and prevailed over the ‘Ville with a final score of 47-14. Charlie Dunbar (107), Chris Fosmire (121), Jacob Lucier (133), Declan McDowell (139), Declan Jewell (145), and Cade McDowell (172) collected falls for the blue and gold, while Joe Duque (189) and Colin Smith (215) won crucial decisions. Senior Mike Brady also secured a tech fall at 152. Praise also goes out to first-year starters Matt Jackson (127) and Karsten Hodge (285) who battled their opponents and contained their match scores to keep the team score in check. Also on the evening’s slate, the JV Cougars won 8 of 9 bouts to route the Raiders 43-6. Beau Carlson (139), Max Zambrano (133), Jonah Myers (145), Mason Sledd (160), Darby Shepherd (215), and Colin Kimble (215) secured falls or tech-falls in the effort! Congrats to both teams on a strong league performance. Next up, the Chichester Duals at the week’s end. 2026 is off to a fast start! Buckle up!

Lions Roar Back in Statement Win

What a night for Lionville Wrestling.

After falling behind early and staring at a 6–32 deficit against Peirce Middle School, the Lions showed exactly what this program is built on — resilience, grit, and belief. Match by match, momentum began to swing as Lionville battled back with relentless effort and composure.

Pins from Cason Gosgriff, Miles Obenski, Brendan Jewell, Cemal Yilmaz, Cooper O’Donnel, and Ahmed Abouraya, paired with a dominant tech fall from Shane Houck, fueled an electric comeback and sealed a thrilling 47–38 victory.

The JV squad added to the night with strong performances of their own, continuing to build depth and develop the future of the program.

With the win, Lionville improves to 4–1 on the season — and if this comeback was any indication, this team is just getting started.

The Cougars Take Off The Gloves at The Jingle Brawl!

For this season’s holiday tournament (Mon 12/29), Downingtown East travelled to Marple Newtown HS and Delaware County for their annual Jingle Brawl held in honor of fallen coaches Phil Carbonetta and Arty Erle. With great pride, the Cougars competed in honor of these men who gave their all for the sport of wrestling so that young people could reap the benefits of such a challenging endeavor. East finished second out of 8 teams with 202 points, falling short of Ridley’s 232 points. With 6 wrestlers in the finals, the Cougars managed to secure 4 championships in Christian Fosmire (114), Declan McDowell (139), Nick Capell (160), and Cade McDowell (172), who was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler! Other place-winners were Charlie Dunbar (107), Declan Jewell (145), and Colin Smith (215) who took second, Karsten Hodge (285) who finished 3^rd, and Jacob Lucier (133), Rylan Piff (121), and Joe Duque (189) who wrestled back for 5^th place. There were some thrilling performances on the day and East will look to build on it as the new year kicks in and the Chesmont season opens up. Congrats to the team and best wishes for a successful 2026!!