Congratulations to the following Cougar wrestlers for their inclusion in this season’s All-Chesmont selections!
1st Team
Lukas Richie (113)
3rd Team
Brett Horne (126)
Brendan McGinley (285)
Honorable Mention
Connor Birzes (132)
Josh Wileczek (195)
Category: 2016-2017
The last Cougar competes at the PIAA tournament!
The final days of the 2016-2017 PIAA wrestling season found the Cougars down to one student-athlete, competing on the biggest stage. Lukas Richie (113) took to the mats at the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA in the PIAA State Tournament. The Cougar faithful cheered his efforts, but in the end, Lukas came up just shy of progression. He lost his opener 5-3 to his opponent from Shikellamy, and his first wrestle-back 4-2 to his competitor from Plymouth-Whitemarsh. However, the experience will prove extremely valuable as Lukas still has two more years to progress and get on the podium. Along with his teammates, Lukas must now regroup and decide how they would like to improve for 2017-2018. It will take a collective effort, and an unwavering commitment to make sure the team returns more focused and competitive. Good luck to the Cougars in that process and always know that the coaches and community will be there to support all of the team’s endeavors! INVICTUS
The Cougars punch a ticket to Hershey!
On the weekend of 3/3-3/4, the remaining four Cougar grapplers took to the stage at District 1’s illustrious Regional Tournament at Souderton HS. Only the top 5 finishers in each weight were granted the opportunity to compete at the state tournament. When the dust settled, East’s Lukas Richie (113) claimed a silver medal putting on his hard-hat and working tirelessly to breach the championship finals. There, he lost a close 4-2 decision to Boyertown’s Matt Wilde, but his efforts won him a trip to the big show in Hershey PA next weekend. Also battling were Brett Horne (126), Connor Birzes (132), and Brendan McGinley (285), but their fortunes were not as great as the great state tournament eluded them. DE Wrestling would like to thank Connor and Brendan as graduating seniors and we wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors! They will always have a home at Downingtown East. And finally, good luck to Lukas Richie at the PIAA State Tournament! The final week of PA wrestling culminates in Chocolatetown USA!
East scratches away and snags 5th place at District 1 Central tournament!
Once again, the Cougars surpassed expectations and left a clear mark at this season’s District 1 Central tournament at Quakertown High School. East’s nine qualifiers let it fly and secured a 5th place finish out of 20 teams amassing 93 points. Lukas Richie (113) took his second title in two weeks with a solid 7-4 victory in the finals. Brett Horne (126) and Connor Birzes (138) wrestled strong back through the consolations to take 3rd place finishes, while Brendan “Beef” McGinley pushed himself into the championship finals, but was unable to compete due to injury and settled for 2nd place. Josh Wileczek (195) fell one place short of advancement taking 5th, but will serve as the first alternate should his number be called. Congrats also go out to Jett Lucas-Murphy (145), Jake Neubaum (152), Jack Lawton (160), and Zach Aceto (220) who were able to register wins, but unable to get in the placing rounds. Coaches and fans would like to wish the remaining four the best of luck at next weekend’s regional tournament at Souderton. May Cougar pride carry you all the way to the top five and a ticket to Hershey!
The Cougars claw their way to 4th place in the Chesmont League tournament!
On Saturday 2/18, DE Wrestling exceeded all expectations and finished 4th out of 13 teams at the Chesmont League tournament at WC Rustin HS. Coming in behind Coatesville, Rustin, and eventual champs, D-West, the Cougars ground out enough wins to put themselves in the top quarter of the league. With only 13 competitors, and a number of them newly-anointed wrestlers, East placed 9 of them in the top seven of their respective weight classes to qualify for next weekend’s District 1 Central tournament at Quakertown. Lukas Richie took the title at 113 lbs as the Cougars’ lone finalist. Brett Horne (126) and Brendan McGinley (285) took third place honors, while Connor Birzes (138) and Josh Wileczek (195) finished in fourth. Jake Neubaum (5th – 152), Jett Lucas-Murphy (6th – 145), Jack Lawton (7th – 160), and Zach Aceto (7th – 220) rounded out the medalists. Congrats go out to all of the competitors including Kyle Mittelstadt (120), Will Vincent (132), PJ Grubb (170), and Kyle Hodges (182) who were willing to step on the line in a maelstrom league tournament. Good luck to the Cougars as District 1 Central calls! Be prepared to do whatever it takes to get into the top 4 and punch another ticket!
Again, the JV contingent takes care of business at Haverford scuffle!
On Saturday 2/11, the Cougar JV wrestlers took to the mats at Haverford HS. With 4 mats blazing with action, the young Cougars registered another fine performance and put more athletes on the medal stand. Kyle Mittelstadt (120) and Jett Lucas Murphy (145) finished as champions while Spencer Uggla (152) and Zach Aceto (220) took home silver medals. Praneeth Ramesh (138) and Will Vincent (126) put on their hard-hats and battled all the way back to 3rd place finishes after early round losses. PJ Grubb (170) rounded out the place-finishers with a 4th place result. Congrats to the entire JV team for their valiant efforts over the season! Tournaments like these are tremendous training grounds and will ultimately prepare you for the Varsity track that lies ahead.
The JV Cougars get on the medal stand at Pennsbury!
Once again, Pennsbury High School hosted their annual JV tournament and the Cougars travelled on 2/4 to meet the challenge. 13 team members made the trip and 7 of them were able to get on the medal stand. Spencer Uggla (145), Jett Lucas-Murphy (145), and Zach Aceto (220) came away with championships, while Kyle Mittelstadt (120) lost a close 1-0 final to secure 2ndplace. PJ Grubb (160) and Alex Hoke (220) battled through the consolation rounds to capture 3rd place medals and Praneeth Ramesh (138) just barely fell in the consolation finals to grab 4th. Congrats also go out to the other Cougars who wrestled hard and fell short of medal contention, but gained valuable experience as a result. There will be more JV action next weekend at Haverford, so the opportunity for more wrestling awaits!
East wraps up dual meet season with final effort at Coatesville!
On Wednesday 2/1, the Cougar grapplers made their way over to Coatesville HS for the their final league match and final dual meet of the season. They were up against great odds as the Red Raiders were a team primed for taking the runners-up position in the Chesmont National. The contest was heated with points flying left and right! In the end, each team won 7 bouts contested, but the Raiders emerged victorious 37-31. Despite a great team performance, East’s forfeit was the difference. The Cougars got falls from Lucas Richie (113), Josh Wileczek (195), and Connor Birzes (138), while Kyle Mittelstadt (120), Brett Horne (132), Jack Lawton (170), and Brendan McGinley (285) picked up crucial decisions. East finished the dual meet season at 11-11 and tied for 4th in the league. The coaches, parents, and fans are extremely proud of the effort put forth by this young team; achieving a .500 record and avoiding the league basement after graduating 9 starters and watching a host of others leave for other interests is incredible. A heartfelt congratulations goes out to each team member, regardless of wins or losses. Best of luck to all as the infamous PIAA post-season draws near!
Downingtown East Wrestling 