Category: 2025-2026

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!

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!

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!!

The East grapplers opened up their dual meet campaign of 2025-2026 in a tri-meet down in Ardmore at the home of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Lower Merion HS. The Cougars faced Quakertown from the Suburban League and Lower Merion from the Central League. East fell to Quakertown 27-38, but rebounded to beat Lower Merion 43-21 in a decisive display. Double winners on the day were Charlie Dunbar (107), Christian Fosmire (121), and Cade McDowell (172). Also, congrats go out to first-time Varsity wrestlers Max Zambrano (139) and Joe Duque (189) for picking up clutch wins in the second dual. Nice job Cougars! Next up, the Marple Newtown tribute tournament on Monday 12/29. Until then, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

This past weekend, D-East wrestling travelled west to District 3 and the farmlands of Pequea Valley and their brand new high school. The competition was an 8-team individual tournament held out in “cow country.” The Cougars arrived with 25 competitors and won the event with 186 pts, finishing ahead of runners-up Muhlenberg. East had four champions in the McDowell brothers (Declan at 145 and Cade at 172), Charlie Dunbar (107) and Colin Smith (215). Christian Fosmire (121) finished 2^nd along with Mike James (114), Nick Capell (160) and Colin Kimble (215). Congrats also goes out to Jonah Myers (160) for wrestling back hard to take 3^rd place in his first varsity competition. Next up, a date with Lower Merion and Quakertown to open our dual meet season! Keep up the hard work Cougars!

Downingtown East Wrestling opened it’s 2025-2026 tournament campaign at the Chesmont championships at WC Rustin high school on Saturday 12/6. All twelve Chesmont schools loaded up for an early season collision in West Chester and the action was furious to say the least. The Cougars entered their top 13 competitors to battle and see where they stood in December as the year comes to an end. East finished in 6th place with 128 points and 8 place-winners. Charlie Dunbar (107), Christian Fosmire (121), and Declan McDowell (145) were the lone finalists each finishing 2nd after battling through the championship rounds. Cade McDowell (172) lost a tough semifinal, but wrestled back hard to take 3rd. Nick Capell (5th at 160), Colin Smith (5th at 215), Karsten Hodge (5th at 285), and Mike James (6th at 114) rounded out the other Cougar medalists. East finished in the middle of the pack and now know they are capable of more. Next up, a date out in Lancaster County at Pequea Valley HS. Good luck Cougars!!