Coach Horvath wrestled for West Chester East High School where he graduated in 1990. While there, he was a 2 time Section IV champion, District 1 South champion, and District 1 Regional champion, amassing over 90 wins. He also served as a team captain his senior year. Coach then travelled to Bucknell University where he graduated in 1994 with a B.A. in English and Education. While there, Coach Horvath competed for the varsity Bison at 158 lbs. for his first two years, but then left the team after nagging injuries and falling short of personal expectations. To this day, leaving the wrestling team in college is one of his greatest REGRETS!
After college, Coach started teaching and coaching in the Downingtown Area School District where he’s taught English for 7 years and Alternative Education for 19 years. He’s been the head coach of Downingtown and Downingtown East wrestling for 25 years winning 9 Ches-Mont, 6 Section IV/Chestmont tournament titles, and 5 District 1 Central crowns with his teams. He has also coached numerous state qualifiers and medalists, some now wrestling in college, and also two teams who have qualified for the PIAA State Dual Tournament (A D1 2nd place team and 3rd place team). In 2018, Coach Horvath picked up his 300th team win and starts this 22-23 season with a coaching record of 341-138. In 2016, he was named “Chester County’s Coach Of The Year” by the Daily Local News for the fourth time.
Coach Horvath has two Master’s degrees from West Chester University, one in Secondary Education, and the other in Athletic Administration. Coach lives in Chester Springs with his wife Susan, son Bo, and daughter Bailey.
Coach’s Words of Wisdom- “The sport of wrestling builds tremendous discipline, confidence and comradery. There is no substitute, nor equal. You will remember your days as a wrestler and teammate because they will be the basis for all of your future endeavors.”
Coach Cummings was a Suffolk County Champion and a New York State Runner-up. After high school, coach attended Bloomsburg University where he was a member of a top 10 Division 1 program and was a 2X PSAC place-winner. After college, Coach Cummings was an assistant coach for Great Valley High School (7 years), assistant coach for Downingtown High School (5 years) and the head coach of Downingtown West High school (7 years).
As a head coach, his teams compiled 4 Ches-Mont Championships, a District 1 Central Title, a Section 4 Title and a 4th place at District 1 Duals. Coach was named Ches-Mont Coach of the Year 4 times and Daily Local Newspaper Coach of the Year 4 times. Coach Cummings is a 6th grade teacher at Lionville Middle School. Coach resides in Chester Springs with wife Thea and children, Sydney and Wade.
Coach Heemer is entering his 4th season as a coach at East. He is a 2009 graduate of Downingtown East High School. During his tenure as a wrestler at East he was a 2x Time Team Captain, 3x All Ches-mont performer, as well as a Section 4 Champion and State Qualifier as a senior at 140. Over his 4 years in high school, he competed at the 103 pound weight class through 140.
In college Coach Heemer spent a year wrestling for D1 Campbell University where he was a starter at 141 and 149. He placed 5th at the Eastern Regional as a freshman. After his freshman year, he transferred to West Chester University and competed for the club team. He graduated from WCU in 2013 with a degree in Graphic Design and works locally.
Coach Chandler is a 2003 graduate of Coatesville Area High School where he captained the wrestling team for two years wrestling at heavyweight. He was a regional qualifier as well as a Junior-National qualifier in Freestyle although he did not wrestle his senior year due to a shoulder injury. He went onto wrestle for the University of Illinois being a member of the 2005 Big Ten Championship Team. He wrestled at the 285 Lbs weight class his first two years and further dropped down to the 197 Lbs weight class his remaining year.
After graduating from Illinois in 2006, he further attended the University of Michigan from 2009-2010 while pursuing his Masters in Engineering. Coach Chandler was the assistant wrestling coach of Coatesville Area High School from 2006-2010. He later joined the Downingtown East wrestling coaching staff in May 2010. Coach is employed as a research engineer in Chester County. He, his wife Kristie and their three sons, Chase, Kurt and Clark, live in the Downingtown Area..
Coach Draves is a 2011 Downingtown East High School graduate where he was a 2-time team captain. After high school, Coach Draves went on to Hofstra University before transferring to West Chester University and wrestling for their club team where he was a NWCA Academic All-American and NCWA National Qualifier at 157 pounds. Coach Draves graduated Summa Cum Laude with a dual major in Finance & Economics in 2015. He has helped with Downingtown East’s wrestling team and the Myrmidons Wrestling Club since 2012. He now works and lives locally.
Downingtown East Wrestling 