The remnants of winter storm Jonas could not slow down the Cougar wrestlers as they travelled down Route 1 South to Avon Grove HS Wednesday night and proceeded with league action. East cemented a 61-12 victory while visiting the Devils, winning 12 out of 14 bouts. Lukas Richie (106), James Strommer (113), Brett Horne (120), Connor Birzes (126), Wade Cummings (132), Nik Zimmerman (138), Jude McDowell (160), and Alec Horne (170) all recorded falls for the Cougars. Jack Clay collected his first league decision at 152, and Owen Morris battled to an epic tie-breaker win at 195. The JV Cougars also put on a show, finishing the contest with all wins. Jarrett Hansen, Praneeth Ramesh, Jett Lucas-Murphy, Stuart Regitz, Jack Lawton, Wayne Salt, Jack Hayward, Luke Moran, and Josh Wileczek all collected victories in a total team effort. Congrats on another league win and good luck with the first round of District 1 Duals!
The Cougars win the “Route 100 Rumble,” and the LMS Lions win their 4th straight!
Chesmont wrestling league action unfolded once again Wednesday night as D-East travelled down the Route 100 corridor to take on the Vikings of West Chester East. Their little brothers, the LMS Lions, followed close behind as they made the same trip to wrestle in the same gym against rivals Fugett Middle School. It was an awesome event as fans packed the stands and cheers were heard from all corners of the arena. When the dust settled, Downingtown East defeated the Vikings 45-21 winning 10 of 14 bouts. LMS defeated Fugett 49-42 on the second mat in a wild middle school scrap that saw the teams trading points left and right. It was truly a great night of wrestling for all involved. Upper-weight Cougars Owen Morris (195) and Brendan McGinley (285) registered pins for the team, while Lukas Richie (106), Wade Cummings (132), and Jude McDowell (160) all scored technical falls against a stingy WCE squad. Congrats go out to both East-side teams for tremendous efforts and for sharing a memorable night of wrestling that will grow into a lasting tradition. Good luck in the remaining weeks of January!
The Cougars battle at the Tom Hecker Duals and face familiar foe in the finals!
Saturday 1/16 saw the East-side wrestlers compete at the Tom Hecker Duals at Garden Spot high school. The competition level was high and the stands were packed. The Cougars clawed their way to the top of their pool defeating Lasalle 49-20, Upper Perkiomen 51-15, Souderton 61-16, and Emmaus 56-15. In the championship final, East crossed over to old foe and perennial power Central Dauphin where they were dealt their first loss of the season, 48-15. Wade Cummings (132), Alec Horne (170), and Lukas Richie (106) went undefeated on the day while Nik Zimmerman (138), BrettHorne (120), Connor Birzes (126), Brent Czajkowski (182), and Owen Morris (195) all took one loss. Wade Cummings also established himself as “King of the Chesmont” by becoming the league’s all-time wins leader with 156 wins. He will be adding to that total going forward. Congrats to the Cougars for a great performance at the duals; the fans wish them the best as they return to league play this week and continue to set the pace.
D-East comes out on top vs. Coatesville!
Wednesday night (1/13) saw league action roll back into play for East wrestling. They faced the black and red of Coatesville at home and defeated the Red Raiders 49-18. Although Coatesville got out to 3-match lead, East stormed back with falls by Brendan McGinley (285), Lukas Richie (106), Connor Birzes (126), Wade Cummings (132), and Nik Zimmerman (138). Senior James Strommer (113) returned to action with a technical fall, and Brett Horne (120) earned a major decision to increase the total. Decisions by Josh Wileczek (195) and Owen Morris (220) sealed the victory. On the JV front, Jett Lucas-Murphy (132), Stu Regitz (138), and Jack Hayward (152) all claimed wins to extend their league winning streaks. Next up for the Cougars is the ever-tough Tom Hecker duals at Garden Spot HS. Good luck to the squad for the weekend and keep up the strong effort!
The Cougars repeat at the Rage!
This past weekend saw the D-East wrestlers travel down 202 South and step on the line at Garnet Valley’s “Rage in the Cage” annual dual meet tournament. The Cougars defeated Interboro 54-21, Garnet Valley 42-29, and District III power Spring Grove 32-29 in the championship round to claim the top prize for the 2nd year in a row! Wade Cummings (132), Nik Zimmerman (138), and Owen Morris (195) all went a perfect 3-0 on the day. Congrats also goes out to Josh Wileczek (195/220) who was called out of his JV redshirt and captured a pin in the final against Spring grove. It was a job “well done” by the entire team who used a variety of wrestlers and shuffling maneuvers to collect the 1st place trophy. Good luck to the team this week as league action continues mid-week and the Tom Hecker dual meet tournament awaits next weekend at Garden Spot HS.
D-East takes down the Warriors!
On Wednesday 1/6, Downingtown East opened up its Chesmont League campaign with a home dual against West Chester Henderson. The Cougars won 9 matches out of 14 and claimed a 47-26 victory over the visiting Warriors. James Strommer (113), Wade Cummings (132), Alec Horne (170), Brent Czajkowski (182), Owen Morris (195), and Brendan McGinley (285) all recorded pins for East while Lukas Richie (106) and Nik Zimmerman (138) registered major decisions. In the JV contest, Luke Moran (160), Fernando Gomez (152), Jett Lucas-Murphy (132), and Stu Regitz (138) picked up falls. The victory puts the Cougars at 6-0 as they march forward to this weekend’s “Rage in the Cage” multi-dual event at Garnet Valley HS. Good luck East and keep the pressure on!
Downingtown East collects 4th straight title at the Ralph Wetzel Classic
The Winter break saw the Downingtown East wrestlers pack the bus and head to Bucks County to defend their title at Hatboro-Horsham’s “Ralph Wetzel Classic.” The 28 team tourney draws competitors from District 1 as well as Delaware, Connecticut, and Philadelphia. The Cougars finished with 221 team points and the top honor, claiming the championship for the 4th straight year. They out-distanced runners-up Unionville by over 60 points. Wade Cummings (132), Nik Zimmerman (138), and Alec Horne (170) all claimed gold medals and undefeated marks. James Strommer (113) and Brent Czajkowski (182) finished with silver, while Lukas Richie (106) won the bronze. Other place-winners were Brendan McGinley (285) who finished 5th, Brett Horne (120) and Owen Morris (195) who finished 6th, and Connor Birzes (126) and Carter Regitz (220) who finished 7th. Collectively, the team hit the event in stride and picked up bonus points at every corner helping them secure the team title. In the JV portion of the classic, Jett Lucas-Murphy (126), Stu Regitz (132), and Josh Wileczek (195) all won championships, while first-year wrestler Jack Hayward (152) lost in ride-out to take 2nd. The JV grapplers wrestled 4 or more times each and showed their grit as they aligned their championship intentions with the Varsity. Congratulations go out to the entire team as they put forth another monumental effort! Happy New Year to all and best of luck to the DE wrestlers in 2016!
The JV Cougars open their season at Pennsbury
Congratulations to the Downingtown East JV wrestling squad as they journeyed East and competed at the 3rd annual Pennsbury JV Classic! Eight wrestlers made the trip, and the team finished with 4 place-winners in Josh Wileczek (195), Wayne salt (152), Fernando Gomez (152), and Jake Neubaum (145). Josh Wileczek went 3-0 and collected the gold medal. His performance throughout the day was sound and fundamental, a style he has adapted to put wins in the win column. Wayne Salt went 3-1 on the day and defeated teammate and wrestling newcomer, Fernando Gomez, for the bronze. Our sincerest congrats go out to Fernando and fellow fourth-place finisher, Jake Neubaum, who are brand new team members and competing for the very first time. Also wrestling were Stu Regitz (138, 1-2), Jett Lucas-Murphy (132, 1-2), Jack Hayward (152, 0-2), and Praneeth Ramesh (132, 1-3). The coaches and fans in attendance could not be more proud of the JV contingent and look forward to watching them return to action after Christmas at the illustrious Ralph Wetzel JV Classic! To the entire DE Wrestling family, please have a wonderful Christmas!
Downingtown East Wrestling 