Downingtown East Wrestling

On Saturday 2/8, the Cougars travelled deep into Delaware County to compete in their final varsity event of ‘24-‘25. The Interboro Bucs hosted an 8-team invitational down by the Delaware River, and East brought their final 13 wrestlers to bang heads! After all was said and done, the Cougars finished in second place with 184 pts, just a hair short of champions Conwell-Egan Catholic who finished with 186.5. There was some great action on the day, but East was unable to snag the total place-finishes needed to bring home top honors. Declan McDowell (133) and Cade McDowell (172) took championship golds, while Christian Fosmire (114) and Valen Piff (127) settled for silver. Frankie Hydutsky (145) fought back from a semi-final loss to take the bronze. It was East’s fourth second place finish of the season, but definitely something to build on. Next up, the Chester County JV Championships held in our own Boyer Gymnasium on 2/17, and then the District 1 South Tournament at Oxford HS on 2/22. Best of luck to all team members as the season gears up for a furious finish!

In 2025’s edition of “the Battle of the Brandywine,” the West Whippets travelled to Devon Drive for the annual showdown. Their firepower proved too much for the Cougars and the visitors won 33-24. Unable to score consistent bonus points or secure the coveted 7th win, East fought valiantly but came up short. Frankie Hydutsky (145) and Caleb Aikens (215) collected the only solid bonus points of the evening with techs, while Cade McDowell (189) and Nick Capell (152) won major decisions. Scott Zhang (160) earned a decision and Christian Fosmire (121) overcame a significant size difference and scoring deficit to win 7-6. East’s JV contingent were more successful with a 42-23 victory and 9 of 13 bouts won. Corbin Cywinski, Jacob Lucier, Jonah Myers, Tommy Robson, Garrett Knott, Mo Elkhouly, Pat Macauley, Karsten Hodge, and Liam Aikens all posted wins. East Varsity finishes the dual meet season 9-3 while the JV concludes at 6-2. Next up, the final regular season event for Varsity at Interboro this weekend and the JV county championships on 2/17! GO COUGARS!

The first weekend in February of 2025 did not change any Cougar grappler mindset! The team kept its foot on the gas and hosted non-league Wissahickon for another solid victory! At the end of the morning dual, East won 66-11 and stayed sharp as the final week of the regular season lies in front of them. Valen Piff (127), Declan McDowell (133), Nick Capell (152), Scott Zhang (160), Cade McDowell (172), Caleb Aikens (189), and freshman Gabe Masunungure (285) secured falls for the team. It was indeed a dominant performance! In the JV scrum, Garrett Knott, Mo Elkhouly, and Joe Duque led the effort to edge the Trojans 18-17. It was indeed a THRILLA! There’s no time for rest as the Cougars host crosstown rivals Downingtown West next Wednesday for “The Battle of the Brandywine!” Best of luck Cougars!!

On Wednesday 1/29, D-East travelled down to Southern Chester County to scrap with the Devils of Avon Grove in league action. Still licking some remaining wounds from their WC Henderson loss, the Cougars had much to prove. They came out on top in a dominating display! East beat the Devils 46-21 and scored plenty of bonus in an excellent performance. Valen Piff (127), Declan Jewell (133), Declan McDowell (139), Scott Zhang (160), and Cade McDowell (172) picked up falls while Frankie Hydutsky (145) hauled in a tech. To add, fresh Varsity wrestler Nick Capell (152) earned a hard-fought decision and junior Christian Fosmire (114) avenged a weekend loss and turned the tables on his opponent winning by major decision. East definitely had victory on their minds! Congrats to the squad! Next up, a non-league showdown with Wissahickon! Good luck

On Saturday 1/25, the Cougar grapplers journeyed up to Bucks County to compete at CB West’s second annual “Battle Of The Buck!” It was East’s second trip to the event, and after winning it the previous year, the team had sights on retaining the title. But, after losing a wrestler to illness, the challenge was daunting. In the end, the Cougars battled hard and took a solid 2^nd place finish despite entering only 12 wrestlers. They amassed 167 points coming in second to eventual champs and hosts, CB West. With 7 place-winners, the team performed well in the 16-team tournament. Valen Piff (127), Declan McDowell (133), Cade McDowell (172), and Caleb Aikens (189) claimed silver medals, while Chris Fosmire (114) and Frankie Hydutsky (145) wrestled back for bronze medals. Mike James (107) dug deep and found his way to a 5^thplace finish. In the JV portion, the Cougars took the competition by storm with five champions: Declan Jewell (133), Joe Duque (189), Nick Capell (160), Nick Romano (172), and Mason Tauss (145). Ultimately, it was a great day of wrestling for East, and the stage is set for the final third of the season. Up next, more league action with an old Southern Chester County foe. See you then!!

On Wednesday 1/22, Downingtown East wrestling once again hosted Chesmont National competition to do battle with visiting West Chester East. The Cougars also used this night to celebrate the careers of the seniors and the contributions of their parents. Downingtown put forth a steady effort winning 9 of 13 bouts and besting the Vikings 43-23. Mike James (107), Chris Fosmire (114), Valen Piff (127), and Declan McDowell (133) all secured falls while Frankie Hydutsky (145) and Scott Zhang (160) recorded tech falls. Cade McDowell (172), Caleb Aikens (189), and Colin Smith (215) earned hard-fought decisions on the back end to finish the evening. The JV Cougars waged another impressive war with 17 bouts and a 48-26 winning scoreline! Most of all, congrats go out to our 6 seniors: Chris Munoz, Valen Piff, Frankie Hydutsky, Mohamed Elkhouly, Scott Zhang, and Tommie Grizzanti! We thank them for their years of service and wish them well in all future endeavors! Best of luck Cougars!

After a heartbreaking league loss mid-week, the Cougar grapplers found their focus and regrouped to compete 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, but knew they could not rest on past achievement to take the championship this year. After the dust settled, and all of the 1^st place hammers had been distributed, the Cougars took the team title with 7 individual champions and 225.5 points, beating 2^nd place Warwick by a stretch. Chris Fosmire (114), Valen Piff (127), Declan McDowell (133), Frankie Hydutsky (145), Cade McDowell (172), and freshmen Colin Smith (215) and Shammah George (285) all took top spot on the podium! Chris Munoz (121) and Caleb Aikens (189) lost hard-fought finals to take second. Congrats also go out to Rylan Piff (114), Noah Fosmire (121), Liam Aikens (127), and Nick Romano (172) who logged in their first Varsity tournament matches of the season. Now, the Cougars must set sights on the league again with a mid-week clash against WCE and a celebration of this year’s seniors. Stay WARM!!

In this third week of January, the Chesmont National reconvened and league duals took the spotlight across the county. Downingtown East travelled to Montgomery Avenue to take on the Warriors from West Chester Henderson, who they edged last season by a point. This year, the Cougars were not so fortunate, losing every swing match and falling to Hendy 28-34. Energy levels appeared low and East paid for it losing a few tightly-contested bouts that could have gone their way. Chris Fosmire (114), Valen Piff (127), and Cade McDowell (172) picked up the only falls for East, while Declan McDowell (145) received a forfeit. Caleb Aikens bumped to 215 and did an outstanding job securing a major decision. Hats off to Mike James (107), Declan Jewell (133), and Shammah George (285), who lost their matches, but fought bravely and saved crucial team points by battling to the end. The JV Cougars swept the Warriors 48-0, once again putting on an excellent performance! Now, it is time to regroup, but the time is short. East travels to Octorara/District III on Friday night for their annual George Heebner Classic. Best of luck to the Cougars! Let’s get back on track!