Downingtown East Wrestling

This weekend, D-East traveled down 202 to once again take part in Garnet Valley’s “Rage In The Cage.” The event is an 8-team bracketed dual tournament and is always worth the admission price! The Cougars went 2-1 on the day securing 5th place in the overall competition. They lost 15-49 to Pennsbury, but rebounded to beat Chichester 51-21 and Garnet Valley 37-33. Their lone undefeated wrestler on the day was Adham Abouraya (285) who went 3-0. Double winners who went 2-1 were Valen Piff (114), Steven Elinski (133), Josh Hillestad (145), Ryan Loraw (172), Tommie Grizzanti (189), and Felix Mason (215). Congrats to the squad as they rebounded from a tough loss to come back and take 5th place with great resilience. Next Wednesday, they will be back to league action. Good luck!

On Wednesday evening (1/4), the DE wrestling squad opened their new year with a league victory over Avon Grove at their new facility in West Grove. The Cougars won 9 of the 13 bouts with some solid performances and finished with a 46-19 victory. Frankie Hydutsky (127), Paxson Warnock (139), Ryan Loraw (172), and Felix Mason (215) recorded falls while Valen Piff (114) and Adham Abouraya (285) collected forfeits. Steven Elinski (133) and Josh Hillestad (145) won hard-fought decisions at their new descended weights while freshman Cade McDowell (160) collected a major decision at his own. Declan McDowell (121), Christian Fosmire (107), Brandon Pacinelli (152), and Tommie Grizzanti (189) all lost tough matches but showed tremendous effort in battling against experienced opponents. East was able win big when needed and stay in matches when called upon. Next up, the 3-dual “Rage In The Cage” at Garnet Valley this coming weekend!

After a tough league tournament the previous weekend, the Downingtown East wrestlers licked a few wounds and had a solid week of preparation.
On Saturday 12/17, they visited Pequea Valley HS just west in District 3 for their annual Winter invitational. The Cougars competed well with a young team that was missing a few injured first-team wrestlers.
In the end, East finished in 4th place out of 8 teams and had 9 members place in the top four. Steven Elinski (139) captured the team’s lone championship, while Adham Abouraya (285) continued his strong campaign finishing 2nd . Valen Piff (121) and Tommie Grizzanti (189) also captured silver finishes. The Cougars secured 3rd place medals from Declan McDowell (127), Josh Hillestad (152), and Cade McDowell (160). Felix Mason (215) finished 4th along with team newcomer and freshman contributor Caleb Aikens (172). Christian Fosmire (107) finished 6th in his wrestling debut.
Overall, the event was a big step for the Cougar grapplers and gives them some ground to build on. Now, the team must use the rest of December to work smart and improve for the dual meet season that opens up in January.
Happy Holidays to all and see you on the mats in 2023!

On Saturday 12/10, the Chesmont League hosted their annual league wrestling tournament at WC Rustin High School. The league tourney sets the stage for early heated combat every year, and the 2022 edition was no different. Downingtown East took a young line-up of 11 healthy wrestlers and managed to secure 5 places on the podium. Adham Abouraya (285) was East’s lone finalist and lost a close 3-2 decision in the finals. Josh Hillestad (152) and Tommie Grizzanti (189) both wrestled back hard for 5th place finishes, while Valen Piff (121) finshed 6th and Ryan Loraw (172) injury defaulted and settled for 6th. The team finished 9th out of 12 teams, keeping them from the basement, but also making it known that this season’s theme will be learning and progressing. East has to keep it’s nose to the grindstone and use each day as a stepping stone towards greater achievement. Next up, the Pequea Valley Invitational on Saturday 12/ 17. Good Luck Cougars!

Pennsylvania’s official high school wrestling season opened this past weekend (12/2 and 12/3) and our own Downingtown East Cougars broke the ice at Solanco’s “Mule Invitational.” The tournament has been around for years and it’s an opening weekend meat-grinder. Licking some wounds from Fall sports, East sent 9 healthy wrestlers, all up a weight class, to engage in some early battle. In the end, 2 wrestlers snatched podium space. Seniors Josh Hillestad (152) and Ryan Loraw (172) placed in the top eight of their respective weight classes. Josh took 8th and Ryan took 5th. Gaining their first Varsity wins of the season were Frankie Hydutsky (133), Scott Zhang (139, and Steven Elinski (145). East finished in 21st place out of 25 teams, which serves as a significant wake-up call. The work has just started and there is much room for improvement! Next up, the ChesMont league tournament on Saturday 12/10.

The Route 100 Wrestling Club begins in 1 week1s on Monday 4/4! The club is designed for all levels with a focus on area teams and their development. DE’s own Wade Cummings is a director/coach and he is supported by other local legends (see the flyer below)! The DE staff is a proud supporter of this opportunity and STRONGLY advises our team members to sign on and start improving for 22-23! The club runs on Mondays and Wednesdays (6:30 to 8:30pm) at Pottsgrove HS. If rides are an issue, the DE staff will provide springboard rides (up and back) from/to Pickering Valley Elementary School right here in our district. If fees are an issue, contact Coach Horvath directly. Register today and build for the future!

In the wrestling world, the first weekend in March is known for the Southeast Regional tournament and the five tickets to Hershey each weight class is allotted. 16 battle-tested wrestlers from across the four-county area compete at their highest level for one of those coveted five spots. Downingtown East sent its three-man contingent and fought to the best of their abilities. The challenge proved extremely difficult, and in the end, the Cougars took it on the chin and landed out of the competition. Noah Pagaduan (145, 0-2), Josh Hillestad (132, 1-2), and Connor Huntoon (172, 1-2) fought bravely, but the task was a tall one. Congrats go out to these three, and the rest of the team who nurtured them along the way. Many lessons were learned this year and the question becomes, “What’s Next?” East is a young team with a lot of potential, but they must make a conscious and collective effort to improve before November 2022. They have to create a plan and follow it knowing even more success lies in front of them if they do. The stage is set. Finally, congrats and thanks to our departing seniors and their families for their hard work and leadership. You will be greatly missed! Best of luck to all! INVICTUS

The PIAA post-season officially started for East wrestling this past Saturday at District 1’s West Tournament held at Oxford HS. 15 teams competed for the top 4 places in each weight to qualify for next weekend’s Southeast Regional tournament. It was a long day of wrestling with incredible action and lots of tension. In the end, the Cougar squad stepped up their game and finished with 3 qualifiers and 6 medalists. They finished in 7th place as a team. East gave an elevated performance, besting their results of the league tournament at the same venue just weeks prior. Qualifying for the regional were Josh Hillestad (4th – 132), Noah Pagaduan (4th – 145), and Connor Huntoon (4th – 172). Other Cougars to pick up place-finishes and gain valuable seeding points for next year were Valen Piff (6th – 106), Paxson Warnock (6th – 126), and Ryan Loraw (5th – 152). Congrats go out to all of the East wrestlers for a great weekend of competition! Best of luck to our regional qualifiers who will battle it out next weekend for one of five coveted tickets to the PIAA tournament!