Downingtown East Wrestling

After another midweek loss in the league, the Cougar squad needed an opportunity to regain some steam. Despite some injuries and illnesses, East took 12 competitors to Interboro’s 8-team “Bucs Invitational” and logged a strong performance. The team finished 2nd out of 8, coming in behind nationally ranked Malvern Prep. Valen Piff (114) and Josh Hillestad (145) took second in the finals, while Frankie Hydutsky (127), Paxson Warnock (139), Brandon Pacinelli (152), Ryan Loraw (160), and Felix Mason (215) all wrestled back for 3rd. The event had all ability levels and presented an excellent challenge and day of learning for our young Cougars. The rest of the regular season remains with one league and two non-league duals. East has to gather its strength and push hard in these final duals to show its improvement. Good luck young men!

This week brought the final home contest for the East wrestling squad as they locked horns with reigning league champs, West Chester Henderson. Nursing many injuries and ailments, the young Cougars fought their hardest against a tough Warrior team. East lost 21-45 with Ryan Loraw (160) earning a tech fall, Valen Piff (114) a major decision, and Josh Hillestad (152) and Felix Mason (215) a pair of minor decisions. Only two weeks of regular season remain and East will have to patch up and keep their noses to the grindstone to achieve some positive outcomes. Next up, the first annual “Bucs Invitational” at Interboro HS. Best of luck to the Cougars!

The last Saturday in January brought Downingtown East wrestling a fresh dual meet competition as well as its hallowed “Senior Day.” On this day when the program celebrates the careers and efforts of its seniors and their parents, the team also got to compete against Central League tournament champs Conestoga.

It was a great day of wrestling with 16 JV matches and a Varsity dual meet worth the price of admission. Conestoga prevailed 39-31, but East won 6 of the 12 contested bouts without their trusted heavyweight who was out with illness. Valen Piff (114), Paxson Warnock (139), Josh Hillestad (145), and Brandon Pacinelli (152) all recorded falls, while Ryan Loraw (160) and Felix Mason (285) won by decision and major decision respectively. The JV’s roared back to tie the Pioneers 48-48 in an epic JV contest.

We want to congratulate and wish the best for illustrious seniors: Josh Hillestad, Brandon Pacinelli, Ryan Loraw, Akil Talakola, Ishan Katakam, and our beloved managers, Kaila Manuel and Charlotte Yarnall-Stevenson! You will be missed and best wishes for future success!!

Over this past weekend, the East wrestling team took their game to Octorara’s “George Heebner Invitational” and JV extravaganza. The weekend started off on Friday night (1/20) with an 8-team Varsity tournament. The action was fast-paced, and in the end, the Cougars finished in 2^nd place, just 10 points behind winners LaSalle. East concluded with champions Ryan Loraw (160) and Felix Mason (215), as well as silver medalists Paxson Warnock (139), Brandon Pacinelli (152), and Adham Abouraya (285). On the backside, Christian Fosmire (107), Valen Piff (114), Steven Elinski (133), and Tommie Grizzanti (189) took the bronze. On Saturday (1/21), the JV Cougars competed at Octorara’s JV event and put their best effort out on the mat. Ishan Katakam (160) and Garrett Knott (145) both finished 2^nd, while Michael Brady (121), and Caleb Aikens (172) secured third-place finishes. The weekend was a tremendous success, setting the squad up for a productive week of practice and a “Senior Day” dual on Saturday 1/28. Let’s have a strong week!

This year’s “Battle of the Brandywine” between Downingtown East and West fell on Wednesday 1/18. Wagner gym at the West campus was a packed house and wrestlers and wrestling families across generations came to see the event. There was some fantastic action, but in the end, the young Cougars were outmatched and dropped a 9-51 dual to their crosstown rivals. The lone winners for East were seniors Josh Hillestad (152) and Ryan Loraw (160) who earned a pin and decision respectively. There were some improved efforts by Cougar wrestlers, but lumps must be taken and lessons learned in this sport. Hopefully, losses like these motivate the 1st and 2nd year wrestlers who find themselves on the Varsity as well as those JV wrestlers who hunger for something more. The potential is there, but none of it can be realized without a plan and commitment. Best of luck moving forward!

On Saturday (1/14), East travelled in the early morning down to old Boothwyn and renewed their participation in the Chichester Duals. 6 teams from District 1 collected there and battled each other over the course of 5 dual meets. The Cougars finished the day 4-1, dropping their opener to Upper Dublin 26-28, but they rebounded quickly and won their last four duals. They beat Chichester 49-18, Springfield (D) 42=22, Norristown 72-5, and Penncrest 35-26. Valen Piff (114), Josh Hillestad (145), Ryan Loraw (172), and Adham Abouraya (285) all ended the day with unblemished 5-0 records. The Cougars are now 7-3 on the year, but there is much to face in their campaign and the road will only get more challenging. Best of luck!

Chesmont League wrestling action continued Wednesday evening (1/11) when D-East took on Coatesville in their home opener. The event is always a tough one as Coatesville consistently brings the grit and determination they are known for. At the final whistle, the Cougars fell 21-30, losing 8 of the 13 bouts, two of them in overtime. Adham Abouraya (285) and Valen Piff (114) scored the lone falls for East, while Steven Elinski (133), Cade McDowell (160), and Felix Mason (215) chipped in with decisions. In the end, East learned some hard lessons in battling through adversity and digging deep when needed. They will need these skills as the season progresses. Congrats go out to the JV Cougars who did an outstanding job in handling an 11-match contest, winning 46-18! Mike Brady, Akil Talakola, Jake Bouska, Joe Duque, Caleb Aikens, Scott Zhang, and Nick Romano all picked up wins. Next up, the Chichester duals this coming weekend. Best of luck to our young group!

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!