The following Downingtown East wrestlers were selected for the 2015-2016 Daily Local News “All-Area” team:
1st Team
James Strommer (113)
Wade Cummings (126)
Nik Zimmerman (138)
2nd Team
Brent Czajkowski (182)
Honorable Mention
Lukas Richie (106)
Connor Birzes (132)
Jude McDowell (152)
Alec Horne (160)
Josh Wileczek (195)
Owen Morris (220)
Congratulations go out to these team members for receiving the honors!!!
The District 1 Regional wrestling tournament found its way to a new venue, Souderton HS this past weekend. As always, the 64 high school region sent its best athletes to the competition to battle for the 4 coveted spots per weight class and only shots at the PIAA tournament. The Regional was fast, furious, and emotional, and the Cougars gave their maximum effort. By Saturday night, East captured 4th place in the team race with 71.5 pts. behind Pennridge, Council Rock South, and eventual champions, Boyertown. Wade Cummings (126) captured his 2nd regional gold, while James Strommer (113) and Alec Horne (160) finished in 4th, all qualifying for the illustrious PA state tournament held next weekend in Hershey. Owen Morris (220) took alternate honors by securing 5th, and Lukas Richie (106) set himself up for next season by finishing 6th. Congrats also go out to Connor Birzes (132), Nik Zimmerman (138), Jude McDowell (152), Brent Czajkowski (182), and Josh Wileczek (195) who fought bravely at the event, but came up just short of extending the journey. The Downingtown wrestling community wants to thank all of the wrestlers for their weeks and months of dedication; we wouldn’t be at this point without all of your contributions. Best of luck to the remaining 3 qualifiers as they enter the final week of PA wrestling competition! Bring home some hardware from Chocolate-town boys!
On Saturday 2/20, the post-season began for all District 1 wrestlers. For the Cougars, the journey began at Bayard Rustin HS in a 14-team league tournament where only the top 7 place-winners advance to the next weekend. Individuals were asked to concentrate on their own performances, and in turn, the team component would work itself out. In the end, East wrapped up their 4th consecutive Chesmont League Tournament championship, collecting 210 team points and outdistancing 2nd place D-West and 3rd place Rustin by close to 30 points. The Cougars qualified 11 wrestlers for next weekend’s District 1 Central tournament and none of them finished any lower than 5th place. Champions Wade Cumimings (126), Nik Zimmerman (138), and Owen Morris (220) led the charge while runners-up Lukas Richie (106), James Strommer (113), Jude McDowell (152), and Alec Horne (160) rounded out the championship finalists. Brent Czajkowski (182) and Brendan McGinley (285) took 4th place finishes, while Connor Birzes (132) and Josh Wileczek (195) fought back for 5th. The team held firm to their goals and put on a strong performance to secure that 4th title. Now, the road leads to Oxford HS and the District tournament where only the top 4 place-winners will proceed. Good luck to the Cougars as they chase more hardware and continue the journey towards Hershey!
The first weekend of February created more magic for the Downingtown East wrestling team. Once again, District 1 rolled out the red carpet for it’s final 8 teams to compete for a birth in the state duals, and the Cougars showed up committed to the task. East honored it’s seed and captured 3rd place in the duals, solidifying their place as one of the best 20 wrestling teams in the great state of Pennsylvania. On Friday night, they beat a state-quality laden Pennridge 32-28, but fell to Council Rock South 44-21. The next day saw the Cougars defeat Chesmont-American league rival WC Rustin 37-31, and Upper Darby 46-24 in the consolation finals. The weekend was grueling, but the pay-off was large. This ’15-’16 East team is the second team in Chester County history to reach the apex of the PIAA duals; the other team was the ’12-’13 Cougars. Talented freshman Lukas Richie (106) and senior captains Wade Cummings (132) and Jude McDowell (160) went undefeated on the weekend. James Strommer (113), Nik Zimmerman (138), and Alec Horne (170) suffered just one loss during the competition. Hats off to team members such as Jake Neubaum (145) and Jack Clay (152) who didn’t check marks in the win column, but battled every second of every match to stave off ranked opponents and protect team points for the Cougars. Congrats also go out to Wade Cummings for collecting his 100th fall and chiseling another record in the Chester County wrestling history books. The East wrestlers showed tremendous courage and resilience in a challenging District 1 field and now deserve their first round PIAA state dual at Exeter HS on Monday night. Keep it rolling gentlemen, and most importantly, believe in what you’ve done!
Downingtown wrestling’s annual “Battle of the Brandywine” visited Boyer Gymnasium at Downingtown East HS Wednesday night (2/3). Fans from across the community came out to support the boys from East and West, some of whom have been wrestling together since their elementary days with Downingtown Thunder. The crowd cheered as the two local powers, both undefeated in the league, put on a great show of wrestling! By evening’s end, the Cougars won 10 of 14 bouts to secure a 41-18 victory and a 5th consecutive league title. Wade Cummings (132), Josh Wileczek (195), and Owen Morris (220) won by fall while James Strommer (113) and Brent Czajkowski (182) picked up major decisions. The heavyweight battle pitted two long-time Downingtown scrappers against each other in Brendan McGinley and Chad Giles. The two giants went into overtime with McGinley prevailing 3-1; the crowd went into frenzy mode! The East-side JV contingent also finished on top winning 6 of 7 bouts. Jarrett Hansen (120), Stuart Regitz (138), Wayne Salt (152), and Carter Regitz (220) all collected falls. The event also recognized the tremendous efforts of East’s senior wrestlers and their parents. Congratulations and gratitude go out to those athletes and their families and best of luck as they reach for the next level. A big thanks goes out to all of the wrestling fans in this great town, East and West alike, and a hearty “good luck” to all of the athletes as they prepare for an exhilarating post-season.
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!
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!
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!
Downingtown East Wrestling 