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!!!
Downingtown East Wrestling closed out their 2015-2016 campaign on Saturday evening at the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA. The PIAA State Championships bring the strongest wrestlers from across this great state to battle for the illustrious medals awarded to the top 8 competitors in each weight class. After many bumps, bruises, and even tears, the Cougars finished their season with another state medal, a 5th place finish for senior captain Wade Cummings at 126 lbs. Wade went 4-2 at the tournament securing his second state medal and finishing with a career record of 181-14 wearing the blue and gold. His efforts and achievements will go down in Downingtown East wrestling history. Seniors James Strommer (113) and Alec Horne (160) also finished their high school careers in Hershey, going 0-2 in the event, but experiencing the thrill of unparalleled wrestling competition they’ll never forget. Congratulations and gratitude go out to these three Cougars, as well as their teammates, for a season filled with remarkable achievement and memorable moments! Good luck to all of the seniors as they step into the next phase of their academic/athletic careers and always remember that you will be in our thoughts! The coaching staff would like to personally thank the wrestlers, parents, boosters, and fans for making 2015-2016 a wrestling season for the ages. INVICTUS
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!
Oxford High School hosted this year’s District 1 Central wrestling tournament, replacing last season’s “snow-covered” Wissahickon. The scenery might have changed, but the results came back in the same style! Downingtown East wrestling captured the team title in a dominating fashion, amassing 154 points and outpacing the rest of the field by 62 points. They qualified 10 wrestlers for next weekend’s regional tournament and collected their 4th straight District 1 Central crown. Led by champions James Strommer (113) and Wade Cummings (126), East put 7 in the finals, and had 3 wrestle back to take advancement honors. Lukas Richie (106), Nik Zimmerman (138), Alec Horne (160), Brent Czajkowski (182), and Owen Morris (220) claimed silver medals, while Connor Birzes (132) and Jude McDowell (152) wrestled back hard for the bronze. Josh Wileczek (195) stretched to the limit and collected a 4th place qualifying bid, and heavyweight Brendan McGinley (285) secured a 5th place alternate bid. The Cougars displayed a memorable team effort and reaped the rewards of such a display. Congrats to them as they march forward to the Regional tournament at Souderton HS and those coveted bids to PIAA Hershey. Good Luck gentlemen!
On Monday 2/8, the Cougars traveled the snowy road West to Exeter HS to take on the Eagles who placed 3rd in the District 3 Duals. The gym was packed and the tension high for the first round of PIAA duals. East couldn’t find any rhythm and made numerous mental errors which cost them the dual 51-15. When competing against a team as balanced and talented as Exeter, there can be no errors and performances have to be “next-level.” Sadly, the Cougar’s magical run came full circle. The lone winners for East were Lukas Richie (106) and Nik Zimmerman (138) who won by fall, and James Strommer (113) who earned a decision. One of the most notable observations of the evening was the shear passion and volume of the Exeter crowd; there are towns across this great state where wrestling is ingrained in the culture and the fans live and breath their local team. Despite the loss, it was truly awesome to be a part of this event. Next up for the Cougars, a trip to the Chesmont League Championships at WC Rustin! Time to regroup, re-fuel, and begin the chase for Hershey! Good luck boys!
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.
This past weekend saw D-East wrestling pack the vans and head West to the historical Gettysburg area to conduct a battle scene of their own. New Oxford HS hosts a 32-team tournament that draws competition from all over the state. Lines were drawn and cannons fired! The Cougars finished the two-day event with 183 team points and a 2nd place finish, just nine points shy of champions Tunkhannock. They boasted 7 place-finishers, highlighted by champions Wade Cummings (132) and Nik Zimmerman (138). Lukas Richie (106) finished 2nd, while James Strommer (113) and Alec Horne (170) finished 3rd. East’s final medalists were Connor Birzes (126) who placed 4th, and Brent Czajkowski (182) who battled back for 5th. Wade Cummings was voted “Most Outstanding Wrestler” of the tournament. The East JV squad also had a great tournament finishing 2nd behind champions Milton-Hershey, who had double the amount of competitors there. Josh Wileczek (195) and Jarrett Hansen (120) took home top honors and Stuart Regitz (138) finished 2nd. The Cougars will refresh and gear up for another big week with league action and crosstown rivals D-West on Wednesday night and District Dual action on Friday night. Come out and support the Cougars as the season speeds towards an exciting post-season!
Downingtown East Wrestling 