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
Tag: PIAA
The Cougars punch 3 tickets for Hershey!
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!
D-East wins next stage of post season, pushing 10 through to the Regional!
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!
Downingtown East takes college field trip to pick up some lessons!
On Friday night (2/12), the Cougar wrestlers, coaches, managers, and supporters hopped on a bus and took Route 100 North to the Lehigh Valley to watch NCAA #1 Penn State wrestle the Mountain Hawks at Stabler Arena. The place was packed to capacity and hotter than a furnace! PSU knocked off Lehigh 28-9, winning 7 of 10 bouts and picking up a fall and tech along the way. About 90% of the participants, both teams included, were Pennsylvania stand-outs in their high school days and it truly showed with the display of talent and work ethic. PA greats such as Megaludis, Cruz, Gulibon, Nolf, Brown, and Retherford all put on a show for the 5,000+ sitting in the stands. The Cougars picked up some valuable lessons watching the college giants wrestle. Now, it’s time to take those lessons home and put them to work as the PIAA season approaches! Good luck boys!
The Downingtown East grapplers end magical run with loss to Exeter
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 Cougars claim their place amongst the PIAA’s finest!
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!
Congrats to DE Wrestlers for inclusion in the Daily Local News All-Area Team
Congratulations go out to the following members of our 2014 – 2015 Chesmont championship wrestling team for their inclusion in the season’s “All-Area” (Chester County) team as selected by the Daily Local News!
Wrestler Of The Year
Wade Cummings (126 lbs.)
1st Team
Wade Cummings
James Strommer
Austin Lillis
Billy McGinley
2nd Team
Jude McDowell
James Meyer
Alec Horne
Honorable Mention
Brett Horne
Nik Zimmerman
Brent Czajkowski
Jason Gibson
Downingtown East Wrestling brings home some hardware!
As the snow could not stop the 2014-2015 PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey, PA, Downingtown East Wrestling marched forward and captured its second state medal in its 11 year history. Co-captain and 126 lb. standout Wade Cummings, claimed the 4th place prize and the honor of highest placing Chesmont League and Chester County wrestler with a tournament record of 4-2. Congratulations also go out to senior co-captains James Meyer (152, 1-2) and Billy McGinley (220, 3-2) who battled the toughest wrestlers in the commonwealth to etch their names in Downingtown East Wrestling history. The 14-15 season marked many milestones for the Cougars and their coaches, and their PIAA finish is a testament to their diligence and belief throughout the year. We’ll celebrate a memorable season next Sunday 3/15, with our annual banquet at Whitford Country Club, 5 to 8pm. Come with fond memories, an appetite for celebration, and a curiosity for what lies next for Cougar Wrestling: It’s never too early to plan for the next campaign! INVICTUS
Downingtown East Wrestling 