[tps_title]Dowingtown East Cougars [/tps_title]
PETE BANNAN DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Downingtown East players practice at the school as part of August football camp.
Cougars’ tough opening stretch will set tone for season
UWCHLAN >> Downingtown East head football coach Mike Matta has put the Cougar program on the map in his 14 years as head man, making multiple playoff appearances and going to the District 1 final in 2005. The last two seasons the Cougars were picked by many to be a possible district title winner, only to be eliminated in the second round both years.
This year nearly all the preseason buzz is not about Downingtown East in the Ches-Mont League, but coming from on hated rival Coatesville. This means absolutely nothing according to the Cougar boss and his players, who are used to having success on the gridiron and expect nothing less. 
“The expectations do not change here,” Matta said. “It is always to win the league win every game and win a district title. We have a very good team. This might be the best offensive line we have had here and we will be able to run the football.
“We are also excited about our quarterback Bryce Lauletta. Last year he was playing at the top of the league before some injuries to himself and two of our receivers set him back a little bit. He has filled out and we expect him to be very good for us.”
Lauletta is getting multiple Ivy League looks, and many Division III schools are also interested in the Cougar signal caller. Lauletta has a great football acumen and a lively arm, and never seems fazed by the trauma around him in the pocket. The signal-caller knows how tough the Cougars nonleague slate is, and knows that toppling Coatesville will be a big challenge for the Cougars.
“We are definitely aware that the preseason talk is not on us,” Lauletta said. “Coatesville is very highly rated and with good reason. They always have awesome athletes and this year is no different.
“I feel I will have a better season this year. I tore a ligament in my throwing hand last year and now I am healthy and looking forward to a big season for this team. We may not have stars this year but we have a whole bunch of hard-nosed Downingtown football players, and coach Matta really likes that.
“We have to come out and start the season strong because our first three games are very tough,” Lauletta said. “But, we always play the best teams around and this year is no different. We have a good running game and Tim Avaido is back running the football and we feel with our O-line we can move the football.”
Under Matta’s reign, the Cougars have been known for hard-nosed defensive players and they do not get any tougher that senior lineman Connor Munnelly, who anchors a Cougar front wall with Joe Janick and Ryan Reynolds.
“We couldn’t care less what the media and fans say,” Munnelly said. “We want to win all our games, beat North Penn, beat Coatesville and win the Ches-Mont and then win the district title. Nothing has changed here. The expectations are still real high and we have a bunch of tough guys who do not care about rankings and ratings. We love playing the Suburban One teams and Roman Catholic from the Philadelphia Catholic League. Those are games you will remember forever. We feel we will be ready for anybody this season.”
Downingtown East will take on a tough Plymouth Whitemarsh squad to start the season and then face defending District 1 Class 6A champion North Penn before playing Roman Catholic. The Cougars’ Ches-Mont League crossover game is Unionville.
By Peter DiGiovanni; pdigiovanni07@gmail.com
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