Cville, DEast set to close out decade’s best Ches-Mont rivalry

On the final week of the final regular season of the final year of this decade, it’s fitting the Ches-Mont National Division championship will be decided between Coatesville and Downingtown East.

The two have been the winningest programs in Chester County this decade, with seven division titles between them. Coatesville can win its fifth in that span with a win over the Cougars, Friday. A win by East, and a win by Downingtown West over Avon Grove, would force a three-way tie in the five-team division.

When Matt Ortega took over at Coatesville, it was quickly apparent who his squad had to pursue.

“It’s a huge rivalry,” Ortega said. “The last 11 years, that’s been the game, year in and year out. When I first got to the league, they were the ones everybody was trying to catch.”

East, who has 88 total wins (including postseason) this decade, won two of three from 2010-2012, but Coatesville, who has 104 victories, has won eight of the last nine, including three in the playoffs.

“It was a great rivalry until the last three years,” East coach Mike Matta said. “It’s been pretty one-sided. Our kids get excited to play a team that’s one of the best in the state. You want to measure yourself against the best teams, so it’s cool to play them every year.”

There is more than one way to succeed in high school football, and this duo is prime example. The Red Raiders (7-1) will spread teams out and will try to run past them. The Cougars (8-1) will load the box and try to run right over teams.

“Spread offenses like ours don’t typically do well against downhill, power run teams,” Ortega said. “I think they’re standard the last 11 years has helped us reach our standard. They’ve helped ours develop and make us better and we’ve made them better.”

Despite the recent dominance in the win column, Coatesville has had to earn it against East more than any other squad. Rarely have teams been able to beat the Raiders in a track meet. The teams who’ve had success have been those of the power variety — think East, Cumberland Valley, North Allegheny.

“I think the key is both coaching staffs coach to the strengths of their teams,” Matta said. “We have a lot of big, physical kids who get into the weight room. They have a lot of talent they try to get in space. Both programs have had two diverse styles. I don’t think we’d be very successful trying to be like them and they wouldn’t be very successful trying to be like us. You can’t beat Coatesville trying to be like Coatesville.”

There have been some dandies in this series the last decade, and here is a quick glance of the top five Coatesville-Downingtown East games since 2010.

5. Coatesville 20, Downingtown East 14, September 23, 2011

Following the Downingtown split, East won six of the first eight matchups, and leading up to this game, was winners of three in a row. Both teams came in at 3-0, but Coatesville quarterback Manny Stocker and running back Dae-Hon Cheung combined for 198 rush yards and all three scores, and the the defense recovered three fumbles, to finally get over the hump. It was Ortega’s first win over East, but the game will be remembered as the final time star running back Drew Harris would suit up for the Cougars after tearing his ACL in the second half. 

4. Coatesville 40, Downingtown East 7, October 7, 2016

As the score suggests, this game was less about drama and more about the moment. It was Ricky Ortega’s first start at QB for Coatesville, and after cruising through three other National Division foes, the reigning division champs seemed poised to test the freshman. Ortega wasn’t phased, going eight-for-12 for 228 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding another on the ground to give East’s first divisional loss in two years. Three years later, Ortega is another win over the Cougars away from completing a four-year sweep against the Ches-Mont.

3. Coatesville 15, Downingtown East 9, October 3, 2014

Coming in averaging 37.6 points per game, Coatesville was trailing East, 9-7, late in the fourth quarter. On a fourth down with under three minutes to go, QB Jordan Young, who doubled as the punter, took the snap and rumbled 23 yards on a fake punt for a clutch first down. Moments later, Ahkema Evans plowed in for his second rushing TD to help Coatesville stay undefeated. The Raiders won their first 13 games that season, including the rematch against the Cougars (31-12) in the district semifinals, before falling to Pennsbury in the district final. 

2. Downingtown East 35, Coatesville 34, September 21, 2012

Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a different response. Was Jay Harris across the goal line with possession? The referee said yes, resulting in one of the most dramatic endings in Ches-Mont history. With no time on the clock, East QB Kyle Lauletta rolled right before throwing across his body to the front corner of the end zone. Harris came back to snag the pass, gaining control across the line before eventually being pushed back to the four yard line. To add to the suspense, kicker Chris White banked the game-winning extra point off the left upright and through. 

The win preserved East’s perfect season, and the Cougars were the top seed in the district after going 10-0. East was upset in the first round by No. 16 Wissahickon, denying a rematch against the Raiders in the second round. Coatesville, meanwhile, figured something out while overcoming a 21-0 deficit against East. The Raiders won the next 11 games, electrifying crowds all the way to the state final, where they fell to North Allegheny. 

1. Coatesville 38, Downingtown East 27, October 20, 2017

If any game could summarize the Ches-Mont’s best rivalry of this decade, this is it. East came in at 8-0, while Coatesville was 7-1. There were six lead changes in this game, with the Cougars running their powerful counter trey early and often, and Coatesville’s empty set proving to be virtually unstoppable. After capitalizing on a short field thanks to a deflected punt, East took a one-point lead on a Brassir Stocker TD run. That left Coatesville 40 seconds to go 60 yards for the win. Ricky Ortega connected with Dapree Bryant twice on the drive, the second a 25-yarder to the back corner of the end zone to give Coatesville a lead with three seconds left.

Coatesville scored on the final play of the game, returning a desperation lateral on the kickoff. The Raiders saw the Cougars three weeks later in the second round of the playoffs, and took care of them, 61-42, before going on to win their first of two straight district titles.