TWO-A-DAYS: Downingtown West ready to prove that it, too, can play the big boy game
It’s been 17 years since Downingtown split into two high schools, and it didn’t take long for some stereotypes to develop between the East and West football programs.
“The standing joke around here was if you were over 6-feet tall and over 225 pounds, you went to (Downingtown) East. And if you were short and quick, you went to (Downingtown) West,” said West head football coach Mike Milano.
If that’s the case, the 2020 Whippets are clearly an outlier. Loaded with imposing figures like the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Drew Shelton – the top rated offensive lineman in the state – Downingtown West is going to lean on its big, strong personnel and try to bruise its way back to the top of the Ches-Mont and District 1.
“We’ve got some hammers right now, and I am excited to see them play,” Milano added.
The Whippets are coming off a 2019 campaign that featured a win over arch-rival Coatesville in the district title game and continued to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals. It was, according to Milano, a dream season.
But star quarterback Will Howard and two-way end Sean Pelkisson are off to Division I college football. And runner Tyriq Lewis – who set the Ches-Mont single-season record for touchdowns (39) has also graduated.
“We obviously had a very talented senior group last year,” Milano said, “With Will (Howard), Sean (Pelkisson) and Tyriq (Lewis), we had star power.
“But we started six or seven sophomores at times last season. We have a lot of kids back with experience.”
A four-star recruit who has verbally committed to play at Penn State, Shelton is part of a junior group Milano is counting on, along with an impressive group of underclassmen who have been waiting to see meaningful action.
“I call them ‘program kids,’” he said. “They work really hard to get their chance, and we are really excited to see some of these guts step in and show us what they can do.”
West’s offensive line averages 250-pounds with Shelton, returning center Matt Micale and tackle Cooper Young (6-5, 275), who also has Division I offers.
“We will be the biggest offensive line I think I’ve ever coached,” Milano pointed out.
Junior fullback Will Mahmud is back, and will be joined in the backfield by promising runners Ryan Waters and Nasir Harris. Julian Williams proved his worth as a slot receiver a year ago and fellow junior Elijah Ford has been impressive at wideout.
“We’ve got some explosive kids,” Milano said.
Two juniors are vying to be Howard’s replacement at quarterback, and Evan Wickersham is the favorite over Carter Ameye.
“I tell people we are going to be different,” Milano explained. “Last season, with a Division I quarterback, we were able to do a lot of different things with run-pass options and the like. We are trying to simplify now. We are going to be a big, strong power football team.”
On defense, the Whippets’ front seven is loaded. Starting linebackers as sophomores, Mahmud, Waters and Josh Barron return along with Harris and Quincy Peterson.
Up front, junior nose tackle heath Williams (5-11, 245) anchors the middle, with Shelton, Micale and Young also taking up space and blockers.
“It’s old school, but if you can run the ball and stop the run, you will have success,” Milano said.
Williams is the lone returning starter in the secondary. Ford will handle one cornerback spot and freshman safety Jake Kucera is projected as a future star.
“We know Julian (Williams) can play and (Kucera) is a talented kid,” Milano said.
