Column: Wrapping up regular season

The scholastic football season has flown by and we are at the last games of the regular season. It is time to clean out the notebook and look back at the regular season and look ahead to the upcoming district playoffs.

No area team has seen as much turmoil as Coatesville – from online threats forcing a cancellation of its big game with Downingtown West, to District 1 taking a win away for using an ineligible player.

Head coach Matt Ortega was put on administrative leave for two weeks, and although the parties that be will not confirm it, it appears the reason for the leave was for the ineligible player.

No matter what, Coatesville looks like the team to beat in 6A. The defense is second to none in District 1 and will fuel another deep postseason run.
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The winner of the Downingtown East-Downingtown West game will not only be the owner of bragging rights for a year, but also should get one, and possibly two, home games in the district playoffs. The loser of this game will likely hit the road in the first round.
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The Malvern Prep defense is one of the best we have seen in years. The Friars have only given up 22 points in seven games. But, their 6-0 loss to the Haverford School means the best the Friars can get is a share of the Inter-Ac League title.
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West Chester Rustin was hit very hard by injuries earlier in the season, but a healthy team looked a lot like some of the best Rustin teams of the past in whipping Great Valley, 32-0 last week.
Rustin, along with Strath Haven, Chester and Upper Dublin, form a very deep 5A bracket. Upper Dublin may be one of the top two or three teams in the district regardless of classification.
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Kennett can win its first outright Ches-Mont American title with a victory over Great Valley. No team plays harder than the Blue Demons. Head coach Lance Frazier and his staff may be the best in the area,
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It looks like four or five 5A schools will get into the playoffs with less than .500 records, which is a disgrace. I know it is all about gate receipts for the district, but 16 teams qualifying for the postseason is a little insane.

Peter DiGiovanni covers football for the Daily Local News. He can be reached at pdigiovanni07@gmail.com. Follow him at PeteDLN on Twitter.