The athletes we remember, the truly special ones that burn in our memory for years, are the ones whose talents carry their respective teams with their sheer will to heights that did not look like they could happen.
The 2022 scholastic football season saw Downingtown East running back Bo Horvath lift his team to a 9-4 record and the District 1 6A semifinals, defeating rivals Downingtown West and Coatesville in the playoffs.
Horvath was the prime focus of every team the Cougars faced this season and he carried the football an incredible 364 times for 2,315 yards with 32 touchdowns. Horvath also added 15 receptions for 229 yards and one score.
During the playoffs, Horvath was sensational, rushing for 275 yards against Coatesville and another 255 yards against Downingtown West. it is for these lofty achievements that Bo Horvath is the Daily Local News Football Player of the year.
The Cougars running back also is a top 15 midfielder in the entire country in lacrosse, a sport he will play at Lehigh University next fall.
“I really loved carrying the football that often,” Horvath said. “I sort of saw it as a badge of honor to be called on that many times. I did not want to let Coach Matta (Michael) down. He and my teammates had a lot of faith in me to get the job done and I felt it was my responsibility to to carry the ball anytime I was called on to do so. I did not worry about being tired or beat up.”
Horvath was one of the Cougars’ captains and he also wore No. 1, only the second Cougar to ever wear the uniform, a honor bestowed on just former player Connor Mullaney.
“We do not give out No. 1 very often. He is only the second player in school history to wear it, Downingtown East head coach Michael Matta said. “But Bo earned it. He is the total package. He brings toughness, confidence and grit to the team. The other kids followed him because of all the work he puts in and the way he carries himself on and off the field. He leads by example and they followed his lead.
“On the field he can run away from guys, run through them or run over them.He is a tough, elusive runner and a great athlete. he is absolutely the best player in Chester County.”
One of the teams Horvath excelled against was Bishop Shanahan. The Eagles’ head football coach and assistant lacrosse coach is Paul Meyers and he talked about what kind of special athlete Horvath is.
“Not only is Bo a special athlete, he is a very good kid that comes from a great family,” Meyers said. “As a player he is a real workhorse. He is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.
He is strong and physical enough to run between the tackles, and fast and athletic enough to bounce it outside. He is a two-headed monster to try and stop. He is going to Lehigh for lacrosse, but he is good enough to play Division 1 football if he wanted to.”
With his remarkable exploits on the football field on full display in the 2022 season, Horvath established himself as one of the best running backs in Pennsylvania. Might this past season possibly make him pick football over lacrosse in college?
“I really love football and lacrosse,” Horvath said. “The only way to explain it is that it depends which season we are in. During the fall my favorite sport is football, then when it is lacrosse time, that is my favorite sport. I really love both of them and do not want to pick one over the other.”
No matter which way the Cougars leader chooses for his collegiate career, anyone who was lucky enough to see his ironman performances on the gridiron during the 2022 season will remember Bo Horvath as a player who left it all out on the football field every time he stepped on it. He did it for his teammates, his coaches and his school.
You cannot ask for anything more from an athlete. Bo Horvath delivered in 2022.
