Geoghegan: With two coach’s sons, Whippets claim Ches-Mont crown
WEST CHESTER >> To be the son or daughter of a coach. It is such a plus in just about every athletic endeavor, it’s mentioned all the time in print and over the airways.
Players who have parents that coach, or who have coached, are usually advanced in areas like the fundamentals, strategy and training. In hoops, you expect these players to have a feel for the game that that others often don’t have.
That’s why coaches love having them on their roster. Downingtown West’ head coach Stu Ross has a couple, and it is no coincidence that Dylan Blair and Donovan Fromhartz are the Whippets’ top two performers. Blair is the youngest son of West Chester head coach Damien Blair. Donovan is the youngest son of WCU assistant women’s basketball coach Mary Fromhartz.
“With players like Dylan and myself, basketball is in our blood,” said Donovan Fromhartz, a sophomore forward. “The coaches know we are committed to the game and our parents keep us on track.”
On Tuesday, in the Ches-Mont Final, Blair and Fromhartz were front and center as the Whippets edged Unionville, 46-43, at Hollinger Field House. A senior star, Blair poured in 26 points, including four points and two steals in the final 1:30.
“Dylan is a fierce competitor,” Ross said.
“You need a player, or players, on the floor that think like a coach,” added Damien Blair. “Sometimes as a coach, you can’t communicate things especially in an environment like this, but they can find a way to make big plays.”
Fromhartz is just 15 years young. But at 6-foot-6 and growing, he is a budding standout. On Tuesday, he chipped in nine points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end.
“It is so great for Dovovan to be playing with Dylan,” said Mary Fromhartz, who is in her eighth season as an assistant to WCU’s Keira Wooden. “(Former West Chester women’s) coach (Deirdre) Kane used to always say ‘It’s a small world, and basketball makes it just a little bit smaller.’ It’s such a community.”
Interestingly enough, both Blair and Fromhartz not only have a parent who is a college coach, they have another parent who played college basketball. Dylan’s mom, Carolyn (maiden name Amoroso), played for Kane at West Chester. Donovan’s dad, Jim, is 6-7 and played Division I ball for Monmouth.
“Those guys have been around the game and have high basketball IQs. They’ve watched film with their parents and they study the game,” Ross said.
“I talk about basketball with my parents a lot – more recently than when I was younger because I didn’t really understand the game as much as I do now,” Donovan said. “I will ask questions about footwork, workouts — things like that.”
Dylan has signed on to play college ball at West Point starting next fall. Donovan is already on the list of the state’s top players for the Class of 2025.
“I feel like growing up in a basketball family has been an advantage I’ve had since my freshman year, and I’ve built upon that since then,” Dylan said.
“Coaches are trying to find ways to win and they instill that in their kids. That will to win showed tonight.”
As a player, Damien Blair is the second-leading scorer, all-time, at WCU. Mary Fromhartz played Division I basketball at Marist, and had a three season stint as the girls’ junior varsity coach at Bishop Shanahan 2010-13 prior to landing at West Chester.
“Donovan has always gravitated towards basketball, so he was always hungry to learn,” Mary said. “So, sure, I will talk basketball with him as much as he wants.
“He was a little boy when I started coaching at Shanahan, and he always wanted to watch film with me. When he was little, he would be the one that would stay up at night when I would get back from a West Chester road trip.”
Dylan was already an established standout heading into the 2022-23 campaign. Donovan was on the West varsity a year ago, but did not start. When big-man Jake Warren moved to Florida in the offseason, Donovan’s role increased.
“The skill-set was there last season, but now he has more confidence,” Ross said.
“It wasn’t just because Jake (left), it was going from a freshman to a sophomore. He got his feet wet, and he got more experience. He had a great summer and it just carried over.”
Both West Chester coaches are a bit leery about coaching their sons too much, and prefer to leave most of it to Ross and his staff.
“Watching them play is fun for Mary and myself,” Damien said.
“I don’t offer advice unless I’m asked,” Mary said. “I just encourage Donovan to listen to his coaches. But I’m his mom, so it’s ‘do your homework, clean your room, brush your teeth’ – that’s what he gets from me.”
