Howard, Rosano help Downingtown West get over the Coatesville hump

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”17″ display=”basic_slideshow”]DOWNINGTOWN >> The showdown everyone was waiting for did not disappoint.

It ended with the Downingtown West Whippets evoking echoes of the glory days with their first title in more than 20 years.

Friday night, at a jam-packed Kottmeyer Stadium in the District 1 Class 6A championship game, Downingtown West jumped out of the gate fast and led throughout, defeating Coatesville, 48-36, to capture the title and defeat two-time defending champion Coatesville.

Downingtown West (13-1) will play District 3 champion Central Dauphin next Friday or Saturday at a time and place to be determined.

There were plenty of heroes for the Whippets, but maybe none bigger than senior Alex Rosano, who caught nine Will Howard passes for 125 yards and returned a Ricky Ortega interception 27 yards for another Whippet score.

“This win means the whole world to us,” Rosano said. “They have beaten us a lot and we turned the tables tonight in the biggest game between us. We just felt coming in here that this was our time and our turn. And even when we got the early lead we knew they would come at us for the whole 48 minutes. This was really a great team win.”

The Whippets, who piled up 454 yards of total offense, scored the first two touchdowns of the game. Will Mahmud capped an opening eight-play drive by going in from two yards out, and on the next Coatesville (10-3) possession, Mahmud took a Red Raider fumble by Ortega 42 yards to make it a 14-0 game. Howard capped the next drive with a one-yard run and it was a 21-0 Whippet lead.

But, everyone knows how fast Coatesville can strike, and back came the Red Raiders as Ortega ran 24 yards right up the middle of the West defense and Coatesville closed the gap to 21-7.

The teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter as Coatesville turned the ball over again when Rosano picked Ortega and rambled 27 yards to make it a 27-7 game. Coatesville would closed to 27-14 when Abdul Sabur-Stewart turned a hitch pass into an 80-yard touchdown, and it was 27-14 at halftime.

“There were just so many big plays guys made tonight,” Howard said. “Our offensive line gave me a lot of time and Alex was fantastic and his one-handed catch was great. Our defense did the job by getting them off the field and everyone was really pumped up tonight.”

Coatesville came right out and forced a three and out from the Whippets to start the second half, and closed the gap to 27-21 when Ortega hit Bryant in the flat. The Red Raider star turned that into a 70-yard touchdown and the overflow crowd could feel the threat of another Coatesville comeback.

But the Whippets had different ideas. Downingtown West went on a 91-yard, 10-play drive that culminated when Tyriq Lewis skirted the left side for a six-yard run, and the Whippets pushed their lead back to two scores, 34-21.

After Ortega hit another 59-yard touchdown pass to Bryant to make it a 34-28 game, the Whippets took over and won the fourth quarter.

Downingtown West went on two long scoring drives and Howard threw his first-ever touchdown pass against Coatesville, when he hit Lewis with a 37-yard dime. A few minutes later, the Whippets had conquered the Red Raider demons and won their first district title in school history, 48-36.

“The feeling is something I can’t describe right now,” Downingtown West head coach Mike Milano said. “These kids have been through so much. We lose a two-year starter in our scrimmage in Pat Cusack, and Jackson Luneberg misses the whole year with an injury, and he had tears in his eyes when they told him he could play tonight.

“The kids deserve all the credit for this title and to beat our archrivals for the championship is something I will never forget.”

The Coatesville sideline was somber, as expected, but Red Raider head coach Matt Ortega said his team never quit.

“We got behind but these kids never quit at all,” Ortega said. “Give West credit. They were better tonight.”

Notes >> Ortega threw for 348 yards for Coatesville and Howard completed 19 of 27 for 301 yards for Downingtown West.