Nine Ches-Mont squads head into postseason
By NATE HECKENBERGER
@nheckenberger
With three undefeated squads and a pair of one-loss teams in Class 6A and no clear power in 5A, the District 1 postseason appears poised for some drama.
Nine local teams will compete in either the 6A, 5A or 4A brackets, and six of them will have to make their hay on the road.
Chester County boasts the returning 6A and 5A district champs in Coatesville and Unionville, respectively, but while the Indians have dealt with restocking the program, the Red Raiders return to the postseason with the majority of firepower still intact.
Here’s a quick look at each matchup:
Class 6A
No. 2 Coatesville (10-0) v. No. 15 Central Bucks East (6-4)
Why Coatesville can win — The Red Raiders have outscored opponents 472-102 and have appeared unstoppable this season. They’ve won 18 straight games against District 1 foes, dating back to the semifinals against North Penn in 2016. The Patriots gave up 30-plus against their toughest opponents this season, North Penn and Pennsbury.
Why CB East can win — Any given Friday, right? The Patriots are playing with house money after a miracle late-game win last week got them in the playoffs. No one expects CB East to hang with the Red Raiders, so the pressure is off. Evan O’Donnell is a senior quarterback who is efficient with the football, which is key against Coatesville, who is plus-19 in turnover ratio.
No. 4 Downingtown West (9-1) v. No. 13 Upper Darby (7-3)
Why Downingtown West can win — A devastating loss to quarterback Will Howard during a demoralizing defeat to Coatesville in week seven had many assuming the Whippets were toast. But Ryan Wetzel has stepped in to lead West both physically (339 pass yards, two touchdowns, one interception) and emotionally in a three-game win streak to finish the season. Upper Darby has lost its last two, giving up 88 points in the process.
Why Upper Darby can win — Though West has the top rush defense in the Ches-Mont League, Kareem McAdams is one of the top running backs in the Central League. Quarterback Kevin Kerwood and receiver Marson Weh have proven to be an explosive combo as well, if the Royals can get into a track meet with West. Dating back to 2009 Whippets have lost their last five playoff games, three at home, so playing at Kottmeyer Stadium as a higher seed is no guarantee.
No. 10 Downingtown East (8-2) at No. 7 Spring-Ford (8-2)
Why Downingtown West can win — If you go by common opponents, Spring-Ford has a loss against Perkiomen Valley win week nine, while the Cougars defeated the Vikings in week two. East has followed its path to success with its physical, tempo-controlling style. If running backs Garvey Jonassaint (1,270 yards, 15 TDs) and Zach Hamilton (773, 14) can keep Spring-Ford off the field, East will be in a good shape. The Rams don’t have a dominant run game, so East’s third-down defense will be imperative.
Why Spring-Ford can win — For starters, East has lost its last three away playoff games. The Rams run a spread offense that has given the Cougars trouble in the past if they can’t dictate the pace. Ryan Engro led the Pioneer Athletic Conference in passing yards (2,152) and TDs (27) with only four interceptions. Last week East controlled the game and won the first quarter against Coatesville, but the Red Raiders swung the pace the final three and ran away with the win. Spring-Ford surely saw that and will work to duplicate it.
Class 5A
No. 5 West Chester Rustin (7-2) v. No. 12 Oxford (5-5)
Why Rustin can win — For the third straight year the Rustin will open the postseason with a Ches-Mont foe. The Golden Knights hammered Oxford in week seven and are 3-0 all-time in postseason rematches. Rustin got a great draw with two teams its already beat this season on the same side. The opportunity to prove they’re back is there, and the Knights have been rolling lately with running backs Michael Covert (790 rush yards, 12 TDs), Nick Madonna (673, nine) and QB Will Pileggi (733 pass yards, six TDs).
Why Oxford can win — The Hornets lost five of their last seven and have rarely had its full lineup intact through that stretch. When QB Brett Kochmansky (1,273 pass yards, 10 TDs, 792 rush yards, 14 TDs) and running back Tim Faber (1,000 total yards of offense) are both in the lineup the Hornets can put up some points. The Hornets will have the revenge card and will be playing with all the pressure on Rustin.
No. 10 West Chester East (5-5) at No. 7 Cheltenham (7-3)
Why WC East can win — It’s hard to read the Panthers, as they have nice wins over Council Rock South and Quakertown, but also have losses to non-playoff teams in Abington and Hatboro-Horsham. It’s fair to say Cheltenham does not always maintain its peak. The Vikings boast one of the better run games in the Ches-Mont and Pierre Marchant (1,118 rush yards, 15 TDs) and Kyle Cichanowsky (669, six) will have opportunities to be difference-makers.
Why Cheltenham can win — The Panthers have only given up 138 points in 10 games, which has kept them in games while they’ve scored enough (187) to win seven games. Thousand-yard rusher Jamir Barnes should have chances to break loose against an East defense that gives up 270 yards rushing on average. The Vikings can score, but its defense can keep anyone in it, as well.
No. 11 Unionville (4-6) at No. 6 Springfield (Delco) (7-3)
Why Unionville can win — This is a rematch of the District 1-5A title game last year, won by Unionville. The Indians’ core won’t be caught by the bright lights and the team is battle-tested after playing seven playoff teams this season. Nick Schnaars has taken over at QB the last two weeks and has brought an added element with his feet, totaling 220 yards on the ground in those games. The Cougars are not a machine, offensively, so Unionville’s defense should be able to keep the game tight.
Why Springfield can win — The Cougars have that valuable combo of veteran QB, Jack Psenicksa, and a stout defense. The D may not be as dominant as it has in years past, but Springfield gives up less than two TDs per game on average and Unionville has had to work harder than usual to put points on the board this season. Revenge will be fresh on the minds of the Cougars, who lost their third district final in four years last fall.
No. 16 Kennett (4-6) at No. 1 Penn Wood (9-1)
Why Kennett can win — You can’t have a shot to win if you’re not in the dance, and for the first time in Kennett’s history, it will have that opportunity to compete in a playoff game. The Blue Demons have won four out their last six in Lance Frazier’s first year as head coach after starting 0-4. The defense has given up just 60 points in those six games and Mitch Kosara (835 receiving yards, four TDs) is a weapon.
Why Penn Wood can win — If you thought seeing Kennett in the playoffs was a surprise, take a seat before reading Penn Wood is the top seed in 5A. It’s absolutely a good thing there’s new blood all over the bracket. The Patriots are no fluke, with a marquee win over Pennsbury in week two. Kennedy Poles has back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons and QB Desman Johnson is a dual threat.
Class 4A
No. 4 Bishop Shanahan (4-6) at No. 1 Pottsgrove (9-1)
Why Bishop Shanahan can win — The Eagles have taken their lumps in the Ches-Mont National Division but enter the postseason with a healthy advantage in the strength of schedule department. Charlie Maddocks (770 pass yards, eight TDs) has improved in his first year as QB, and while the Eagles don’t have a go-to star on offense, per se, they spread the ball around and come at defenses from every angle.
Why Pottsgrove can win — Since the PIAA shifted to six classes, no one in District 1 has beaten Pottsgrove in the 4A playoffs. The Falcons are the current two-time district champs and they have a culture that expects to keep that run going. They haven’t given up 100 points yet as a team (98) and score over 30 on average. Pottsgrove will run the ball as much as possible and Shanahan, who has had trouble stopping the run at times, will be forced to contain the rushing attack.
