Downingtown West’s Lewis is a bright light on an offense filled with stars

DOWNINGTOWN – On just about any other high school football team, a player the caliber of Tyriq Lewis would be the star – the sole focus and obsession of every opposing defense.

But at loaded Downingtown West, the senior running back is a part of an explosive ensemble that also features Division I recruits like quarterback Will Howard and two-way end Sean Pelkisson, as well as proven receivers like Julian Williams, Alex Rosano and Jackson Luneberg, who is back from an injury hiatus.

“When we game plan and watch film, the coaches always point out the one dude that the opponent has, and we kind of look at each other,” Lewis said. “They have one but we have six or seven.

“We know that if one guy is having an off day that the next guy is going to pick it up. I don’t want to be the only guy. I love my team and I like the idea that if we work together it makes us a true team.”

The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Lewis is a versatile weapon, and the Whippets will likely need to be multi-faceted on Friday in the PIAA 6A Semifinal clash with District 3 champion Central Dauphin (11-2 overall). The Rams (11-2 overall) have won 10 straight and the defense allows less than 13 points per game.

“Tyriq is always an integral part,” said West head coach Mike Milano. “We always try to run it first, and he’s our guy running the ball. Our fullbacks (Max Hale and Will Mahmud) also do a great job, but we’ve been a tailback-oriented offense for a long time, and Tyriq is the guy right now.

“We can get it to him a lot of ways: on the option, on a hand off, a toss, we can work the edges, we can work on the inside. And he can catch the football. He is certainly one of our weapons and we try to get him the ball as much as we can.”

On a team of stars, Lewis may be the brightest of them all. A supernova. With his next touchdown, he will establish the all-time single-season record for the Ches-Mont league. He equaled the mark of 37 last Friday with three TDs in the Whippets’ 48-36 district title-clinching win over Coatesville.

“Tyriq has had a great season,” Milano said.

“Thirty-seven is unbelievable,” added Howard. “In one-on-one situations with him in the open field, it’s not even a question.

“But you couldn’t ask for a more humble, down-to-earth guy.”

A two-year starting tailback, Lewis has amassed more than 2,800 career rushing yards, another 683 receiving yards and 64 total TDs. And this fall he averages 7.5 yards per carry, on his way to 1,708 yards and counting.

“It is a privilege to have a guy like Tyriq to get the ball to. He’s had a breakout year,” Howard said.

“The kid was born with a skill-set,” Milano added. “We can work to develop skills, certainly, but nothing we did made Tyriq what he is.”

A starter in the secondary as a sophomore and a two-year, two-way mainstay, Lewis rarely leaves the field for the Whippets. He is a big reason West is averaging 49.7 points per game in the postseason, but Lewis acknowledges that offense comes easier to him, and he’s placed a lot of focus this season on defense.

“I have played many offensive positions, and on defense I’ve played free and strong safety, I’ve played nickel, corner and linebacker,” he said.

“I made it a real focus this season to show that I can play on the defensive side of the football.”

Despite being ranked the state’s ninth running back by MaxPreps, Lewis has yet to receive a college offer, but he’s getting plenty of attention from Division II programs like West Chester and Kutztown. He is not big, but he is powerful. He doesn’t have blazing straight ahead speed but he is an elusive, quick and instinctual runner.

“He’s big enough, strong enough and certainly fast enough,” Milano said. “He may not be the biggest kid, but pound-for-pound he’s as strong as it gets.”

According to Milano, Lewis worked relentlessly on skills like agility, speed and balance during the offseason. And the results have been noticeable on the field.

“He’s got another gear,” Milano explained. “There are times when it looks like somebody has the angle on him and he finds another gear. He can turn the corner and he’s learned how to use angles.

“We are really proud of him. He’s a tough runner now – he finishes runs that he didn’t as a sophomore. He’s not just an edge guy anymore.”

Both Lewis and Milano concede that he is not the squad’s fastest player, “but he’s football fast,” Milano said.

“Some of my teammates are definitely faster than me in a straight race, but regular fast and football fast is different,” Lewis pointed out.

Lewis didn’t have eye-popping running stats in Friday’s rematch against Coatesville (62 yards on 18 attempts), but he scored twice on runs, and was a major threat as a receiver, grabbing six passes for 116 yards and another TD. One in particular caught Milano’s eye.

“Will (Howard) made a great throw under duress on what we call a freak-out throw and (Tyriq) made a great toe-drag job on the boundary,” he said. “And that kind of play by him doesn’t surprise us.”

Like a lot of Downingtown players, Lewis comes from a family of athletes. His great uncle is Paul Boggs, who is such an important figure in the Downingtown Young Whippets, that the football feeder program’s main field was dedicated in his honor in 2012.

“I played on that field every single week, and seeing the name on the scoreboard was really cool,” Lewis said.

When the Whippets went to the 1994 PIAA State Title Game, Bryn Boggs was – like Lewis – a 1,000-yard runner as well as a member of the secondary. Lewis didn’t recognize the name, but is going to look into it.

“I don’t know a lot of the Boggs family but I know that blood definitely runs deep,” he said. “It’s really cool to have that heritage behind me.”

Lewis has found the end zone 32 times on the ground, four times through the air and once on a punt return in 2019. When asked what it’s like to score that many times, he said: “It’s cool but they do kind of run together.”

It all underscores the type of all-around weapon he has become. And that only adds several layers to the versatility of Downingtown West’s attack.

“I think it all plays off each other,” Milano said. “It’s hard for opposing defenses to focus on any one kid. The diversity of what we do makes it difficult to defend any one phase.”

A team captain, Lewis doesn’t just have the respect of his teammates and coaches, he is a beloved figure on campus.

“Tyriq is probably the best teammate on our football team,” Milano said. “Everybody on our team and in this school loves that kid.”