The players throughout the Ches-Mont League last fall preached they would put the league on the map.
Great Valley, Downingtown East, West Chester Rustin and Coatesville backed that statement with deep playoff runs culminating with the Patriots winning the District 1 Class AAA championship and the Red Raiders falling a yard shy of doing the same in District 1 Class AAAA (they were the better team on the field that day against Pennsbury).
The Class of 2015 will be remembered in this league for a number of years in producing 11 Division 1 recruits, showcasing the wealth of talent spread throughout the league.
Highlighting this class is Great Valley’s Ryan Buchholz, who was tied for the Ches-Mont lead with nine sacks on the season. Buchholz is one of the top recruits heading to Penn State in James Franklin’s first full year fielding a recruiting class. He is labeled a four-star recruit by Rivals and Scout.com and was selected to the Big 33 Classic in June.
Coatesville had three Division 1 recruits sign on the dotted line today, which led all Ches-Mont schools. Amir Ealey highlighted the talented group at tight end/defensive end.
Ealey put up a memorable four-sack performance against Downingtown East in the District 1 Class AAAA semifinals, stamping his mark on great playoff performances in the Ches-Mont this past season.
Three-star recruit Jay Stocker signed with Pittsburgh and is one of the top safties in Pennsylvania while Ahkema Evans is heading to Rhode Island.
West Chester East’s Kevin Murphy was the first player to commit in the 2015 class for Connecticut. The Huskies think highly of his ability on the interior defensive line to be able to pursue him so quickly. Ches-Mont fans will get to see Murphy every two years as UConn visits Temple.
The Ches-Mont has plenty of players that can continue to put the league on the map at the Football Championship Subdivision level starting with West Chester Rustin’s Terry Loper.
Loper could earn some playing time immediately as the Black Bears lack a true running back in the program. All he did for the Golden Knights was set school records in rushing yards (4,758) and touchdowns (55).
In 2014, Loper led the league in rushing with 2,227 yards and 27 touchdowns in 12 games (missed seven quarters). He’s another player with the ability to succeed at the next level.
Downingtown East’s Caleb Fell can do the same at Colgate. Fell was one of the league’s underrated players at defensive end and will continue that hard work ethic in lower New York.
Unionville’s Andrew Jones is another player to watch at the next level. He has the potential to be the hidden gem in Bryant’s recruiting class. Ditto for Nasir Adderley at Delaware and Bryan White at Villanova.
In all, the Class of 2015 should produce results on the field in college and continue to keep the Ches-Mont on the map.
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Saturday’s are going to be fun in Pennsylvania the next four years as plenty of area players committed to schools in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
Bloomsburg created a recruiting footprint in the Ches-Mont over the past week getting six Ches-Mont players in West Chester Henderson’s James McDonald and Tre Green, Octorara’s Alex Gooden, Great Valley’s Doug Strang, West Chester Rustin’s Matt Hosking and Sun Valley’s Nate Cusumano.
That’s a collection of talent the Huskies were able to swoop up in head coach Paul Darragh’s third season at the helm. Darragh, a former Temple letterman, has ties to Southeastern Pennsylvania via his Temple roots.
With this class coming up north, it’s safe to say West Chester and Bloomsburg will resume their rivalry fighting for area players in January and February each year.
Oxford’s Ryan Hubley was the steal of the recruiting class in the PSAC as the record-setting receiver committed to Kutztown. Hubley should thrive in Jim Clements’s offense as a pass-catching threat and is expected to be a nightmare for secondaries in the PSAC East over the next four years.
Hubley had 90 catches for 1,443 yards and 19 touchdowns last season for the Hornets, leading the Ches-Mont in all three catagories.
Other Ches-Mont players that committed to PSAC schools are Avon Grove’s Kyle Harris and Coatesville’s Stephen Pawling.
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If the Class of 2015 impressed, expect the same for the Class of 2016. Highlighting the class is Downingtown East’s Cary Angeline, Coatesville’s Jordan Young, Bishop Shanahan’s Doug Costin and West Chester Rustin’s Ray Bordley. Those four will be fun to watch in their senior seasons and colleges will be recruiting them hard during the spring signing period.
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Downingtown East grads made some recruiting news Wednesday. Brandon Feamster, who played in the Big 33 Classic last season, signed with Duke. Feamster played defensive back for Cheshire Academy in 2014.
Jay Harris and Drew Harris signed with Indiana (Pa.). The former Division 1 recruits highlighted the Crimson Hawks 2015 class
