UWCHLAN — Downingtown East was pretty comfortable on its throne in the Ches-Mont League National Division, but, as always, there comes a time to pay the proverbial piper.
West Chester East was the first to collect with a 41-33 road victory.
In doing so, the Vikings not only ended the Cougars’ streak of 26 consecutive National Division wins, but defeated them for the first time since Downingtown East has been in existence in 2003.
“Downingtown East, for the last five years, has been the top program,” West Chester East coach John Gallo said. “To start with a win in the league and end their long win streak, with two young teams, it’s a great character builder for us.”
The Cougars (0-1 division, 4-2 overall), who hadn’t lost a divisional dual meet since 2011, won six of the 10 contested bouts on the night. Forfeits, a dilemma the Cougars hadn’t dealt with the last half decade, were the difference. Downingtown East forfeited three weights, while the Vikings (1-0, 2-0) gave away just one.
Still, the contest came down to the wire, and was ultimately decided in a match between two freshmen. West Chester East’s Syncere Cooper (220 pounds) took Zach Aceto to his back and pinned him in 67 seconds to push the Vikings’ lead to eight. Knowing the Cougars had no 106-pounder, the penultimate bout at 285 was irrelevant.
West Chester East’s Syncere Cooper pins Zach Aceto of Downingtown East in the first period. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
“When they bumped me up to 220, I knew I had to win that match or it was over from there,” said Cooper, who noted his teammates were well aware of the Cougars’ streak. “It was cool to finally break the streak and put the dub-c East back on route again.”
After giving up a forfeit to start the dual, Downingtown East won five of the next seven matches, highlighted by a technical fall by Lukas Richie (120), a major decision by Brett Horne (132) and a pin by Jack Lawton (160), and led, 21-17.
Downingtown East’s Brett Horne collects near-fall points against West Chester East’s Jacob Greiner on his way to an 11-0 major decision. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
“Every coach and every program has its time, and ours came to a new beginning,” Cougars’ coach Joe Horvath said. “It’s disappointing to lose the match and the streak, but we’re looking forward to developing more wrestling here.”
The Cougars’ lead did not last long as sophomore Andrew DiBernardo (170) used a 34-second pin to put the Vikings back up for good.
“Both Downingtown schools are always tough, competitive and well-coached,” Gallo said. “As a team we had to win a close dual meet. We saved nine bonus points down low and we won by eight. That’s the key to winning any dual.”
Brendan McGinley earned the first period fall at 285, and without West Chester East starter Joe Timm available, McGinley would’ve been favored to pin even if the meet came down to it.
Cooper’s third, but biggest, pin of his young career was a dagger, and certainly motivation to this new group of Cougars.
“Wrestling isn’t all technique,” Horvath said. “A lot is spirit and we need to improve our emotional competitiveness. We can teach them all the X’s and O’s, but at the end of the day, you have to be driven to compete and we have to work on that.”
West Chester East 41, Downingtown East 33
113- Celenza (WCE) won by forfeit (6-0)
120- Richie (DE) tech. fall Eadie, 4:35 (6-5)
126- Luke (WCE) tech. fall Mittlestadt, 4:37 (11-5)
132- Horne (DE) maj. dec. Ja. Greiner, 11-0 (11-9)
138- Wolov (WCE) pinned Uggla, :46 (17-9)
145- Birzes (DE) dec. Blum, 8-2 (17-12)
152- Neubaum (DE) dec. Clifford, 7-1 (17-15)
160- Lawton (DE) pinned Montgomery, 5:54 (17-21)
170- DiBernardo (WCE) pinned Virelli, :34 (23-21)
182- Manieri (WCE) won by forfeit (29-21)
195- Wileczek (DE) won by forfeit (29-27)
220- Cooper (WCE) pinned Aceto, 1:07 (35-27)
285- McGinley (DE) pinned Escobedo, 1:59 (35-33)
106- Je. Greiner (WCE) won by forfeit (41-33)
