2013 in review

By BRYAN DAVIS

bdavis@dailylocal.com

Ches-Mont League National

Things were looking quite nice for Coatesville (9-2, 5-2 Ches-Mont National) for the first three months of the 2013 season, they were unbeaten at 9-0 going into their final regular season game with Downingtown West to decide the National Division championship, but things went downhill quickly.

They lost that game, 24-7, then was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by North Penn, 31-0. Having explosive running back Daquan Worley hampered by a leg injury didn’t help.

Downingtown West (8-3, 6-0 Ches-Mont National) was flying high after capturing the division title, but its stay in the district playoffs was brief also. The Whippets were gashed by Spring-Ford, 43-21.

West proved to be a young, scrappy bunch and was buoyed by the play of quarterback Nick Pagel, who combined for over 1,650 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns.

Their crosstown rivals, Downingtown East (4-6, 2-4 Ches-Mont National), suffered through an uncharacteristically sub-par season, finishing at 4-6. The good news for the Cougars is that Cary Angeline developed into one of the top receiving targets in the county.

After a 2-3 beginning, the Class AAA playoffs were dangerously close to being a pipe dream for West Chester Henderson (7-5, 4-2 Ches-Mont National). But, a 4-1 finish, including a season-ending win over Downingtown East put them in the postseason. They defeated Bishop Shanahan in the first round before falling to Glen Mills in the quarterfinals. They were led by the running of Garrett Girafalco and the defensive play of first-team All-Area lineman Bryan White.

You can use a lot of words to describe West Chester East’s (6-5, 2-4 Ches-Mont National) season, boring cannot be one of them. Sophomore Jon Jon Roberts ran coach Dan Ellis’ spread offense with aplomb, garnering second-team All-Area honors. The Vikings recorded their first six-win season in over five years.

Bishop Shanahan (4-6, 2-4 Ches-Mont National) struggled after getting off to a 3-0 start, losing five of its last seven games. But, the Eagles showed some bright promise. Tight end Cody Smith caught 27 passes for seven touchdowns, and sophomore Doug Costin blossomed into one of the most punishing lineman in the area.

Not many things went right for Avon Grove (1-10, 0-6 Ches-Mont National) following an opening win against Kennett. Injuries and lack of numbers hurt the Red Devils, who made another coaching change after the season, hiring former Unionville defensive coordinator Harry O’Neill.

Ches-Mont League American

West Chester Rustin’s (10-1, 6-0 Ches-Mont American) potent running attack chalked up another perfect American Division campaign, but they were halted by Perkiomen Valley in the first round of the District 1 playoffs.

Terry Loper was among the breakout stars in the district, as the junior ran for 1,755 yards and scored 22 times for the Golden Knights. Coach Mike St. Clair also received a star-making performance from linebacker Sean Steinmetz.

Unionville (8-3, 5-1 Ches-Mont American) came in as the bridesmaids to Rustin again in the division. The Indians closed the regular season on a high with impressive wins over Great Valley and Oxford before succumbing on the road to Neshaminy in districts. Alex Pechin took over at quarterback and became a threat with his arms and legs, doing it behind a stellar offensive line, led by junior center Andrew Jones.

Great Valley (8 -3, 4-2 Ches-Mont American) was in the hunt for a district playoff berth right until the final game of the season. They were led by a stout defense headed by Chris Temple and Ryan Buchholz.

Oxford (7-4, 3-3 Ches-Mont American) had visions of competing with the division’s elite until stumbling late in the season. Powered by the running of Musty Mahmud and the play of quarterback Ethan Herb.

Octorara (1-9, 1-5 Ches-Mont American) continued to suffer growing pains, suffering through an 1-9 season. Alex Gooden did show promise as a dual-threat QB for the Braves.

Kennett (3-7, 2-4 Ches-Mont American) tried to take a step forward, but struggled out of the gate and couldn’t recover. They did post wins over Twin Valley, Sun Valley and Octorara. Cory Tomasetti was a force in the backfield for the Blue Demons and Brett Rose was one of the more feared defensive backs.

But soon after those wins over struggling programs like Lower Merion and Chester, the wheels fell off Sun Valley (2-10, 0-7 Ches-Mont American), which stumbled over the line on a 10-game losing streak.

The first nine losses in that streak featured the Vanguards surrendering at least 34 points per game. The nadir came in Week 9 when Sun Valley surrendered 678 yards of offense, including 566 yards on the ground, in a 56-7 beating at the hands of Oxford. The slate ended with a 20-12 loss to Chichester on Thanksgiving.

Central League

Conestoga (6-4, 5-4 Central League) was hoping another postseason bid would be in the cards, but losses in its last two games doomed its prospects. Junior Martin Dorsey emerged as one of the best receivers around, combining speed with a very reliable pair of hands. He got backup from lineman Scott Hirshman and talented kicker Blaise Toroni.

Inter-Ac

Malvern Prep (8-2, 4-1 Inter-Ac) chalked up another Inter-Ac title, this time sharing it with the Haverford School, in what would be Kevin Pellegrini’s final year as coach. Troy Gallen was an unstoppable force at running back, amassing 1,520 yards rushing and 25 total touchdowns. Linebacker Hunter Paulus keyed a hard-hitting defense.