Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardDowningtown may be the first Pennsylvania community to elect an openly transgender mayorErica Deuso the endorsed Democrat in the May primary for Downingtown mayor would make history as Pennsylvania's first out transgender mayor When Erica Deuso goes door to door in Downingtown asking her neighbors to make her the first out transgender person to be elected mayor in Pennsylvania her potential constituents talk to her about traffic problems and public safety A member of the Chester County Democratic Party’s executive committee and board member on several local and statewide LGBTQ advocacy groups Deuso said she chose to run for mayor to serve her community But her campaign is historic and, as President Donald Trump’s administration pursues policies that target transgender and nonbinary Americans Deuso knows her candidacy carries a strain of resistance the executive orders overall have made it harder for people like me to just live our lives But I refuse to let that fear define that campaign,” Deuso said “Some of the best pushback is just being visible.” Bernie Sanders ran for president in 2016 on a platform promising Medicare for all She works in management at a pharmaceutical company and emphasizes her ability to build consensus and cut costs If Deuso prevails in a competitive Democratic primary on May 20 and defeats a GOP opponent in November she would be the first transgender person elected mayor in the commonwealth which works to elect LGBTQ individuals to public office Deuso doesn’t have a guaranteed path to victory gained respect from many in the borough’s business community leading the community’s main street program and advocating on flooding issues But Deuso earned key endorsements from the local Democratic Party and outgoing mayor a Downingtown committeeperson who voted to endorse Deuso said Deuso had a strong understanding of what it would take to be mayor “I think you get into politics because of your heart but to be a good strong political leader you need to treat the work like a business LGBTQ rights advocates in the community say Deuso’s candidacy marks a major step forward in representation offering an example to gender nonconforming youth and helping to normalize the existence of transgender individuals for the general public “I don’t really have enough words to state how impactful that would be for the LGBTQ+ community and especially transgender and nonbinary youth,” said Carrie Stare president of the LGBTQ Equality Alliance of Chester County which plans the county’s annual pride festivities As of May 2024 there were fewer than 50 out transgender elected officials across the United States and just three in Pennsylvania (all at the local level) according to the Victory Fund’s research arm Stare said Deuso’s campaign lends essential visibility to transgender and other gender nonconforming Americans a small but growing subset of the LGBTQ population whose identities have been belittled and vilified by political forces on the right trans youth are the individuals taking the brunt of political attacks as executive orders target specifically treatment of transgender children and teens vice president of the LGBTQ Equality Alliance of Chester County said that for some of these youth who can’t vote and are dependent on their parents said she hopes that through her campaign she can serve as a role model to those youth to see a transgender person leading their own or a neighboring local community To see a strong trans woman leading a community will send a strong message to trans kids about their opportunities “I didn’t have many role models growing up because no one looked like me “If a young person in Downingtown sees me and thinks ‘I can be myself and still be a professional still have all this education,’ that means everything.” her campaign isn’t about being transgender It’s about being a good neighbor and leading the community she calls home will help her do a better job of ensuring city systems help everyone especially those who may fall through the cracks I want to be known as a person who gets things done a Democrat and longtime resident who has worked on Downingtown’s main street program and revitalization efforts for communities across the region The winner of the primary will face Republican Richard Bryant, a retired cybersecurity expert, in the general election in November. In recent years Democrats have held an advantage in the borough Bryant said his campaign would focus primarily on development “I’ve had some experience all over the United States with local state and federal government,” Bryant said Downingtown Borough’s mayor has relatively limited power Most lawmaking authority goes to the borough council but the mayor oversees the police department and has various duties representing the borough the contest for mayor has not focused on Deuso’s identity but rather the candidates’ approach to the office Cassidy has focused his campaign on projects mitigating flooding issues in the borough something that was a major problem in Downingtown following Hurricane Ida in 2021 Cassidy formed the Downingtown Resilience Fund which has focused on finding a solution to prevent future catastrophic floods Cassidy said he was seeking the mayor’s office so he could have greater control over flood-mitigation projects he’s already started pursuing “I feel that I would have more leverage in dealing with some of the decisions that are going to have to be made,” Cassidy said Cassidy has earned the support of some in the business community that have known him for a long time and respect his work a former Democratic council member who runs a plumbing business in Downingtown said he knew Cassidy well but hadn’t met Deuso yet had a good track record of delivering for local communities “When my kids were young we were the only ones pushing strollers; now there are young couples everywhere,” said Castaldi who credited this change to a main street program led by Cassidy but stopped short of endorsing a candidate said the party rejected Cassidy’s candidacy because he had positions that didn’t align with the Democratic Party and was too focused on a single issue She pointed to prior Facebook posts in which Cassidy said he couldn’t vote for former President Joe Biden while sharing an article about Robert F Kennedy Jr.‘s bid for president and others posted before he entered the mayor’s race in which he was dismissive of the validity of transgender identities In an interview Cassidy said he still considered himself a Democrat but was frustrated with what he saw as suppression of ideas in the party He compared transgender identities to individuals who claim to be a race they are not I made the remarks way before I was running because that’s the way I feel,” he said Friday has made a broader pitch for her role in the office basing her campaign on infrastructure issues like flooding as well as enhancing downtown Downingtown and working with the police department to emphasize mental health and wellness and reduce the spread of drugs “I’m not an expert on everything,” Deuso said endorsed Deuso before Cassidy entered the race He said her passion working on political campaigns and for causes she cares about would translate well to work in Downingtown “She’s somebody to be reckoned with,” he said CHESTER — It’s easy to envision Brady Moore wearing construction boots and a hard hat when he plays The 6-foot-6 Downingtown West junior has a no-frills game where he puts his head down and drives to the basket when Chester tried pushing its way out of a big hole it was Moore who stomped down in the fourth quarter towards a mild 76-68 upset over host No 15 Chester in the opening round of the PIAA District 1 Class 6A playoffs 18 Whippets (14-8) will now travel to Ches Mont League rival Coatesville (17-5) for a second-round game on Tuesday at Coatesville at 7 p.m Brady Moore made an impact in the fourth quarter of Downingtown West's playoff victory over Chester (Photo by Joseph Santoliquito/CoBL) West Chester-bound Donovan Fromhartz started on fire scoring 12 of his game-high 30 points in the first quarter The Whippets began the fourth quarter holding a 51-43 lead and the way the Clippers can dissect a team there was no way West coach Stu Ross was going to let up Each time Downingtown West looked like it would pull away Chester would create a steal or nail a three and find itself back into contention That’s when Moore put his hard hat on He scored five of West’s first seven points in the fourth quarter He finished scoring eight points total in the quarter The closest the Clippers came was 74-65 in the last minute of play with Moore on the bench fouling out with 2:00 to play “I think the preparation all week and handling the pressure helped. We beat them earlier this year and that helped us a lot with our confidence that we can come in here and do this,” Moore said “This sets up another game with Coatesville I just think we didn’t come together as a group I don’t think we were sharing the ball the way we could put my head down and go right to the basket.” getting out to a 21-17 lead after one quarter and holding a 35-30 edge by halftime Chester would use its vaunted press and make a run with 14 of his team-high 19 coming in the second half but we put our guys through a lot of early-season tests like this so it doesn’t faze them,” Ross said I really like how we are playing right now We had a chance the last time we played Coatesville We battled them all the way until the end.”   Ross liked his team’s composure under the strain of the Chester pressure.   He had been called for goaltending in the third quarter and received an earful for it from the coaching staff Amari used the goaltending call as motivation and was a defensive force blocking three shots and grabbing six rebounds in the last quarter “I had a tough time there and I had to bounce back,” Amari said “I used the bad stuff into motivation and a do better job I know my job is to rebound and block shots.” which is small in comparison to West to begin with did have trouble with Fromhartz and Amari Ross down low they killed us down low.” Chester coach Keith Taylor said A lot of people didn’t expect us to even be here “We weren’t even expected to win 10 games These kids have been through a lot in a year I thanked my kids for everything they gave us Stu Ross feels his team is playing its best basketball at the most important time of the season “Compared with the way we played Coatesville the first time to the third time That last loss has not hung over our heads,” Stu Ross said we are playing together and sharing the ball.” Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who began writing for CoBL in 2021 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on BlueSky here 2025Crews have repaired a sinkhole that opened on the Route 30 Bypass in Downingtown Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- All lanes are back open after PennDOT crews quickly made repairs to a sinkhole on a busy highway in Chester County Chopper 6 was overhead Monday as workers filled in the large hole under the center median on the Route 30 Bypass in Downingtown between Route 113 and Wallace Avenue Several lanes were closed to allow space for the repair work PennDOT is looking into what caused the sinkhole Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application he was a son of Kristen Lee (nee Schweikert) Wisler and the late Jay David Wisler.  Luke was a 2022 graduate of Downingtown West High School and attended Cabrini University for two years These traits were expressed through his music and his photography His trip to Taiwan with his dear friends was extremely motivating for his love of photography.  Luke didn’t see the world through the same eyes as we do He didn’t know his full potential and he struggled to find his way If there exists a nicer place beyond death In addition to his mother he is survived by his siblings: Grant D Relatives and friends are invited to Luke's Visitation 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM followed by Words of Remembrance at 3:00 PM Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Eagleville – This version of the Downingtown West boys basketball team is pretty young Not only that but once upon a time sophomore guards Isaiah Hicklen Brendon Goode-Kimble and Keron Whitfield were pretty inexperienced That’s why head coach Stu Ross put his team through a murderer’s row of a schedule that left the Whippets with a 5-7 record on January 3rd after four consecutive losses there was a method to Ross’ madness as the 18th-seeded Whippets are headed to states again after a 72-62 win over 14th-seeded Methacton in a District 1 6A playback game and Donovan Fromhartz led the Downingtown West boys basketball team into the PIAA playoffs on Tuesday night (Dan Arkans/CoBL) Downingtown West will visit ninth-seeded Phoenixville on Friday for ninth place in the district “That’s what I always try to do schedule tough so when you get to late February March we have experiences to draw on,” Ross said Years in the past it hasn’t worked out There was a point in this season that I thought this might not work out This is the fourth consecutive season Downingtown West will be dancing in the PIAA Tournament and seventh in nine years that Ross has been at the helm He will be the first one to push the praise onto his players but there’s no doubt a schedule that saw Cardinal O’Hara Central York and Cumberland Valley prepared his players for this moment Downingtown West (17-10) got there with a balanced attack on Tuesday night Donovan Fromhartz led the way with 18 points Moore also added five assists and two steals “Coach always emphasizes to play your best basketball near the end of the season at states “I feel like that’s what we are doing Recently we have stepped up to get some huge wins to put us in the position where we are.” The way the game started though had to worry Ross and the Whippets Methacton hit its first four shots of the contest “That’s what we expected them to do,” Fromhartz said told us ‘What did we talk about in film?’ They have a bunch of shooters We really stepped it up and completed that game plan as well as we could.” It might have just taken a while as Methacton finished 7-of-10 in the quarter and led 19-17 with Robinson and Sal Iemmello scoring 15 of the points The Warriors actually led 25-21 midway through the second quarter before Downingtown really got its teeth into the contest.  Whitfield hit back-to-back 3-pointers as the Whippets stretched their lead to 34-27 Methacton as it tends to have done all season bounced back The Warriors in fact wrestled the momentum back with a bank shot from Iemmello to cut the deficit to 34-31 After a turnover Methacton had the final possession of the half The lanky forward intercepted a crosscourt pass and raced down the court for a dunk before the halftime buzzer and a 36-31 lead at the break saw there was enough time on the clock and went for it,” Moore said “I think there was great momentum going into the half “They were running a great play there We didn’t actually didn’t review that play I am glad he made a read on that and shot that gap None of the things I have accomplished can be done without the players.” The momentum was now on the side of the Whippets and despite holding a single digit lead for most of the third quarter While Downingtown West had four players score in double figures and Hicklen ran a flawless game at the point the Warriors were being worn down by the size and athleticism of the Whippets “Between Moore and Fromhartz and two other guys in double figures they are a really good team,” said Methacton head coach Pat Lockard “Coming in we knew it was going to take a really good effort from us and a subpar effort from them to get this victory The Warriors did fight until the final whistle as an Iemmello drive cut the deficit to 52-46 in the fourth quarter but the Whippets answered with a pair of free throws from Whitfield and a drive through the paint by Moore “Having our starting point guard being 5-11 our length is what makes us,” Fromhartz said I feel like our length plays a big role in our success.” Downingtown West closed the game out at the free-throw line shooting 9-of-12 in the fourth quarter and 12-of-17 for the game Methacton was just 6-of-11 in the final frame “We are really young and the guys played like they are all seniors like they have been here all four years,” Fromhartz said made extra passes when it was necessary and played our brand of basketball which is defense and score when you have the opportunity.” Downingtown West (72): Whitfield 12; Goode-Kimble 15; Moore 16; Fromhartz 18; Ross 4; Weishaar 4; Critchley 3 Methacton (62): Goldstein 2; Conrad 8; Lineen 2; Iemmello 15; Robinson 26; Leckerman 2; Carter 5; Leet 2 Downingtown West: 27-of-44 FG; 12-of-17 FT WEST CHESTER — Kendall Chiavelli was around three when the basketball was as big as they were the last time Downingtown East and Downingtown West were good in the same window as did West’s Hayden Blair and Kelsey Meenan that the two rivals were bound to meet a third time This is what they wanted all along—and this is what they received West and East have been circling one another for two months in the Ches-Mont League National Division and both teams will finally get a chance to play for everything Monday night in the Ches-Mont League championship at West Chester University at 6 p.m Kendall Chiavelli (above) and Downingtown East are in the Ches-Mont championship game on Monday both East and West handily defeated their Ches-Mont League semifinal opponents on Sunday at West Chester University West opened with a 38-12 victory over Unionville while East did its part by beating West Chester Rustin behind Chiavelli and Hunold’s combined 19 points The last time East played West for a Ches-Mont League championship was in 2012 It’s the last time West has been to the Ches-Mont finals in 13 years so Sunday signified a bench-mark victory for Whippets’ head coach Mike Young and his staff “We knew it’s been a decade of more since West reached the finals we knew it was a long time,” Young said We went into the game thinking we could press them and cause turnovers; I didn’t think we would cause that many turnovers That obviously helps turning the other team over “We probably want to keep the score down against East The good thing about our team is I think we can play both ways We can play up-and-down against certain teams But there are other teams we want grind it out a little more We prefer to focus more defensively.” with West holding East to a season-low 28 points in the Cougars’ first loss this season It was a game in which West shutout East in the second quarter and forced the Cougars into shooting 10 of 43 for the game (18.9%).  from 1:50 left in the first quarter to 7:35 left in the third The Cougars scored almost as many points in the first half (25) as they did the entire first game East sophomore star Chiavelli rebounded with 14 points in the second game after being shutout for the first time this season in the first encounter “We had to get that first game out of our system,” Hunold said “We just weren’t playing together the first time Hayden Blair (above) and Downingtown West split their games with East this season “We weren’t going to let that loss define our season We need to focus on playing our game against West Monday night West’s game is to make the opposition look ugly The Whippets certainly did it against Unionville holding the Longhorns to single digits in each quarter the West press forced the Cougars out of their offense early “I don’t mind winning ugly,” Blair said and sometimes you have to get ugly to get through to the success of things I think our press is better (than the first East game) “We were aggressive against Unionville we struggle to deny the people trying to get the ball in This will be an emotional game against East You have to try to take the emotional part out of it but we will have to watch their three-point shooters We have nothing to hide from each other.” “We will need to use our emotion to be as aggressive as possible We need to keep it positive and we always say we’re playing another team to win a Ches-Mont Championship That’s what we will have to focus on.” The last time East won a Ches-Mont girls title was in 2019 when current Cougars’ head coach Darren Domsohn was an assistant coach on the Cougars’ bench under Tom Schurtz and it’s always going to be a rivalry and this year it is even more fun because we’re both different teams this year,” Chiavelli said “The key will be breaking their press strong with the ball and not make dumb mistakes We need to be patient and trust each other I’m really looking forward to this.” Unionville (15-8): 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 || 12 Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who began writing for CoBL in 2021 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on BlueSky here In the District 1 Class 6A girls basketball playoffs Downingtown West could afford to lose its opening game in the second round and rebound to win its next three to qualify for the PIAA tournament for the first time since 2012 and the Whippets experienced that the hard way Hayden Blair (above) and Downingtown West concluded their season in the PIAA 6A first round District 11 champion and host Parkland (20-8) broke open a three-point contest by outscoring Downingtown West 19-10 in the third quarter to prevail 40-30 in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A tournament Friday night Ches-Mont League champion and ninth-place team from District 1 concluded their turnaround season with 24 wins and five losses “If you told me we were going to hold them to 40 (points) I would say we would take it but we were not very good on offense tonight,” Downingtown West coach Mike Young said of his team’s second-lowest offensive output of the season The worst was the 21 points in the district loss to Haverford “They did a good job on switching screens Turnovers that were uncharacteristic of us I thought we tried to force things too much in the first half and that hurt us.” Yet the Whippets fought through those nine first-half turnovers and early foul trouble to trail 18-15 at halftime and had possession of the ball to start the second half They missed an open 3-pointer on that first opportunity and Parkland’s Aneri McGalla countered with a jumper to boost the lead to 20-15 She drilled a 3-pointer after Downingtown West freshman forward Kylee Domsohn made 1-of-2 free throws Domsohn again converted 1-of-2 from the line but guard Bella Hallal extended the Trojans’ lead to 25-17 with a pair of foul shots Sophomore guard Hayden Blair shook free from Parkland’s defense to swish a 3-pointer with 4:38 to go in the quarter and Young immediately called a timeout to set up the team’s full-court press in hopes of snaring a quick basket and momentum Parkland senior point guard and team leader Delaney Chilcote had other ideas dribbled through the Whippets’ defense who was alone beyond the arc on the left side McGalla quickly rose up and delivered a dagger for a 28-20 advantage that the Trojans extended to 37-22 late in the quarter and that’s when the best basketball is played,” McGalla said “I trust myself and put a lot of work in the gym to be able to catch and shoot and I just let it fly Coach (Ed) Ohlson always says ‘shoot to make it not to not miss it.’ I really tried to develop that mentality and let it fly I don’t think I’m going to miss.” She really killed us tonight,” Young said “I thought we did a decent job on Chilcote but (McGalla) and (Sarah Car) really hurt us.” also connected on a pair of 3s in addition to two other field goals for 10 points “They were finding their open shooters,” Downingtown West senior Sami Schurtz said “We were trying to find them ourselves They got a few open people hitting 3s and that’s just basketball.” Downingtown West forced three turnovers in the opening three minutes of the final quarter to draw to 37-30 on Liv Young’s drive down the middle that accounted for the Whippets’ last points of the 2024-25 season Downingtown West graduates five seniors but returns starters in Blair Junior Ellie Dexter came off the bench to top the Whippets with 11 points “We had an awesome season,” Young said “We certainly weren’t happy just to be here We thought we had a chance to win this game.  “This is our first time making states since 2012 winning three out of four games in the districts to get here and giving a team that’s a perennial state power a pretty good game is a credit to these guys Five seniors on my team who’ve been absolutely awesome in every way: working hard leadership in raising the culture of the program so I’m really proud of them.” With three freshmen who played a lot in this game and we have some sophomores who are pretty good the future is definitely bright for us.”  who came back to play this season after a pair of ACL surgeries and was competing this season with a torn meniscus was equally as proud of what the team accomplished “I’m just so proud of my teammates and how well we’ve done this season,” Schurtz said “I couldn’t have asked to end with any other team They’ve all improved so much and this season has just been amazing and one of the best we’ve had at Downingtown West in years I believe we’re leaving them off in a great spot The freshmen are great players and I know they will continue to improve and take what we did this year and use it for next year and use it as fuel to wanting to keep going and I know they will use it to keep getting better next season.” KING OF PRUSSIA >> Four years together have turned into a matter of days in no time at all the Fords had their season come to an end in Upper Merion’s palatial Valhalla Gymnasium and the team’s seniors weren’t keen on a repeat performance Haverford’s quartet of fourth years have been through a lot together and they wanted to keep their march through March going combining for 38 points and providing lockdown defense as the Fords stifled Downingtown East 44-24 in the second round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs “We had to come out strong,” Fords senior Rian Dotsey said “We keep wanting to extend our season and know any game could be our last game so just coming out and playing as hard as we can is really important.” Haverford seniors Rian Dotsey (left) and Mya Foley combined for 17 points Tuesday against Downingtown West along with classmates Natalie Wright and Megan Kelly Haverford moves on to Friday’s quarterfinal round against WPIAL champion Upper St It’s the furthest the Haverford senior class has advanced in states after first round losses as freshmen and sophomores and last year’s second-round setback against Perk Valley Joe’s recruit adding eight rebounds and three blocks Natalie Wright brought her usual activity in the frontcourt posting nine points and 10 rebounds while the senior duo in the backcourt were just solid going for 10 points with three assists and seven points with four assists respectively If there was any trepidation about having to play at Upper Merion again Fords coach Lauren Pellicane didn’t sense it from her veteran group “They came into the locker room and made sure they went to different spots than last year,” Pellicane said This senior class has been to the state tournament four years in a row they’ve played with some really good players but they’ve come together as a special class doing some incredible things.” the seniors earned minutes doing things other than scoring that mentality stayed as they became more and more integral offensively as well This was their year to make the program their own and they certainly did “We’re a senior-bonded team,” Foley said I think that’s a special part of our team.” They almost didn’t even make it to the second round needing a gutsy fourth quarter comeback in the opening round before defeating Easton in overtime as it was in their final playback game when the Fords had to dig out of a deficit against Conestoga to finish fifth in the district Going up against a Downingtown East team that doesn’t have one senior in its starting lineup the Fords knew they’d have to limit the Cougars on the perimeter Dotsey posting two emphatic blocks in the first quarter to dissuade drivers while Wright along with plenty of activity from freshman Grace Maloney to block out the paint and make them take outside shots that are a lower percentage,” Dotsey said “Bringing that kind of energy early is always important.” the Fords found themselves trailing 8-7 after a quarter and 10-9 early in the second after Charlotte Aldrige spun her way to a score inside splashed a three in the right corner for a 12-10 lead the Fords wouldn’t give back Haverford ended the half on a 9-0 run with every point coming from a senior to win the quarter 11-2 and take an 18-10 lead to the half “We started off a little slow but as it went on We found what our opponent was better at and adjusted.” Cougars coach Darren Domsohn felt like his team had defended reasonably well in the first half the main problem was the offense hadn’t matched that Downingtown East was 0-of-8 on threes in the first half and the Cougars didn’t get their first perimeter shot to fall until 5:45 remained in the fourth quarter and Haverford led by 20 points Sophomore Kendall Chiavelli led the Cougars with 10 points and her five third quarter points were the only markers Downingtown East got in a frame won by the Fords 12-5.  “That’s what the coaches talked about at halftime we thought we were getting good looks and the girls were taking good shots,” Domsohn said “Some of the shots we felt were early in the possession and that’s something we talked about getting great shots instead of settling for good shots.  they were open and our motto all season has been when you’re open you shoot it and you shoot it with confidence.” After Chiavelli scored to cut the lead to seven in the third quarter Dotsey started the run by finding Kelly for a three then the seniors switched roles on the last basket They connected again to get Dotsey another hoop late in the frame and Foley capped the quarter in style by dropping in a runner a second ahead of the buzzer for a 30-15 edge the Fords racked up 11 assists on 17 baskets which Foley chalked up to years of trust built up between them “We set each other up and set screens but it’s also just knowing personnel,” Foley said “I know Rian is very good at taking it to the rim and finishing so even if it's a difficult pass and she has one or two girls on her she’ll be able to catch it and put it up or make a play.” They are due to return every starter from this season including first team All Ches-Mont picks in Chiavelli and junior Grace Hodges a second team all-league pick in Aldridge and a Ches-Mont honorable mention in junior Chloe Hunold so there’s plenty to be optimistic about was how the loss seemed to affect the players on Tuesday The players were clearly upset that their season had ended and their coach expected the loss to fuel them over the offseason “This group from April until November they work their butts off and when they do come back in they’re consistent,” Domsohn said they accomplished a lot and have done things that not many teams in our program have done for a long time including winning that first round of states About the only major negative was the 18 turnovers the Fords committed Pellicane noting many of them took away chances to get shots at the rim That made their collective defensive effort that much more important the Haverford coach commending her group for sticking to their plan and defending as a team from her senior backcourt was certainly a plus in Pellicane’s view “Meg’s shooting the ball really well right now and Mya with her ability to attack the rim and create for others she’s doing more of that,” Pellicane said “It’s really helped elevate our offense for sure.” will certainly pose a challenge in the next round Friday will also most certainly bring a long bus ride to and from the game for the Fords but their four seniors wouldn’t want anything more at this point of the year everyone’s enjoying it and loving every second we get to play together.” There was only one blemish on Downingtown East’s record this season.  Darren Domsohn’s girls had dispatched all but one of their first 17 opponents a still-somewhat-young group putting to work a lot of the lessons it learned last season The only red mark thus far was an egg laid at home on Dec 17 against crosstown rival Downingtown West It was a game in which East scored only 28 points — well below its season average — in a seven-point defeat “We just couldn’t get the ball in the basket,” junior guard Grace Hodges said.  Grace Hodges (above) and Downingtown East have won 12 straight Given a chance to right that earlier wrong not to mention continue some serious momentum with the postseason approaching A hot start by East set the tone that the rematch would be quite different from the initial meeting as the Cougars strolled into the Whippets’ gym and put together a strong 32 minutes for a 52-45 win.  It’s the 12th straight win for Downingtown East (17-1 8-1 Ches-Mont National) and the eighth straight game in which the Cougars have topped the 50-point mark something they’ve done a dozen times already this year.  one of four juniors in the starting lineup making a major impact at both ends of the game Her two 3-pointers in the first four minutes got East off to a 12-4 start creating a lead her team never once relinquished; she also hit the game-sealer a transition mid-range jumper with 1:55 remaining to put the Cougars up 48-37.  who calmly pulled up and knocked down the shot from near the top of the key off a steal looking off a defender to create room and then hitting nothing but net.  “(Domsohn) wants us to shoot,” Hodges said he has full confidence in all of us to shoot There’s no doubt the group that Domsohn has out there is a much more confident more advanced version of the Cougars that won 20 games a year ago but finished 7-5 in the Ches-Mont national missing out on the league playoffs entirely They battled through playback games in the District 1 playoffs to earn a berth to the state bracket but lost to Parkland in the first round.  That was a great learning experience for Hodges Chloe Hunold and Jazlyn Boyd plus sophomore guard Kendall Chiavelli Those five accounted for all of East’s points in Tuesday’s win: Chiavelli right behind Hodges with 14 points and six rebounds; Aldridge and Hunold adding nine apiece they forced 19 West turnovers — 10 fewer than last time A dozen steals created a number of easy layups Hunold and Chiavelli driving past defenders on a number of occasions for layups.  The Cougars turned it over just three times in the first half and then not at all in the second until the final three minutes when West turned up the pressure down a dozen; four late East turnovers weren’t enough to flip the score “We stayed composed because we knew they were going to apply pressure,” Hunold said it’s going to happen in a game like that but it didn’t kill us in the end.” West’s turnovers kept the Whippets from getting too much offensive flow going coach Mike Young going as many as six deep into his bench throughout the game to try to use depth to his advantage including by sophomore Hayden Blair (11 points) freshman guard Eme McComsey (8 points) and junior wing Ellie Dexter (7 points) the fall and in-season on our defense and on our principles and what we’re trying to do,” Domsohn said “To see the girls buy in collectively on that end of the floor is huge for us When they’re able to do it the way that we preach and they buy in the way that they did The Cougars finish out against Ches-Mont National foes West Chester Henderson Bishop Shanahan and Coatesville with a showcase game against Germantown Academy on Saturday at Jefferson University as part of the Maggie Lucas Classic They’ve already got a Ches-Mont playoff berth wrapped up with a chance to see Downingtown West a third time in the league championship game several weeks from now and possibly again in the district playoffs Tuesday’s win had not made it onto the District 1 database though they’re sure to flip after Tuesday’s result; there’s also a chance the win moves East up a couple more spots in the rankings Finishing in the top eight means a bye in the first round of the district playoffs and puts them one win away from another state berth; a top-four finish means a guaranteed home game in the district quarterfinals as well.  and it’s very possible — if not likely — that the Cougars end up in the top four in the district rankings when it’s all said and done “We definitely have been playing really well together “I’m happy with this team and everything and I just am excited for the playoffs and the future with this team.” In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver BBC "Newshour" covers everything from the growth of democracy to the threat of terrorism with a fresh The organization has been leasing space at Brandywine Grace Church for the past few years to serve as a temporary Downingtown campus Philadelphia developers could get millions to build more affordable senior housing and new rules promote building intergenerational apartments The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. Older adults benefit from volunteer care that keeps them in familiar settings The event will be held at Mercy Neighborhood Ministries at 1939 W The county's hazardous response team shut down streets in the area when the call came in around 10 a.m Kenny Cooper is WHYY’s suburban reporter covering Chester and Delaware counties Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY DOWNINGTOWN — One week after a huge win over a rival North Penn saw the other side of the coin Friday night "I loved playing football with these guys and we didn't want the season to end," North Penn senior captain and two-way lineman Dillon Webb-Dennis said "We had a great win last week over Central Bucks South and we really wanted this one tonight but it's tough to see the season end this way." The Knights have nothing to be ashamed of since their season ended against host Downingtown West in the PIAA District One Class 6A championship game by a score of 35-16 North Penn (11-3) was looking for its first district title since 2016 whithe Whippets (13-1) won their second district title in the last six seasons The Whippets advanced to next week's PIAA semifinals against District 12 champion a 46-7 winner over District 11 champ Parkland in a PIAA quarterfinal also Friday at Pennridge scored on its final possession of the first half and did the same on its first possession of the second half to turn what was a 10-7 North Penn lead into a 21-10 advantage for the hosts And when Whippets senior linebacker Andrew Brown sacked North Penn junior quarterback Matt Bucksar on the Knights' 5-yard line he also jarred the ball loose and fell on it in the end zone to all but decide things midway through the fourth quarter that was our chance," North Penn head coach Dick Beck said "But their guys upfront kept after us and they made some big plays It was tough sailing for our offense against a very good defense They fly around and they got us in a couple of third-and-longs and did a nice job." Brown then fell on the fumble in the end zone to make it 28-16 Final big-school football rankings: Bucks County high school football final big-school rankings The junior running back led all rushers with 109 yards and scored both North Penn touchdowns The senior linebacker had a sack/fumble and then recovered the fumble in the end zone to help the Whippets pull away midway through the fourth quarter The junior punter unleashed back-to-back fourth-quarter punts of 64 and 51 yards to pin the Knights deep in their own territory “This team will always have a special place in my heart,” Beck said “This group is a lot of fun to be around and I'll miss the seniors that are leaving." "We made a great run and I'm really proud of everyone," North Penn senior tight end/defensive end Aidan Eves said everyone always gave everything they had." North Penn tops CB South in semifinals: North Penn tops CB South, reaches district football championship game The district title was the second for the Whippets (the other came in 2019) and advances them to next week’s PIAA Class 6A semifinals where they’ll face defending PIAA champion Saint Joseph’s Prep at a site and time to be determined The Hawks dismantled District 11 champion Parkland in their PIAA quarterfinal Friday night at Pennridge Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com Support our journalism with a subscription EXTON — Olivia Young and Hayden Blair looked at each other a little bewildered the Whippets’ sterling sophomore point guard figured that the basketball was as big as they were the last time this happened—and it probably goes even beyond that when Young was around five and Blair around three the last time Downingtown West’s girls’ basketball team started a season 7-0 That’s the mark the Whippets hit Tuesday night when they dispatched of archrival Downingtown East in a Ches-Mont League National Conference game Young was the only player to reach double figures finishing with a season-high 12 points—10 in the fourth quarter—with Blair the daughter of West Chester head coach Damien Blair and younger sister of Rams’ point guard Dylan Blair adding five and a considerable steady hand to the West offense The return of Hayden Blair (above) has been a big boost for Downingtown West West is now 7-0 and 2-0 in the Ches-Mont National with East slipping to 5-1 (2-1 Ches-Mont National) after the Cougars’ first setback of the season The 7-0 start is certainly the best sixth-year Whippets’ head coach Mike Young has ever had West is close to already equaling its victory total of a year ago when it finished 11-12—and was swept in three games by East probably since the last time West started 7-0 but we did have high expectations for this group,” Mike Young said but we are trusting in the process of one game at a time and preparation for each game We may be able to equal our number of victories for last year soon but this team has really bought into the team concept We’ve been playing 11 and it’s no secret that we are trying to wear teams down.” Olivia Young has been a four-year contributor to West but her leadership has surfaced this season it was Olivia Young who scored the Whippets next nine points to give West a sturdy 34-22 lead the whole West team has bought into coach Mike Young’s wholesale changes substituting five players at a time sometimes “We are diverse and everyone on this team is really talented,” Olivia Young said and being close off the court really helps I have been a little hesitant this year shooting and this was a nice confidence boost.” Blair suffered a knee injury halfway through her freshman year She watched the second and third times the Whippets faced East last season it’s something we spoke about before this game,” Blair said I like the way we are moving the ball and everyone is willing to swing the ball It wasn’t a hard sell to share the ball “We’re pushing further.” Eight different players scored for the Whippets Downingtown West coach Mike Young works the sidelines so that will happen,” Mike Young said and some of those turnovers are my responsibility at the end I put some people in some bad positions and probably should have called some timeouts earlier.” But the Whippets did defend especially well Ellie Dexter and Kelsey Meenan made it difficult most of the night for the Cougars’ offense West shutout East in the second quarter and forced the Cougars into shooting 10 of 43 for the game (18.9%) fourth-year East head coach Darren Domsohn still got a strong effort the Cougars managed to whittle that down to 34-28 with a minute left “But one thing I love about this group is that they never give up It was our job to execute on offense and we didn’t the first three quarters We drove into them and they have size on us That’s been our message this year.” Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who began writing for CoBL in 2021 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on BlueSky here 2025A tractor-trailer overturned in the eastbound lanes of the Route 30 Bypass in Downingtown Chester County on Tuesday morning.DOWNINGTOWN (WPVI) -- A tractor-trailer overturned in the eastbound lanes of the Route 30 Bypass in Downingtown The semi was carrying mulch when it overturned between the Route 322 exit and the Route 113 exit For the latest traffic in your area, click here. Downingtown West didn’t play a game during the first week of the season but the Whippets are making up for lost time this weekend With three games in three days against three quality opponents Downingtown West is going through a bit of a grind to start its schedule it hasn’t been the start the Whippets are looking for but they’re also not the team they expect to be a few weeks from now either it’s about getting through this stretch and getting everyone back up to speed then the Whippets believe they’ll really get going Downingtown West's Brady Moore elevates for a shot (CoBL Photo: Josh Verlin) “We’re just trying to learn about ourselves as a team,” Whippets coach Stu Ross said after Friday’s 58-37 loss to Upper Dublin at Souderton’s Jim Church Classic “I have six football players who just joined us this past week after going to the state semifinals find our identity early in the season.” West made a furious charge in Thursday’s loss to Cardinal O’Hara led by 30 points from senior standout Donovan Fromhartz Fromhartz was limited by early foul trouble and finished with nine points although that was the team high for scoring who ascended into a leading role last year following Dylan Blair’s departure is still plenty confident in his team despite an 0-2 start going into Saturday’s consolation matchup with West Chester Rustin he also knows the Whippets have some work to do “We have to handle pressure better,” Fromhartz said We’ve played too much 1-on-1 when we need to swing the ball and pass the ball better.” Downingtown West did get its breakthrough on Saturday defeating West Chester Rustin 78-54 for its first win of the season Fromhartz knew he’d be counted on as a leader this year he cited the example Blair set in the two years they played together and he doesn’t want his teammates to lose confidence even with a tough stretch to open their schedule He’s been to the state playoffs all three years he’s been at Downingtown West and he does not want to miss out as a senior “He’s gotten better and he’s a tireless worker,” Ross said “His overall game I feel has gotten a lot better but also his maturity and his efficiency.” The football players are still getting their basketball legs under them understandable after a 15-week grind - plus the preseason before that - but Fromhartz values the toughness they bring every day the starting quarterback for the District 1 6A champions in the fall was the second player off the bench Saturday and Brendon Kimble also saw plenty of minutes It also didn’t help that senior Zeke Staz the Whippets’ starting senior big man played limited time on Thursday and sat out Friday’s contest He’ll add plenty on both ends once he’s healthy and add to a strong core trio alongside Fromhartz and Brady Moore Downingtown West's Donovan Fromhartz has taken on more of a leadership role as a senior (CoBL Photo: Josh Verlin) “I think we’ll be able to play any style of basketball,” Ross said “We’ll be able to score and defend with the talent we have This is one of the more talented teams we’ve had since I’ve been here on paper but obviously that only means so much.” Fromhartz continued to harp on ball movement and sharing the wealth when they stormed back against Cardinal O’Hara For the Whippets to be successful this season that has to be the standard and not just a sporadic occurrence or something that happens after they fall behind He thinks that will come with time and something he’ll continue to push for as the roster continues to build that continuity “That’s what Downingtown West basketball is about and has been about,” Fromhartz said “That’s what made us successful in the past three years I’ve been here and has gotten us to states.” the Whippets will get a few days of respite before their next test on Dec Ross noted there are no easy dates on the schedule and the Ches-Mont is a nightly grind as well so that continuity and identity will have to emerge in short order “Would I like to have these games back in January we might be a different team by that point,” Ross said “But it’s a good opportunity for us now to look at ourselves in the mirror understand what our blemishes are and see what we can do to be better.” DOWNINGTOWN — Central Bucks West went out in Friday night's PIAA District One Class 6A semifinal matchup against host Downingtown West the same way the Bucks do in every game "It's just been a privilege to be on this team with this group of guys," West senior do-everything Ryan Clemens said "We didn't win tonight and we didn't want to see our season end but the experience and to be a part of this program is something I'll never forget." The Bucks nearly kept their season going as they battled the Whippets and some questionable to say the least officiating for 48 minutes before an eventual 28-23 defeat in a game they never led "I'm going to miss all of these guys," West head coach Rob Rowan said "I spend more time with these guys than with anybody else in my life and I know how much they care "I know these guys are hurt by the loss and if you're hurt The loss ended the season for the Bucks (10-3) in the same spot as a year ago the district semifinals when West lost to eventual champion CB South in the semis in 2023 who are seeking their first district title since 2019 they return to the district final for the second straight season after losing to the Titans last year Second-seeded Downingtown West will host fourth-seeded North Penn The Whippets scored the game's first two touchdowns one on a 66-yard punt return by senior Tommy Miller to open the scoring midway through the first quarter and then on a 76-yard touchdown pass from impressive junior quarterback Cole Bricker to senior Spencer Dunn to make it 14-0 The Bucks cut their deficit in half a few minutes later when senior quarterback Noah Miller found Clemens on a 46-yard pitch and catch the Whippets would score again in the closing minute of the first half as would the Bucks on a short Clemens field goal that left things at 21-10 Downingtown West at halftime "They're a big-play type of team and they made some big plays and deserve a lot of credit," Rowan said "And special teams can change a game and they had the punt return for a touchdown that was a really big play." The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter (West's score came on a short run by Clemens) to make it 28-17 with 12 minutes to go Miller would bring the Bucks to within 28-23 with a gritty 9-yard run on a broken play with just under four minutes remaining who did get one last possession at the end of the game "We battled the whole game and almost pulled out the win," Clemens said The Whippets return to the PIAA District One Class 6A title game for the second-straight season The punt return for a touchdown by Miller gave the Whippets a lead they never surrendered The senior quarterback was shaken up early in the game throwing for a score and running for another He's led the Bucks to the district title game two years ago and to the semifinals in 2023 and 20224 The junior quarterback threw three touchdown passes and continually had his throws on the mark "I can't wait to see these guys come back next year and have a great season," said Clemens "They're going to work and work and be really good again." Wins over a pair of private schools spoke volumes about the strength of Milton (Ga.) and Downingtown West (Pa.) and made them the biggest movers in this week’s rankings It was a light week overall with many publics set for their first draw this week or next Milton took down highly regarded Maryvale (Md.) The Clemson-bound duo of Kylie Waters and Ella Pauley each had hat tricks Anna Mellinger (Penn State) supplied three assists and sophomore Lillian Katula scored a pair of goals and won nine draw controls Milton has won seven straight Georgia state titles Downingtown West opened with an impressive 15-6 win over traditional private power Archbishop Carroll (Pa.) winners of the last four Pennsylvania AA state championships Florida commit Autumn Blair had five goals and two assists Brinn Findora had nine draw controls and Ava Findora had a pair of goals The junior twins are committed to Virginia Downingtown West moves into the top 10 in the Mid-Atlantic Region newcomers Frisco (Texas) and Walton (Ga.) are both unbeaten Carmel (Ind.) is the lone ranked team to play yet in the Midwest Region.  1 in the West Region thanks to an 8-0 start with unbeaten Mira Costa (Calif.) climbing to No 2 and unbeaten Del Oro (Calif.) joining the Top 10 at No The USA Lacrosse National Public Girls' Top 25 and Regional Top 10 lists (also found here in our rankings hub) highlight the best of the best after a week of action with each team's previous ranking denoted in parenthesis Compiled by USA Lacrosse writers with input from coaches around the country these rankings will be updated weekly on Thursdays Also considered (alphabetical order): Anderson (Texas) USA Lacrosse is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable organization (EIN 52-1765246) Joseph Santoliquito (@JSantoliquito) WEST CHESTER — Hayden Blair does not have to look far to see where her journey began inch-long daily reminder that runs down her right knee She remembers the doubt of possibly never playing basketball again She remembers crying herself to sleep at night muffling the sniffles so her father wouldn’t hear She underwent surgery and a grueling nine-month rehab The 5-foot-7 Downingtown West sophomore guard has her scar to remind her where she was—and where she is—a champion the daughter of legendary West Chester head coach Damien Blair and younger sister of Rams’ point guard Dylan Blair made the shot of her life Monday night when she hit a three-pointer with 11.3 seconds left to give the Whippets a dramatic 41-40 victory over rival Downingtown East in the Ches-Mont League championship It marked the first Ches Mont League girls’ championship for West since 2012 when the Whippets also downed the Cougars for the title it marked another step in an ongoing odyssey on the very court she would throw up hundreds of shots West Chester’s Hollinger Field House.  “What happened to me last year was not my favorite of things but I got through it and it made me a stronger person,” she said “I can’t count the times I shot on this court I actually thought the shot was going to get blocked I put it up and hoped for the best.” East held the largest difference in the game West chiseled the deficit down to 38-33 with 1:25 to play Whippets’ coach Mike Young opted to put the Cougars on the line as West continued to nibble away when West’s Samantha Schurtz nailed a three to make it 38-36 with 1:10 to play East’s Charlotte Aldridge canned a free throw which was answered on a layup by West freshman Kylee Domsohn who played a huge role in the victory offensively and defensively Chloe Hunold’s free throw added more cushion for East at 40-38 with 28 seconds left West worked the ball to her on the left wing the shot splashing through the netting with a scant 11.3 seconds left But the Cougars could not get a good look at the basket for a possible game-winning shot igniting a riotous reaction from the West bench “I wasn’t expecting that to go in,” Hayden admitted “It’s a great moment that I never had in my career It’s something every basketball player dreams of.” Schurtz herself has undergone two ACL surgeries and is playing with a torn meniscus “Sami is playing through a whole lot of pain This was a great high school basketball game (East coach) Darren (Domsohn no relation to Kylee) does a great job over there.” East went into halftime clinging to a 24-22 lead There were four lead changes in the first half with West finally getting its first lead of the game “I needed to step up for our team to win,” Kylee said the one who kept the Whippets in the game early when East looked like it would run away who scored eight of the Whippets first 11 points her father Damien was discreetly leaning against the wall at the other end of the court He was touched by a pang of emotion because he remembers all the times he drove Hayden to rehab and was with her as she first got back on a basketball court and I have to give her all the credit for coming back,” Damien said “She pushed through and got stronger The tears that came out were tears of joy.” “That’s rewarding when your dad is proud of you because he was there with me through everything,” she said you know you did something right.”   Downingtown East (21-3): 15 | 9 | 5 | 11 || 40 Kendall Chiavelli 7, Charlotte Aldridge 4 It had not been Amon Fowlkes’ best night.  Amon Fowlkes (above) delivered Coatesville into the Ches-Mont championship game The Coatesville senior had a rough night shooting the ball in the Ches-Mont semifinals making three of his first 12 shots going into overtime against Downingtown West in a tough But with the seconds ticking down under 10 and with the ball in his hands his layup with 3.8 seconds remaining the game-winner sending Coatesville to the championship with a 57-55 victory on Friday night Bishop Shanahan, which beat Sun Valley 41-39 in the night’s earlier semifinal awaits in Monday’s championship game (WCU Coatesville ran the clock down into the final 10 seconds called timeout to inbound under its basket Fowlkes took the pass in the corner opposite his bench drove around to the top of the key and then towards the basket holding off a defender with his body as he used his left hand to get the ball up and in “It was kind of a broken-down play and I knew I had the guy on my hip and I just went downhill what I do best,” the 5-foot-10 guard said “(Coatesville coach John Allen) said ‘go at ten,’ but I went at eight — close enough.” had a strong overall game with six rebounds But he was having issues putting the ball through the bucket through the first 32 minutes and change against Downingtown West; not not had he missed all three of his 3-point attempts but he was 2-of-6 from the foul line.  None of that mattered with the game on the line.  “My team puts a lot of confidence in me,” he said “They’re just telling me to stay poised Amon Fowlkes with the layup and Coatesville takes the lead. Timeout DWest with 3.8s left.[image or embed] Coatesville (18-5) won the two previous meetings between the teams The Whippets made it clear they were as ready as ever fighting off every challenge the Raiders threw at them getting 16 points from star senior Donovan Fromhartz on his future college court and nine points each from junior Brady Moore and sophomore Isaiah Hicklen and Brendon Good-Kimble.  The teams traded leads all throughout the second half Downingtown West (14-9) had several leads late but none larger than three points The last of those came with 35 seconds left after Hicklen split a pair from the line his floater a minute earlier breaking a tie.  Colton Hiller (above) hit three 3-pointers as part of his 20-point outing the 6-5 baby-faced 14-year-old who’s been one of the top high school rookies in the region found himself at the line with 18 seconds left fouled on a 3-pointer from the top of the key capping off a 20-point outing which saw him hit three 3-pointers and go 5-of-5 from the line.  “I just took a deep breath and went back to my mechanics,” Hiller said but the first one and last one were easy.” The Whippets were 8-of-18 from the foul line in the second half 18 team in the unofficial District 1 6A rankings as of Saturday night 15 Chester (15-7) in the opening round.  While things are always liable to shift before brackets come out on Monday the Raiders are currently in line to face the winner of No 23 West Chester Henderson in the second round.  a game that was moved up from Tuesday night in case of a potential snowstorm that evening Shanahan has won 15 of 17 games after a 1-6 start but two of those losses came to Coatesville: 63-34 in December when Shanahan was shorthanded The first things that came to Fowlkes’ mind when he thought about Shanahan was senior forward Sean Griffin — who had a 14-point 12-rebound double-double against Sun Valley — and the Eagles’ zone defense which require a focus on “swinging the ball sticking to what’s working and not to get too far ahead of ourselves (Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2024-25 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.) The fire has long since been doused by now The flames were suffocated by a year’s worth of experience and maturing Downingtown East fourth-year head coach Darren Domsohn had no problem throwing a young group into the burning crucible of the Ches-Mont League The baby Cougars would either navigate their way through or get scorched along the way Grace Hodges (21) and Downingtown East return most of a group that made it to the PIAA 6A tournament and won a PIAA District 1 playoff game before losing to eventual state runner-up Spring-Ford (53-41) in the second round of districts The Cougars’ season came to an end in a 41-34 first-round state playoff loss to District 11 champion Parkland They are poised to take an even larger leap this season This team has the talent and experience to contend for the Ches-Mont championship this season and take a few more steps in the district playoffs the Cougars’ 5-foot-3 senior point guard tops the list of returning starters Domsohn has back along with 6-foot junior forward Charlotte Aldridge and 5-6 junior guards Chloe Hunold and Grace Hodges is back after benefitting from being tossed into the deep end. Depth will come from 5-8 junior guard Mallory Kocher 5-7 freshman forward Sam Shildknecht and 5-6 freshman guard Mallory Martin Junior guard Mya Johnson will play a vital role after coming back from an injury her freshman year Domsohn has the makings of a really good team He has placed a standard on the program that revolves around a culture rooted in simply getting better And … “Our season will have everything do to with how we interact with one another off the court how we support one another and how we act together on the court,” he said “That’s what we spoke about this summer If we don’t take a step forward from a maturity standpoint we will take a step back from a wins-and-losses standpoint We got caught sometimes this summer with one pass Domsohn likes his team’s versatility on offense Although it is Chiavelli who may be the Cougars’ go-to threat when a bucket is needed She showed great flashes last season offensively and defensively She can create her own shot and defends and rebounds well In a summer affair against very talented Germantown Academy She spent the summer working on being stronger with the ball and finishing through contact East beat archrival Downingtown West twice last season 50-40 during the regular season in which Chiavelli dropped 17 and 36-18 in the opening round of the PIAA District 1 Class 6A playoffs where Chiavelli concentrated more on getting the ball to teammates cutting to the basket West knew better than to let her loose in the district playoffs double-teaming her every chance the Whippets got (playing without star sophomore guard Hayden Blair the younger sister of former West star Dylan Blair Kendall Chiavelli (above) was East's leading scorer on occasion as a freshman Chiavelli will probably see more double-teams this season “We should be better this year after a season playing with each other,” Chiavelli said “We have the team that could go far in the Ches-Mont.” Hunold feels the team’s chemistry is a huge bonus Each player has an idea where the others are on the court and where they like the ball “Patience will also be a key to our success,” Hunold said “Sometimes we had a problem with getting ahead of ourselves Although she represents East’s size inside and is expected to be the Cougars’ rim protector Aldridge has taken her game further outside through her will power and willingness to take a charge or go diving for a loose ball Her grittiness speaks volumes in how contagious it could be “That’s the intention when I play defense no one wants to let anyone down,” said Hodges who had fresh bruises on her arms from a fall showcase game Potential Domsohn expects to see come to fruition the Cougars know their time riding on the periphery of contention is over Domsohn is guarded when it comes to a ceiling for this team “We have to play for each other,” Domsohn emphasized I have told this team they have to put in the work I could not tell you who the team to beat is in the Ches-Mont but I can tell you West Chester East has a strong history of being in the league finals Bishop Shanahan and (West Chester) Henderson are well-coached and always tough and playing at Avon Grove is always a scrappy game.” Walking the gauntlet of inexperience is over It looks like the Cougars are primed to start winning Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who began writing for CoBL in 2021 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter here EXTON — If she needs to rebound one night If the 6-foot junior swing has to defend the opposition’s best offensive player the next game If Downingtown East needs her to stretch a defense with her outside shooting Aldridge is more than willing to fulfill that role it happened to be a little of all the above scoring 17 points and being an interior defensive presence against smaller Chester in Downingtown East’s 57-44 second-round District 1 Class 6A victory at East Charlotte Aldridge has fit in where needed to help Downingtown East this season (Photo by Joseph Santoliquito/CoBL) 5-seeded Cougars (22-3) will now advance to the district quarterfinal round at No 4 Central Bucks East on Saturday at 1 p.m. 12 Chester (19-5) will try to qualify for states in the playback round hosting No and they weren’t 19-4 by accident,” East coach Darren Domsohn said We have a team that can be someone different every night She wouldn’t have had the night she had without the support of her teammates.” The Cougars lost in the second round of the playoffs to Spring-Ford last year Domsohn does not know how long it was before East last reached the district quarterfinals The Cougars advanced on Aldridge’s deft three-point shooting and Kendall Chiavelli’s game-high 18 points despite playing with a badly bruised left eye after a midcourt collision near the end of the first quarter With Chiavelli out for a portion of the second quarter it was Aldridge who picked up the scoring slack for East nailing a couple of 3-pointers during important segments of the game “Charlotte is one of our smartest players,” Chiavelli said “She knows when to move the ball and knows when to take good shots She’s also one of our leading rebounders She does a lot of little things for us that help us win We kept having success with the little curl play through the middle of the lane we’ll call ‘The Charlotte,’ that’s what we’ll call it.” Her trey to start the second quarter gave the Cougars a 19-10 lead and her second trey with 3:25 left in the half gave East a 28-19 edge What was more impactful was her two-straight buckets off the curl play Chiavelli referred to in the fourth quarter in staving off a Chester push Aldridge plays with a respect to her teammates Grace Hodges and Chloe Hunold’s scoring ability “I see myself like that,” Aldridge said We have four players who can score double figures at any time This was the first game East played since its last-second loss to Downingtown West in the Ches Mont League tournament championship on February 10 Aldridge admits the frustration the team felt after that loss She stressed that this is a very resilient team The Cougars have not suffered consecutive losses this season “I thought I could have rebounded better and sought the ball more in that game,” Aldridge said “It’s a tough game to think about We knew we should have won that game.” Chiavelli started the game by banking in a three-pointer and Clippers fought back numerous times to make it competitive in the second half accounted for all of Chester’s points The Clippers had problems with their shots falling making 18 of 58 shots (31%) to East’s 24 of 57 (42%) “We didn’t talk well on defense tonight and they made us pay,” Clippers’ coach Marvin Dukes Sr “Small executions got us in almost every other possession in the half-court set We had opportunities and shots were not falling Their traps in the half-court sets did.” “We weren’t paying attention to the backdoor cuts or paying any attention to the screens and that hurt us tonight,” said Dorsey who has shown some real ability in driving to the basket and on defense “We did miss a lot of shots we normally make but we need to prepare better and start better.” Downingtown East (22-3): 16 | 19 | 6 | 16 || 57 Downingtown East: Kendall Chiavelli 18, Charlotte Aldridge 17 Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who began writing for CoBL in 2021 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on BlueSky here The Toll Brothers Sales Center and model home are open for tours at 5 Grayson Lane in Downingtown Located in the prestigious Downingtown Area School District Stonemill Village will feature 89 two-story townhomes in a quiet neighborhood close to every convenience Home shoppers will be able to choose from a variety of exquisite home designs ranging from 1,825 to 2,114+ square feet and value for which Toll Brothers is known Onsite amenities include walking trails throughout the community The community offers residents a low-maintenance lifestyle with lawn care “We are excited to offer our signature build-to-order homes as well as beautiful quick move-in homes at Stonemill Village that are available for every timeline,” said John Dean Division President of Toll Brothers in Pennsylvania “With floor plans designed with home offices Stonemill Village will offer residents the best in luxury living in a tranquil location close to everything.” Toll Brothers residents will enjoy proximity to nearby shopping King of Prussia Mall and Town Center at King of Prussia Major highways including Routes 202 and 30 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike are easily accessible from Stonemill Village offering homeowners convenient access to Philadelphia © Copyright 2012 - 2023 | citybiz | All Rights Reserved