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Even with weapons all around, Coatesville QB Ortega stands out as Raiders’ heart and soul

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For much of the season, opposing defenses tried to figure out how to stop Coatesville’s running back, Aaron Young, from running all over the field. When Pennsbury came to play the Red Raiders in the District 6A Semi-Finals, the Falcons set up a good defensive game plan although, they forgot about one important player, Ricky Ortega.

Ortega carried the Red Raiders to a dominant performance all around by rushing for two touchdowns, well north of 100-yards and also throwing for two touchdowns and 182 yards. A 42-yard pass to Mekhi Alexander, a 68-yarder to Dapree Bryant and countless big gains on the ground showed that while Ortega is just a sophomore, he can be very dangerous with the ball in his hand.

“The game plan was just do anything to win,” said Ortega. “They keyed in on our receivers and everything was open up in the middle and we just attacked it until they changed it. I don’t look at it as playing with older guys, I just play football with my teammates and its great.”

“You know, it whatever they’re going to give us,” said coach Matt Ortega. “They obviously came out and were really trying to cover our wideouts because they saw how much we’ve been passing the ball lately. So, they were giving us the run game whether it was Aaron or him [Ricky Ortega]. His number was called, it was there, and we took it. It was just based on what they were going to give us and they were giving us the running game.”

Ortega gained most of his yardage up the middle of the defense during the first three offensive drives. Just to put Ortega’s performance in perspective, Coatesville only started in great field position once. The majority of their drives started deep in their own territory, even one starting from the one-yard line.

Ortega’s ability to run the offense out of bad field position forced Pennsbury to change their defensive scheme and once that happen, Ortega let it fly and Bryant, Alexander and Avery Young did the rest once they got the ball in their hands.”

“My quarterback played great today,” said Dapree Bryant. “the line blocked, and he just hit his holes. All around we just kept it rolling. It wasn’t really the game plan for Ortega, it was to get everyone involved, but everyone is just happy to get a big win.

“Me and him played basketball together, we used to play AAU together and we played little league together so it’s just a great bond,” Bryant continued. “His future is going to be bright, we’re only sophomores.”

The 12-1 Coatesville Red Raiders will face the 12-1 Garnet Valley Jaguars in the District 6A Championship. Based on how Ortega has played all season and his most recent big-time performance, it would be a good idea for the Jaguars not to forget about the gunslinger. He has proved that he can lead his team to a win both on the ground and through the air.

“The best feeling was that we worked so hard in order to get to this point and we got to it,” said Ortega. “Downingtown East tested us early and we came back in the playoffs and beat them pretty good. That was a big accomplishment for us and now going to the district title for the fourth time is really big for us. That’s what we wanted to do the whole year. We accomplished that. We can’t let everything get to our head. The points and how we’re ranked here and ranked there. We just have to focus on getting the win and focus on next week and the team that we’re playing.”


Downingtown East holds off Garnet Valley in second half to win opener

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EAST MARLBOROUGH >> With just above four minutes left in the fourth quarter Friday night, Downingtown East guard Malik Slay approached the free throw line in hopes of taking the lead back from Garnet Valley. The Jaguars had just taken the lead for the first time with a pretty back-door pass and layup from Austin Laughlin to Greg Vlassopoulos.

As Slay received the ball from the official, he acted out his best Kevin Durant impression. Two dribbles, a deep breath, another dribble and a shoulder shake before letting the ball fly. The first shot allowed Slay to tie the game. Once the second shot came down, it gave Downingtown the confidence to close out the game.

The Cougars went on to beat Garnet Valley 61-56 in the season opener for both teams.

“We knew the run was coming,” said John Goodman. “This is a team that can score in the 80s and we held them to five points in the first quarter. I just flat out said at halftime they are going to start making threes. I think Laughlin had one point in the first half. He’s a thousand-point scorer and we knew he was going to make a couple. I think we responded well. We lost the lead, but we came down, scored and got it back.”

In the first half, Garnet Valley could not score or contain Cougars’ Andrew King. The Downingtown East forward scored 13-points, but was even a bigger nightmare on the defensive end. King had three blocks and two steals on top of his production on the glass. The six-foot six King seemingly grabbed every rebound possible.

“I just never stop working during the game,” said King. “Defense is where my offense comes from. I’m more of a transition player and once we get defensive stops we can go. I worked my way up through my freshman and sophomore season and since I’ve been working so hard, it’s starting to pay off.”

“Whenever I can, I get it in to him [King],” said Slay. “If I don’t have a shot on the pick-and-roll I just hit him. That’s every situation. If he’s open or if he has a smaller guy on him, he’s getting the ball every time.”

Despite being down the majority of the game, the Jaguars adapted to Downingtown East’s tough defense and started to play their own game. Garnet Valley outscored the Cougars in the third quarter and brought the lead back within single digits.

Led by his uncanny ability to get to the lane, Connor O’Brien ignited the fuse by scoring 10 points in the third quarter. O’Brien scored in just about every way possible: layups, mid-range, fast breaks, and from deep, and was also able to get to the charity stripe a few times. However, once O’Brien hit a 3-pointer, it spelt bad news for East.

The basket sparked something in Laughlin and because of it, the thousand-point scorer hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter in crucial need-to-have possessions.

“The good piece was that we didn’t quit,” said Michael Brown. “We were down quite a bit and we could’ve rolled over. I told them that I was proud of how they came back, but we just came up short. Even in the end we gave up too many second-chance points. We have a lot to fix, but it’s December.”

Downingtown East 61, Garnet Valley 56
Garnet Valley: Laughlin 5 1-2 14, O’Brien 6 5-6 19, Stephens 1 0-0 2, Vlassopoulos 4 2-2 13, Clarke 2 0-0 4, Brennan 2 0-0 4, Guy 0 0-0 0, Palis 0 0-0 0, Louden 0 0-0 0, Beniwal 0 0-0 0, Schaller 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 8-10.
Downingtown East: Slay 4 6-8 14, Hernandez 2 6-7 10, Mujica 3 7-8 14, Kalim 0 2-2 2, King 7 5-10 19, Robertson 0 2-2 2, Stata 0 0-0 0, Caggiano 0 0-0 0, Umberger 0 0-0 0, Owsik 0 0-0 0, Riley 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 28-37 61.
Downingtown East 15 14 11 21 – 61
Garnet Valley 5 12 23 16 – 56
3-point goals: O’Brien 2, Vlassopoulos, Laughlin 3, Mujica.

Inconsistent Malvern Prep still winless after tough trip to Imhotep Charter

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PHILADELPHIA >> Heading into the second half of Friday night’s game, Malvern Prep faced a managable eight-point hole on the road against perennial District 12 power Imhotep Charter.

After a sloppy first half featuring more punts and penalties than points, both teams tried to adjust in the locker room.

Imhotep’s changes worked, and the Panthers pulled away for a 28-14 win over a Malvern Prep team that is still searching for its first win of the season. 

Imhotep spoke all week about not beating themselves against the Friars, said Panthers coach Nick Lincoln, In their last few matchups, self-inflicted mistakes led to their demise and at the start of the game, it looked like that trend would continue. 

After forcing a punt on Malvern’s first drive, Imhotep rolled down the field, only to give the ball right back within striking distance. Malvern and Imhotep would go back and forth through the half until Imhotep scored for the first time with less than one minute left on the clock. 

“We started off slow and had some penalties that ruined drives,” Lincoln said. “Eventually we started to get some momentum and the kids started to know what it felt like to be victorious. You know we just kept pushing. We have some young guys in key positions for us so this experience is going to help us build in our league play which we’ll need going forward.

“Malvern did a good job of scouting us and scheming us up,” Lincoln continued. “We had to make some adjustments at halftime. I credit my assistant coaches with being able to make up the plays, but we stayed true to the script. We ran downhill on them.” 

Behind Imhotep’s Jalen Sutton and Saint McLeod, the Panthers ran for three touchdowns. As the clock continued to tick down, Imhotep got into a rhythm and the holes became even bigger.

Despite the final score, Malvern Prep seemed like it might be able to stay in the game right until the end, especially with Malvern’s Lonnie White Jr. catching 10 passes. But Imhotep’s bend-but-don’t-break mentality kept the Panthers in front by keeping Malvern Prep out of the endzone. 

“I thought we played a little too inconsistent,” said Malvern Prep Coach Dave Gueriera. “We need to be more disciplined as a team, and we weren’t. Defensively, we put them in good situations for us, but we let them out. Third and 17, fourth and 14. We have to be able to get off the field at that point and we don’t. I thought we made more mistakes than they did.” 

“Offensively, we had offensive holding and a pick-six,” Gueriera continued. “We have a freshman quarterback and he’s going to make some mistakes with the ball. We have to live with it and get better. The theme of the week was whoever makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win the game and we made more mistakes.” 

Huge first quarter propels Downingtown East to runaway win at Great Valley

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EAST WHITELAND >> Downingtown East put on a show offensively Friday night.

But if you blinked too slowly, you might have missed it.

Downingtown East put five touchdowns on the board in the first quarter Friday night at Great Valley, putting the game out of reach en route to a 49-6 rout and a perfect 5-0 start.

“It was an unusual game,” said Cougars head coach Mike Matta. “We got a lot of kids in and I think they all battled and played with Downingtown pride. Sometimes the younger guys lose sight of that, but we saw our varsity guys really supporting our younger guys and that made me proud.”

In total, the Cougars ran for 343 yards and six different players walked into the end zone. Led by Tanner Diehl’s two touchdown runs, the Cougars rushing attack simply was unable to be stopped. 

Spencer Uggla scored the game’s first touchdown on 45-yard run. On only the second play of the Cougars’ first series, Downingtown East was able to set up the big run off a play action pass to Matt Glazer for 23 yards. 

The second touchdown was scored by Josh Asante just minutes later. After the defense forced its second punt on a quick three and out, Matta gave the ball to Asante and let him go. It only took two carries before Asante was off to the races and adding another six points to the scoreboard. 

East’s third offensive series ended with another rushing touchdown by another running back: Stanley Bryant. While the speed of Asante left the Great Valley defense grasping in the air attempting to grab any piece of him, the power of Bryant took Great Valley for a ride as he carried defenders across the goal line on a six-yard run.   

While the offense worked as a well-oiled machine, only resulting to two punts all night, the Cougars’ defense played a crucial part in the game, forcing two fumbles, a turnover on downs and six punts. 

“We run the ball well,” Matta continued. “We have three outstanding halfbacks. They can all run and we have a big physical offensive line so I was pretty happy with how we played.” 

“We knew they were a proud program and we played hard,” Matta continued. “We put things into the game plan and our kids prepared really well. We didn’t play very well last week, so I think that got our attention.”

Downingtown East takes out its frustration on West Chester Henderson

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DOWNINGTOWN >> In the words of Downingtown East quarterback Drew Person, the Cougars are on a revenge tour. 

Unfortunately for West Chester Henderson, the Warriors were first in line to feel their wrath.  

After losing to cross-town rival Downingtown West last week, the Cougars responded with a dominant performance on Friday, beating Henderson 35-7, and improving to 7-1 on the season. 

“The big thing was that we didn’t want to have a close game,” said Downingtown East Coach Mike Matta. “We couldn’t come out feeling sorry for ourselves. We talked all week about not letting Downingtown West beat us twice. I’m glad that we were able to put it together.” 

“Defensively, we really struggled last week, but tonight we played a really good game,” Matta continued. “The defense has been pretty good all year up until last week, but that’s how we envision ourselves, aggressive. I’m pretty impressed with how we played and as long as we continue to do that, we can be good.” 

At the start of the game, the Cougars offense started off a bit slow. However, their defense neutralized any ounce of success that the Warriors hoped to achieve. In ten offensive drives for Henderson, seven resulted in punts, one was a turnover on downs and another was a pick-six by East’s Matt McDevitt, which gave the Cougars their first score of the night. 

The dominance of the Cougar defense only let Henderson cross the 50-yard line twice all night. While the Cougars’ defense failed to let Henderson move the ball, they inspired their offense to match their intensity. 

“I think we started playing Downingtown football the way we usually do,” said Person. “Our offensive line started moving people and the same goes for our fullback. Our running game started opening up and once that happens, we were able to start passing.

“It’s amazing to have the running backs that we do,” Person continued. “It takes so much pressure off of my back like when I throw an interception, they’re always there to keep going. We had a bad taste in our mouths after last week and now we’re just trying to get it out.”

After the slow start by the offense, Person and his running backs Spencer Uggla and Stanley Bryant were able to move the ball at will starting with their third possession. If the Cougars needed to go the length of the field, Downingtown East would gin up a 13-play 68-yard drive and cap it off with a 4-yard touchdown catch to Connor Noble. If the offense needed to score quickly, the Cougars would go 38 yards in two plays and score with a 1-yard Person run in under twelve seconds. 

Henderson had no answers.

“We worked hard and put some stuff behind us,” said Matta. “Now we have to get ready for the rest of the season.” 

Kennett smothers Great Valley in shutout victory

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EAST WHITELAND >> The Kennett Blue Demons continued to get their mojo back Friday night after a dominant performance over Great Valley. 

After suffering its first loss two weeks ago against West Chester East, Kennett bounced back last week against Avon Grove. This week, the Demons doubled down, shutting out Great Valley, 41-0, to improve to 8-1 on the year.

Heading into the matchup, the gameplan for the Demons was rather simple: feed Garrett Cox on first and second down then let Forte work his magic on third down. Against Great Valley, Cox was able to run for 102 rushing yards while racking up countless first downs. Forte on the other hand threw for three touchdowns, while also rushing for one. 

More often than not, when Forte dropped back to pass, he found Kalen Frazier, who ended up having a huge game with 10 catches for 131 receiving yards and a touchdown.   

“We were supposed to come out and take care of business,” said Kennett’s head coach Lance Frazier. “Our guys are still finding their identity and trying to find consistency with what we’re doing. We haven’t had a lot of success in our program so this is all new to us. We talk a great deal about taking care of the ones you’re supposed to take care of and we were able to do it.

“I have to take my hat off for the coach of Great Valley,” Frazier continued. “It’s been a rough year. I know what that feels like as both a coach and a player. Those guys had a high spirit and were still playing hard for them, but I’m super proud of my guys for taking a business approach to this game and bouncing back two weeks removed from the East lost. I’m proud.”  

While the Patriots certainly played with a lot of heart, they were outmatched by the Demons both offensively and defensively. In the first half, Kennett’s defense held Great Valley to only one first down. In fact, throughout the game, Great Valley was only able to garner 127 total yards. 

The dominant performance in back-to-back weeks has given Kennett confidence getting ready for the playoffs. As far as Forte is concerned, the Blue Demons are playing with a chip on their shoulder.

“After coming off the lost two weeks ago, it’s good to get our mojo back,” said Forte. “Coming into this game, we knew we had to not make any mistakes and go by the gameplan. Everything went according to plan. We’re getting our momentum going. We’re getting our swag back.”

Kennett closes the season with a nonleague game against St. Mark’s of Delaware, before likely hosting a first-round game in the District 1 Class 5A playoffs.

Madonna, Gallen run wild as Rustin blanks Henderson in playoff tuneup

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WEST CHESTER >> The West Chester Henderson Warriors learned a very valuable lesson went it comes to facing off against crosstown rival West Chester Rustin. 

Simply put: speed kills.

The Knights ran their way right past Henderson, beating the Warriors, 46-0, and sending them home scoreless on senior night.

“We played a good game,” said Knights head coach Mike St. Clair. “Our kids are always excited to play Henderson because of the crosstown rivalry. We had a good showing tonight.

“We came out fast with running back the opening kickoff. It set the tone,” St. Clair continued. “Drew Gallen and Nick Madonna are two very good backs. Every time they touch the ball, they can go the distance because they are so fast and strong. The line did a really good job opening holes today and they were able to capitalize.” 

With the win, Rustin likely secured the seventh seed and a home game next week in the District 1 Class 5a playoffs, possibly against Upper Dublin 

Despite the lopsided result and a 3-7 record, Henderson should also sneak into the Class 5A bracket as the 15th seed. The Warriors’ test will be far tougher, with a likely road game at another crosstown rival: second-seeded West Chester East. 

The Gallen-Madonna show set the tone of the game rather quickly. On the opening kickoff Gallen ran back an 85-yard kickoff return to put the Knights up 6-0 just seconds into the game. Shortly after, Gallen would strike again on a 83-yard run right down the visitors’ sideline. In a blink of an eye, Rustin went up 13-0 and left Henderson trying to figure out what just happened. 

As the Warriors sought to simply contain Gallen, they forgot about the second part of the show and Madonna made them pay for it. Madonna ended the night with 76 yards rushing, 12 yards receiving and three touchdowns. 

However, while the Gallen-Madonna show showed up big offensively. The Knights’ defense was able to put the offense in position to seal the game at the beginning of the second half. On three consecutive drives, Rustin’s defense recovered two Henderson fumbles and recorded an interception, giving the offense the ball in enemy territory each time. 

Any thought of a comeback quickly went out the window as the margin got larger. 

“It definitely felt good tonight,” said Madonna. “Henderson is always a rival week and we just don’t want to beat them we want to destroy them, and we did that tonight.”

“When Gallen can get going, he’s a very dangerous player with his speed,” Madonna continued. “When he starts running like that it really opens things up for me. This game definitely gave us confidence heading into the playoffs. We’re ready to do it.”

Haverford School starts fast, defeats Malvern Prep

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MALVERN >> Haverford School’s football squad got off to an early 20-point lead and defeated host Malvern Prep, 30-20, Saturday evening.

“We knew coming over here that we would be in for a dog fight on their field,” said Haverford School head coach Michael Murphy. “Our league across the board this year in my opinion has been as even and as good as it’s been. We had a great week of practice heading into this game, and to come over here and beat a rival on the road in their place, I am really proud of our football team.”

Haverford School started the game off quickly, putting the Friars into a 20-point deficit in a blink of an eye. In the first quarter, the Fords jumped off to a quick start with a 23-yard field goal, a safety and a 75-yard touchdown catch and run by Daiyaan Hawkins.

In the second quarter, it looked like much of the same would ensue, as the Fords intercepted a Lonnie White Jr. pass and then capitalized on their field position with a 28-yard touchdown run by Mekhi Ajose-Williamson.
However, White decided to take matters into his own hands, as he sparked the Friars comeback on their next two drives.

White would go on to rush for two touchdowns from 49 yards out on both, and put the Friars within just one possession.

“I was very proud with how we played for all four quarters,” said Malvern Prep head coach Dave Gueriera. “All year these kids have been faced with adversity and they come back ready to fight. I’ve been proud of them all year and I am very proud of them today for staying In it and continuing to fight.”

As the fourth quarter approached, both teams were on the cusp of winning the game; however, the dagger for the Friars came when Haverford School’s Chris Clark kicked a 50-yard field goal and settled the Fords down. Both teams would go on to score again, but time ran out before Malvern Prep had one last drive.

“I just told Chris Clark that his points were huge,” said Murphy. “It was teetering for a moment. A one score game and everyone is thinking what are you doing kicking a 50-yarder, but he has the legs for those things. I think that kick put our team at ease to go on to win. That kick was huge.”


Bishop Shanahan shuts out Upper Moreland for District 1 Class 4A title

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DOWNINGTOWN >> Bishop Shanahan knew that after a grueling slog through the best division of the best league in District 1, the Class 4A playoffs would be a different story.
Friday night, the Eagles wrote a convincing chapter in that tale.
Bishop Shanahan rushed its way to a District 1 Class 4A title Friday Night, behind the stout play of ots defense and the relentless spirit of its rushing attack. The Eagles rushed for five touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Upper Moreland.
“It feels great to be a champion,” said Eagles defensive linemen Jack Lyons. “We’ve been working all four years for this. Ever since I came here, we haven’t made it very far into the playoffs and for this to be my senior year and to make it this far, it’s very special to me and all of the seniors.”
Shanahan will meet District 4 champion Jersey Shore next weekend at a neutral site in what is officially the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs.
The Eagles started the game ready for battle. Within just five plays of the opening kickoff, the Eagles scored their first touchdown and jumped out to an early lead. A forced fumble by Lyons on the Bears’ third offensive play would set up the Eagles’ first offensive possession on the opposing 16-yard line. Before the Bears knew it, Cooper Jordan would run in his first touchdown of the night.
On the second Bears possession, the Eagles’ defense continued to bring the heat as the defense would force a turnover on downs and start what would be a trend for the night. The Eagles forced five turnovers on downs, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
While the Eagles’ rushing attack would account for all five touchdowns with scores from Gus Ross, Jon Loftus and Brandon Choi, the final touchdown would be the heartbreaker for Upper Moreland. Already up 28 points, Bishop Shanahan would get the ball to start the second half behind the legs and arm of Jordan. The speedster led the Eagles nearly 70 yards and scored his second touchdown. The score would put the game too far out of reach for the momentum switch to put the Bears back into the game.
“We are a young team and we suffered through a lot of injuries and we still got to this point,” said Upper Moreland head Coach C.J. Szydlik. “I just told these guys that they have nothing to hang their head about. We played with class and we played the game the right way. We’ll be back. We jut have to work harder.
“Bishop Shanahan had some big strong guys and a lot of seniors,” Szydlik continued. “That’s what my young guys have to see. There’s another level that they have to take it to. We’ll get there.”
According to Lyons and Jordan, the journey is not over. They have to get back to it this week. Practice hard, learn the game plan and continue to fight to get to Hershey.

Villa Maria edges league rival Merion Mercy to reach state semifinal

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FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> Any matchup this late in the state playoffs is going to be intense.
But when a pair of familiar league rivals duke it out with a berth in the state semifinals on the line, there’s some extra tension in the air.
The result was in doubt until the very last second, but when Merion Mercy’s last-ditch shot didn’t find the cage, it was Villa Maria that locked up a 2-1 win in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal showdown Saturday at Methacton.
The Hurricanes (15-9) will battle District 2 champion Wyoming Valley West in Tuesday’s state semifinal, set for 5 p.m. at Emmaus.
“I am just so proud of the girls,” said Villa Maria head coach Katie Evans. “I know I should be all excited and amazed at everything, but to be honest with you this team has grown so much during the season that these performances and outcomes are coming naturally.
“We had a really tough season and a really tough schedule,” Evans continued. “Our record doesn’t reflect the strength of our team, but I’m really pleased with this outcome. Credit to Merion, they are a tough team that never stopped fighting and they really made us work really hard for this.”
Merion started the game off with an aggressive and intense edge to its game. Several players were able to get shots off, but it was Villa Maria’s Maura O’Hare who would score the first goal of the game. Assisted by teammate Lindsey Roberts, O’Hare was able to get her team settled in and keep their confidence high.
Shortly after, the Hurricanes’ Annie Shaw would give Villa Maria a 2-0 lead heading into the half. Despite the two-goal deficit, Merion wouldn’t quit, getting on the board shortly after the second half began.
“This has been a tremendous season,” said Merion Mercy head coach Gretta Ehret. “The girls did a lot that the school hasn’t done in its history. We won the league [Athletic Association of Catholic Academies] and the district. We have a lot to be proud of.
“Villa played great today,” Ehret continued. “They were aggressive and fast. I congratulate them on their victory, but it doesn’t take away how proud I am of our girls.”
Villa Maria 2, Merion Mercy 1
Villa Maria 2 0 – 2
Merion Mercy 0 1 – 1
Villa Maria goals: Maura O’Hare, Annie Shaw
Merion Mercy goal: Kelly O’Conner





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