Downingtown West keeps on rolling
By Gorden Blain
It’s best to know some history and recent details when evaluating the potential for Downingtown West to repeat its 2008 Ches-Mont National championship and make another bid for the PIAA District 1 AAAA championship.

Those details are flashing green for the Whippets to keep rolling in 2009.

With a 31-6 record over the past three seasons, the Whippets have remained a championship contender year-in and year-out as starters graduate and newcomers replace them. For the first time in the history of Downingtown football (before and after the formation of two high schools, including the 1996 state championship team), the Whippets have had three consecutive seasons of 10 or more wins.

“We really feel proud about that,” says head coach Mike Milano. “I’ve seen both sides of it. We struggled for the first three years. Then finally a senior class put the pedal to the metal and got us going. I look at it as success breeds success.”

All signs point to four-straight 10-plus-win seasons and a legitimate opportunity to add district and state championships to another Ches-Mont title.

“That’s the goal,” says Milano. “We lost our 13th game (PIAA District 1 AAAA semifinal) at North Penn last year. The kids haven’t forgotten. We know what we’ll be up against with the Suburban One and their enrollments. There’s land mines in our league as well.”

QB Bret Gillespie (6-2, 205, Sr.) returns after earning a spot on the 2008 Associated Press first-team all-state team as a Specialist, not a quarterback. But it was the 2,041 yards passing, 20 TD passes and 464 yards rushing and 5 TDs that landed the dual-threat QB on the all-state team. Gillespie has drawn Division 1 recruiting interest from Clemson, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Penn State and Virginia.

Gillespie made sure the Whippets passing attack didn’t miss a beat when three-year starter Nolan Kearney graduated and headed off to William and Mary after the 2007 season. Kearney passed for 4,793 yards and 36 TDs in his West career.

“Bret was Nolan’s protégé,” says Milano. “Bret was a great student. Besides being a student of the game, Bret’s worked so hard. A lot of our success last season down the stretch was due to him. I’ve been blessed to have had Nolan for three years and now Bret. It’s a good thing that you have weapons like that at quarterback.”

There were 15 seniors who departed after the 2008 season, leaving plenty of holes in the depth chart for Milano to fill in 2009. But there is a strong group of returning starters and West is once-again stocked with returning players who have talent and who gained valuable experience as backups.

The potent pass-catch combo of Gillespie and WR-DB Mike Goodrich (5-8, 170, Sr.). a first team Ches-Mont National all-star DB and second team WR, remains intact. Goodrich, who had 26 receptions for 535 yards and 6 TDs last season and led the Whippets in tackles, was a first team DB and second team WR on the Ches-Mont National all-star team.

First team Ches-Mont National all-star DE Josh Coulter (6-2, 225, Sr.) returns after a season that established him as one of the top defensive players in southeast PA. Coulters’ 51 tackles and eye-popping 31 sacks in 2008 have grabbed the attention of recruiters from James Madison, Temple and West Chester.

“He’s a devastating force on defense,” says Milano.

Also returning are OL Mack Crowell (6-0, 230, Sr.), a three-year starter, LB-OG Max Bause (6-1, 230, Sr.) and second team Ches-Mont National all-star DB Mike Moore (6-1, 195, Sr.).

SS Shane O’Toole (6-0, 185, Sr.) is on the comeback trail after a knee injury wiped out his junior season in 2008. But Milano says the Whippets suffered a “huge” loss when slotback and DB Evan Trexler sustained an off-season knee injury that will keep him out for this his senior season.

The rest of the Ches-Mont National…

Matt Ortega, who was the head coach at York High the past five seasons with a record of 38-17, replaces Tom Nichol as head coach for Coatesville. Nichol resigned to take the head coaching job at Conestoga Valley. Ortega ran a full-throttle offense with an array of talented athletes at York (the Bearcats averaged 44.2 points per game in 2008, third-best in Pennsylvania) and he finds the same caliber of returning starters for the Red Raiders. Athletic QB Charles Green (6-0, 190, Sr.), a three-year starter, returns for the Red Raiders after throwing for 781 yards and rushing for 629 yards and 10 TDs. Always a threat to make a big play, Green has rushed for 1,349 yards and passed for 1,596 yards over the past two seasons. Other playmakers include RBs Kevin Irons (5-10, 220, Sr.), Dominic Wilson (5-11, 190, Jr.) and Kevin Berry (5-8, 175, Jr.) and WRs Tyler Pawling (5-10, 165, Jr.), Kenny Thompson (6-4, 180, Sr.) and Pat Brewer (6-0, 170, Sr.), who caught 21 passes for 289 yards and 2 TDs last season. The Red Raiders have experience on the line of scrimmage and on defense, where eight starters return. Linemen Brad Brown (6-2, 280, Sr.), who has a scholarship offer from Albany, Jody Dodds (6-4, 275, Sr.) and Matt White (6-1, 240, Sr.) are three-year starters. DL Mike Smith (5-10, 300, Jr.) is a leader on defense that features returning starters Irons, Chase Lloyd (5-10, 205, Jr.) and Brian Brady (5-10, 185, Jr.) at LB. Brewer, Berry and Phil Boyd (5-10, 165, Jr.) return in the secondary.

No team in the division has more returning starters who were Ches-Mont National all-stars than Downingtown East and head coach Mike Matta expects the Cougars to challenge for the league championship. The Cougars’ first team all-stars are C Lucas Hiller (6-1, 225, Sr.), TE Tyler Kroft (6-6, 215, Jr.), already a major college football prospect who led the team with 9 TD receptions and had 489 yards receiving in 2008, LB Anthony Petrucci (6-1, 220, Sr.) and DE Mike Tucker (6-2, 250, Sr.), a Harvard and Brown recruit with a 4.0 GPA, and second team all-stars FB Dan Gianforte (6-2, 215, Jr.) and LB Zarko Ellis (6-1, 195, Sr.). Also among the eight returning starters on defense are S Brandon Robles (6-0, 170, Jr.), LB Dylan Ditmer (6-0, 205, Sr.), DE Chris Scivicchio (6-2, 250, Sr.) and DTs Jeff Kiely(6-0, 275, Sr.) and Taj Alexander (6-6, 275, Sr.), who has emerged as a major college football prospect in whom Pitt, West Virginia, Rutgers and Temple have shown interest. OL Zilnavas Avellino (6-2, 235, Sr) and WRs Larry Barrettta (6-0 165, Sr.) and Nick Damato (6-2, 185, Sr.) return. Matta expects Downingtown West transfer Drew Harris (6-0, 195, Soph.), who was clocked at 10.99 seconds in the 100 meter-dash as a freshmen, to emerge as a playmaker. Matta also expects another solid season from team leader and returning starting QB Trey Lauletta (6-1, 185, Jr.), whose father and uncle both played at the Naval Academy. Lauletta passed for 1,605 yards and 11 TDs last season.

RB-DB Couve Lafate (5-8, 165, Sr.) and QB-DB Will Stephenson (6-0, 180, Sr.) gave Henderson offensive production last season and head coach Joe Walsh expects even more this season. Lafate led the Warriors with 729 yards on 99 carries and scored 5 TDs. Sharing time with senior Kevin Costello in 2008, Stephenson passed for 164 yards and 2 TDs and rushed for 340 yards and 4 TDs. LB Bobby Bureski (6-0, 170, Sr.), who had 89 tackles last season, and LB Myles Jackson (6-3, 225, Jr.), who had 77 tackles, return…Avon Grove head coach Marvin Dooley expects QB-DB Kyle Kush (5-11, 195, Sr.) to make an impact on both offense and defense for the Red Devils. Kush returns after passing for 540 yards and 5 TDs and rushing for 109 yards and 2 TDs. On defense, Kush had 53 total tackles and one interception on defense… At Bishop Shanahan, QB Mike Ibarquen has big shoes to fill and Eagles head coach Paul Meyers needs to find him help at wide receiver. The 2008 starting QB Greg Cordivari, who passed for 2,248 yards and 23 TDs to finish his career with 4,198 yards and Cordivari’s prime target WR Ryan Alderman, who caught 73 passes for 1,177 yards and 14 TDs, have graduated. Jrs. RB-DB Keegan Lawton, who had 333 yards rushing last season, and WR-DB Chris Cordivari, who had 20 receptions for 252 yards and 3 TDs, return…In Doug Costin’s first two seasons as head coach at West Chester East, the Vikings are just 2-19, so Costin and the Vikings are looking for positives. QB candidates Chris Maack, Sellus Rhoulac and Richy Brice and a cast of returning juniors and sophomores hope to deliver.

Around the Ches-Mont American Division…
Defending Ches-Mont American and PIAA District 1 AAA champion Bayard Rustin has the horses to stay on top. Golden Knights’ head coach Mike St. Clair has 15 of his starters from last season’s team returning along with sensational RB-DB Rondell White (5-10, 180, Sr.), who returns after rushing for 2,113 yards and 33 TDs in 2008. An AP all-state second team RB and a talented defensive back who has 13 interceptions the past two seasons, White has drawn interest from Penn State, Virginia, Pitt, and West Virginia. Rondell’s brother, Rahmier White (5-10, 180, Sr.), join his brother Rondell in the backfield along with first-year QB Mike Carlin (6, 190, Sr.).

The offensive firepower from 2008 remains intact at Unionville, which expects a return to the PIAA District 1 AAA playoffs after its string of three straight district playoff appearances was snapped last season. QB Connor Gades (6-2, 190, Jr.) as well as the Indians’ top receiver Mike Johnson (6-3, 165, Sr.) and running back Greg Carroll (5-9, 175, Sr.) returns. Gades rushed for 661 yards and 8 TDs and Carroll rushed for 941 yards and 13 TDs. Head coach Pat Clark also has a strong nucleus to work with on defense with returning OT-DT Gerald Rothstein (6-2, 240, Sr.), three-year starting LB Ronnie Brittingham (6, 210, Sr.) and newcomer OT-DT Steve Olenik (6, 240, Jr.).

First-team Ches-Mont American all-stars RB Brian Pommerer (6-3, 185, Sr.) and FB-LB Casey Haines (6-1, 220, Sr.) return for Great Valley. Pommerer, who rushed for 1,051 yards and 12 TDs, and Haines have drawn recruiting interest from Syracuse and Temple. Patriots head coach Gary Phillips expects OL Anthony McFalls (6-2, 260, Sr.) to emerge as one of the top linemen in the Ches-Mont. McFalls will need help from newcomers with first-year starter Dave Hausladen (6-2, 185, Jr.) at QB…At Sun Valley, QB-DB John Wellbrock (6, 185, Sr.), FB-OLB Zach Hopkins (6-1, 195, Sr.)and OG/DT Rob Montella (6-2, 250, Jr.) as the only starters returning from 2008. Vanguards head coach Mark Possenti expects first-year starters RB-DB Tyler Biddle (5-9, 165, Sr.), OL-DL Frank Wendling (6-2, 230, Jr.) and TE-LB Phil Tuohy (6, 190, Sr.) to make an impact…The wait for a turnaround season may be over at Oxford, after the Hornets went winless in 2008 and have just five wins in the past three seasons under head coach Denny Baumgardner. Most of the starters from last season return including WR Brendan Mundi (5-10, 160, Sr.) and FB Evan Rees (5-9, 185, Sr.). Scrambler Gary Meekims (6, 160, Sr.) and pocket passer Conner Hollenbach (6, 160, Sr.) hold the keys to Baumgardner's two quarterback-system. LBs Dan Carl (6, 185, Sr.), a four-year starter, Sam Iacono (6-1, 205, Sr.) and Brian Barnett (5-9, 180, Sr.) return… Kennett has just 13 wins in its first four seasons of varsity football but there’s plenty of reasons for the Blue Demons to expect their first winning season with 17 returning starters in 2009. RB Ty Rochester (5-6, 150, Sr.), who rushed for 691 yards in 2008, and WR-S Blake Davenport (6, 190, Sr.), who had 31 receptions for 399 yards and 4 TDs, return. Davenport is a major college track and field recruit. Srs. Pat Mallon (6-4, 295, OT) and Mike Blackburn (6-2, 220, DE-G) return. Josh Warren (6-3, 190, So.) starts at QB and head coach Jim Donato expects are Sr. Shawn Jones (5-7, 155, WR-FS) and Soph. Anthony Torello (5-10, 170, LB) to emerge as playmakers…Octorara steps up to a full-fledge varsity schedule for its inaugural varsity season as an independent under head coach Jed King, who has built the Octorara football program first as the Octorara seventh-eighth grade team coach for one season and the JVs the past two seasons. The Braves had a 6-1 record against JV competition in 2008 and played the Chichester varsity to finish the season, losing 34-19. FB-LB Nate Roman (6-0, 210, Sr.), a versatile athlete who wrestles and runs a 4.6-seconds 40-yard dash, is the leader among 13 seniors, who get what King calls the “new aroma” of varsity football. Jr. Blake Shivery (5-10, 175) is a shifty, strong-armed QB. Octorara will play its first Ches-Mont American league schedule in 2010.
Favorites
Ches-Mont National:
Downingtown West
Ches-Mont American:
Bayard Rustin

Main Contenders
Ches-Mont National:
Coatesville and Downingtown East
Ches-Mont American:
Unionville and Great Valley

Preseason Players of the Year
Ches-Mont National
QB Bret Gillespie (6-2, 205, Sr.) Downingtown West
Ches-Mont American
RB-DB Rondell White (5-10, 180, Sr.) Bayard Rustin