Downingtown West Gets Their Revenge Takes Down Downingtown East
Tagged under: District 1, Gameday Hub, News, Playoffs
Willie McGonigle | November 18, 2023
DOWNINGTOWN: Last season after dropping the regular season meetings to rivals Downingtown West and Coatesville the Downingtown East Cougars went on to reach the District 1 6A Final by avenging their previous losses to Coatesville and Downingtown West. With that in mind, after dropping the regular season matchup to East, the Downingtown West Whippets set out on their own revenge tour and Friday night it came to fruition with Whippets knocking off the Cougars 17-14 thanks to a 4-yard touchdown by Quinn Henicle with 16 seconds left in the game.
“We saw them (East) do it last year we almost used them has an example we beat them in the regular season last year, they came back and beat us and Coatesville so we said alright we are going to have own little revenge tour and we are going to come and get them.” West Wide Receiver Jake Kucera said.
Following a 41-yard kickoff return by Kucera on the game-opening kickoff the Whippets marched down the field on seven plays reaching the Cougar 4 yard-line before the Cougars’ defense forced a 21-yard field goal by Ben Mehan.
On their second possession of the game the Cougars took the lead thanks to the workhorse of a back Ayden Harris going 41 yards on five plays before he bullied his way into the endzone from seven yards out -giving the Cougars 7-3 lead. On their first possession of the second quarter, the Whippets again drove down the field reaching the Cougars’ 9-yard line but Mehan’s field goal attempt was no good
On the final play of the first half, it appeared the Whippets might go into the locker room down 7-3 but then Henicle threw a Hail Mary, and Henicle and the Whippets’ prayer was answered with Henicle’s friend Dean Hangey coming down with the ball and managed to drag his feet for the 42-yard touchdown giving the Whippets the lead 10-7 lead and momentum going into the locker room at halftime.
“Quinn threw a great pass, the line gave him time and things just fell into place” Hangey the St Joseph University Lacrosse commit said adding “Quinn is my main man, he’s my best friend I love him and tonight he played his heart out.”
Harris gave the Cougars the lead in the third quarter with his 2-yard touchdown to make it 14-10 in favor of the Cougars. Harris the Kent State commit finished the game with 114 yards on 26 carries which put him over 2000 for the season.
In the fourth quarter, both teams traded punts and it was a Whippet punt by Mehan that pinned the Cougars down at their own 1-yard line. Three plays later the Cougars punted, and the Whippets took over at the Cougars 35-yard line. Seven plays later, five of which were runs by Alex Kam, Henicle kept the ball on a read with Kam and got into the endzone to give the Whippets the 17-14 lead with 16 seconds left.
“Masterful, I knew I had to make a good fake, I saw green grass I just knew I had to get into the endzone whatever way I could.” Henicle said of the drive adding “My eyes lit up I knew I was going to get in the endzone.”
With the win the Whippets will look to win their first District Championship since 2019 a game that Henicle, Hangey, and Kucera all said inspired their dream to win one of their own. The 6th seed Whippets will take on the 5th seed CB South next Friday night at 7 pm.
“We’ve watched the 2019 team win the District and it’s always been our dream to get to that point and win and we are at that now and it’s so special,” Henicle said.
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