Downingtown West Knockouts Coatesville in Battle of Chest-Mont Heavyweights
Tagged under: District 1, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Willie McGonigle | October 7, 2023
DOWNINGTOWN: It’s one of the biggest matchups on the Chest Mont schedule every year traditionally both Coatesville and Downingtown West are not just powers in the Chest Mont League but also District 1 Friday night was no different.
In one corner you had the visiting Coatesville Red Raiders coming into the game at 5-1 and winners of three straight with three consecutive games. In the other corner, the 4th ranked Downingtown West Whippets entered undefeated and with a defense allowing 10.5 points per game. In the end, it was the Whippets that were left standing. Leaving a wet Kottymeyer Stadium with the 21-14 victory.
“It’s a great opponent it’s a great rival.” Whippets head coach Mike Milano said of Coatesville adding “They (Coatesville) is a really good football team, and we think we have a pretty good football team too.”
After their 2022 meeting was canceled due to threats of violence the teams had to wait a little longer to get started has Friday. night’s contest was delayed 15 minutes due to lighting but eventually, things did get started.
After forcing the Red Raiders to go three and out to start the game the Whippets offense wasn’t letting a heavy rain get in their way has, they marched 67 yards mostly through the air on eight plays including a fourth down conversion by Quinn Henicle to keep the drive alive and on the next play Alex Kam put the Whippets on the board with his 10-yard touchdown run.
On their ensuing drive, the Red Raiders evened things following a kickoff return by Frank Miles that put the Red Raiders at their own 49, they needed only six plays including a 34 Matt Ortega Jr to Mills connection that set them up at the Whippet 4 yard-line and on the next play Damon Watson punched it from 4 yards out.
On the ensuing Whippet drive, Freshman DL CJ Miller pounced on a Henicle fumble and the Red Raiders were in business at the Whippet 27. Four plays later Ortega connected with JaQuan James for a 29-yard touchdown to give the Red Raiders the 14-7 lead.
After a scoreless second quarter in which both defenses threw their weight around the teams entered the locker room with the Red Raiders leading 14-7.
After the Red Raiders forced the Whippets to punt on the opening possession of the second half, they appeared poised to add to their lead by driving down to the Whippet 35-yard-line when Tommy Miller intercepted Ortega, however on their ensuing drive the Whippets would turn the ball themselves.
Henicle’s arm would tie things up when he hit Jordan Barry in strive and 60 yards later we had a tie ball game.
Henicle used his legs to give the Whippets the lead with 5:57 remaining in the game with his 9-yard touchdown run. With his team facing a 3&11 from their own 2-yard line Henicle showed tremendous poise in the pocket connecting with a good friend Dean Hangey for a 33-yard gain to keep the drive alive eventually the Whippets would need to punt giving the Red Raiders one final chance however penalties and the Whippet defense prevented the Red Raiders from tying the game.
The victory marked the first time since the 2019 District 1 Championship game that Whippets knocked off the Red Raiders. “We’ve worked ever since then, we got them in our house and we did what we were supposed to,” Henicle said
The Whippets look to improve to 8-0 next Saturday when they travel down to Chester with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. The Red Raiders will look to get back in the win column when they host Bishop Shanahan for their homecoming game with kickoff scheduled for 7 pm.
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