Downingtown

Sophomore Maddie Dew was handed the starting point guard's job for the Downingtown West girls' basketball team this season. Lindsay Galcynski has been there, and she can relate. Galcynski, a senior, remembers struggling with aspects of her game as a younger player on junior varsity, then joining the starting lineup on varsity. She had to fit in with four players who were accustomed to playing with one another. Galcynski learned a lot from that experience and is using it to help her teammates.

After dislocating a finger, Wissahickon's Dan Murphy was forced to watch the dramatic late minutes of Friday's PIAA District 1 Class AAAA playoff opener against Downingtown East from the sideline. "It happened while I was trying to block an extra-point kick," the senior said. "It was rough not being out there. But I had confidence in my teammates. " His faith was warranted. In the final 61/2 minutes, the 16th-seeded Trojans drove the ball to the East 5-yard line and, with Greg McDonough's 22-yard field goal at the buzzer, shocked the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Cougars, 38-35, at Kottmeyer Stadium.

Ridley's lead dwindled to three points in the fourth quarter Friday night, but the Green Raiders made sure that's as close as it would get as they turned back visiting Downingtown West, 20-17, in the first round of the District 1 Class AAAA football playoffs. Ridley (11-0) entered the playoffs as the second seed, while Downingtown West was No. 15. Kelton Heverly triggered the Ridley offense early on with a pair of field goals before the ground attack got going. Darren Washington sprinted for a 16-yard touchdown before halftime and Rich Coia plunged for a goal-line touchdown in the third quarter.

Sixteenth-seeded Wissahickon shocked top-seeded Downingtown East with a last-second field goal in the first round of the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs at Downingtown West. East, which entered the game 10-0 and ranked second in Southeast Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, rallied from 14 back in the second half to tie the game with seven minutes left. But Wissahickon managed a 22-yard field goal by Greg McDonough as time expired to stun the favorites, 38-35. Wissahickon charged ahead with a 21-point third quarter led by Dave Stillato, who broke off three of his four touchdowns, to take a 35-21 lead.

  Suburban One Continental Josh Adams caught an early 88-yard touchdown pass from John Pileggi, igniting them both to a big night in Central Bucks South's 34-14 win over visiting Central Bucks West. Adams also ran for a 52-yard score and Pileggi threw for three touchdowns for the Titans (9-1, 6-1). Stephen Veal had an interception return for a score and had a touchdown reception.   Central League Ryan Corkery ran for two touchdowns, including a 46-yarder, and threw for another as Garnet Valley beat Haverford High, 30-13.

Chris White stepped back from the holder to attempt the field goal. When he stopped, he brought his arms in front of him and grasped his right thumb with his left hand. He swung his arms behind his back and grasped his thumb again. He then returned his hands in front of his midsection to grip the thumb a third time. The routine, done early in the Downingtown East football practice, was swift and subtle, almost imperceptible if you weren't looking for it. Three quick steps. Much of White's life revolves around the number three, or multiples of three.

After beating its crosstown rival Friday night, Downingtown East controls its fate for the top seed in the District 1 Class AAAA football playoffs. If the Cougars (8-0) win their final two regular-season games over West Chester East and W.C. Henderson, they will be the No. 1 seeds. The seedings are set according to power points. The latest set of those were released Monday. Ridley, also 8-0, can't catch up even if it wins the next two weeks. Green Raiders coach Dennis Decker isn't fazed by the math.

Conestoga had a few goals entering Monday's first-round District I field hockey playoff game against Downingtown West: Get on the board first, play with a strong team effort, focus on what the Pioneers could control, and, of course, win the game. That's exactly what the Pioneers did, earning a 4-1 victory on the road. "We came out really strong, really focused, came out intense," Conestoga coach Megan Ryan said. "We came out with a sense of urgency and I think it paid off. " Conestoga (15-2)

For the second year in a row, the Kyle Lauletta-to-Jay Harris connection figured prominently in the outcome of the Battle of the Brandywine. With the dynamic pass-catch duo hooking up nine times, including on two first-half touchdowns, Downingtown East notched a 35-21 victory Friday night over Downingtown West in a lightning-delayed contest before an overflow crowd at Kottmeyer Stadium. The Cougars, ranked No. 2 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Ches-Mont League National Conference; the Whippets slipped to 6-2 and 3-1. Last season, Lauletta fired four TD passes to Harris as East, with 21 second-quarter points, rolled to a 44-14 victory over West.