Downingtown East football game on Fri. to inspire inclusivity

Members of the Downingtown High School East Best Buddies wear hats provided by the Eagles Autism Foundation during the first Best Buddies mixer of the 2022-23 school year. The Downingtown High School East chapter of Best Buddies International is partnering with the Eagles Autism Foundation to celebrate the school’s 10th annual “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign on Friday,...

Upper Dublin halts Unionville playoff run, 40-7

Upper Dublin’s Lucas Roselli breaks out for what would be an 88-yard TD run, Saturday, against Unionville in the opening quarter. By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times FORT WASHINGTON — Every great ride comes to an end. For Unionville, which mounted an improbable run deep in the District 1, 5A playoffs after one of the most challenging seasons in recent history, the big red stop sign came...

Unionville overwhelms Radnor, advances to 5A semis

Unionville’s Connor Schilling gets flipped upside down in the process of scoring a touchdown, Friday, against Radnor in the Section One, 5A playoffs. By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times WAYNE — Judging by the two teams’ records, the game probably shouldn’t have been close. And in truth — it wasn’t. But it was 6-6 Unionville that thoroughly dominated 9-3 Radnor with a masterful combination...

Unionville grounds Springfield; wins 9-0 to advance in playoffs

Unionville’s Nick Schnaars fight both Springfield defenders — and the elements during a downpour during Friday night’s win over Springfield. By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times SPRINGFIELD — Somewhere, the weather gods were smiling down on Pat Clark and his Unionville football team. Clark, the Indians’ head coach,  a long-noted fan of old-school power running football, found his...

Unionville overpowers Sun Valley, 42-7, locks up postseason slot

Unionville’s Connor Schilling breaks through for what would prove to be a 96-yard TD run. By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — Despite its most challenging football season in more than a decade, Unionville lives to fight another day. Combining an overpowering run game — and two long TD runs by junior Connor Schilling — the Indians dominated Sun Valley, 42-7, Friday...

Downingtown East grinds down Unionville, 47-16

By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times Downingtown East’s Zach Hamilton battled for yardage against Unionville. EAST MARLBOROUGH — For one quarter, Unionville woke. The 3-6 Indians looked like the District One, 5A champions they were a year ago, playing stingy defense and using a slashing option run game centered on its quarterback, while arguably outplaying 6A powerhouse Downingtown East for...

Rustin controls Unionville, 14-0, gets leg up in league title race

By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times Rustin’s Michael Covert breaks into the Unionville secondary as Indians’ Gabe McLaughlin fights to break off a block. WESTTOWN — Two programs, two traditions — and maybe teams headed in opposite directions. When West Chester Rustin and Unionville get together on a football field, it pretty much always determines the ChesMont American Division title...

Unionville holds off Kennett 10-7 in nail-biter

Kennett’s Sam Forte fires the ball over Unionville’s Declan Boyle, Friday night. By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — Since 2005, when Kennett High School revived its football team, the annual matchup with arch rival Unionville has been a one-sided affair, with the Indians winning every game. But while that streak did not end Friday night, the Blue Demons served...

Haverford overpowers Unionville, 42-27

By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said “there are no second acts in American lives.” Haverford QB Jake Ruane breaks to the right en route to an 85-yard TD run, Friday night. For the Unionville High School football team, struggling through one of its roughest seasons in recent memory, the problem was that there was no encore to a very solid first half against powerful...

Unionville defense powers to 48-12 win over Oxford

Unionville’s Alex Pelegrin leaps to block a pass by Oxford quarterback Brett Kochmansky. By Al Tustin, Sports Editor, The Times OXFORD — It’s a terrible cliche (or meme, or joke in a TV commercial) but, in football, defense really does win championships — and it certainly won a game Friday night. And while it might have been tempting to focus on Unionville’s offense on a big scoring night,...