Downingtown West Lights It Up at Exeter Duals (January 17)

Five rounds. Four pool matchups. One crossover finale. The Whippets rolled through pool play at the Exeter Duals with four emphatic wins before closing the day 4–1 overall. Downingtown West stacked 43 individual victories against 22 losses and racked up 24 pins, a bonus‑point surge that defined the team’s identity all day long. The pool duals were wins over Bensalem (55–18), Daniel Boone (62–12), Harry S Truman (57–13), and Exeter (38–30); the crossover final against Gettysburg ended in a tough 19–52 loss but still featured bright individual moments and a clear, upward‑trending team trajectory.

Round 1 — vs. Bensalem (55–18 W)

The day opened at 107 with Shaefer Hoffman stepping on the line and instantly putting West up with a forfeit—to launch the tournament. Mason Sigle (114) added a crisp major decision, followed in quick succession by Patrick Markey (121) and Connor Schwanke (127), who slammed the door on the early momentum with back‑to‑back pins. After a tough one at 133 for Landrum, the middleweights turned it back on: Ben Hall (139) with a pin, Brayden Sigle (139/145) with a pin, and Cole Harlan (145) with a bonus‑point major. Merhawy Kelata‑Williams (152/160) kept the pressure on with a pin, and the uppers finished the statement: Nate Letscher (172/189) and Finn McGovern (189/215) with falls, and Ryder Harlan (285) with a forfeit. It was all Whippets from whistle to whistle.

Round 2 — vs. Daniel Boone (62–12 W)

This dual opened at 114 with Mason Sigle, who set a blistering pace and tech‑falled his opponent to fire up the bench. The lightweights poured it on: Patrick Markey (121) with a pin and Connor Schwanke (127) with another pin. Michael Landrum (133) added a forfeit win, Ben Hall (139) stuck another fall, and Brayden Sigle (139/145) followed suit with a pin of his own. Moving through the middle, Merhawy Kelata‑Williams (152/160) gritted out a decision, and the big engines kept roaring: Nate Letscher (172/189) with a pin, Finn McGovern (189/215) with a major, and Ryder Harlan (285) with a tech fall. Depth, pace, and bonus points everywhere in a runaway win.

Round 3 — vs. Harry S Truman (57–13 W)

Patrick Markey set the tone for Round 3 by opening at 121 and finishing with a confident pin. The avalanche continued as Connor Schwanke (127) hammered a pin, Michael Landrum (133) delivered a hard‑earned fall, and Ben Hall (139) piled on with a major decision. Brayden Sigle (139/145) kept his undefeated day alive with another fall, and Merhawy Kelata‑Williams (152/160) battled to a tough decision win. Up top, Nate Letscher (172/189) rolled on with yet another win by fall, Finn McGovern (189/215) added a pin, and Ryder Harlan (285) added his own pin to cap an emphatic team performance.

Round 4 — vs. Exeter (38–30 W)

In the most tightly contested dual of pool play, Michael Landrum opened at 133 and delivered a composed decision to steady the lineup. The middleweights stepped up: Ben Hall (139) secured a major decision, and Brayden Sigle (139/145) blew the roof off with a clutch pin to create separation. The upperweights answered the call: Nate Letscher (172/189) drilled his fourth pin of the day, and Finn McGovern (189/215) followed with a pivotal tech fall. The lightweights answered the call, too—Shaefer Hoffman (107) secured a quick pin, Mason Sigle (114) and Patrick Markey (121) stacked major decisions to bank critical bonus points.West closed the door to clinch the 4–0 pool sweep in their pool.

Crossover Final — vs. Gettysburg ( 19–52 L)

The finale began with one of West’s top wrestlers: Brayden Sigle, who opened the dual with a composed decision to finish off his undefeated 5–0 day. Shaefer Hoffman (107) added another win, Michael Landrum (133) chipped in a strong major decision, and Nate Letscher (172/189) ended his spectacular run with another pin—his fifth of the tournament. The team result didn’t tilt the Whippets’ way, but the fight, composure, and individual efforts were on full display to the last whistle.

Undefeated Whippets (5–0)

Shaefer Hoffman (107) went a perfect 5–0 with two pins, anchoring the lineup wherever the duals started. Brayden Sigle (139/145) was a bonus‑point machine at the heart of the order, finishing 5–0 with four pins and a statement win to open the final. Nate Letscher (172/189) owned the upper weights with a flawless 5–0 and five pins, the most dominant performance of the day.

Big‑Time Performers (4–1)

Mason Sigle (114) stacked points every way possible—tech, pin, and two majors—en route to a 4–1 day. Michael Landrum (133) was a model of control and grit at the pivot spot, going 4–1 with a mix of pin, decision, and major. Finn McGovern (189/215) delivered a powerful 4–1 with two pins, a tech, and a major, flipping upper‑weight swings in West’s favor.

Standout Grit

Patrick Markey (121) posted 3–2 with two pins and opened a crucial dual with a fall; Connor Schwanke (127) went 3–2 with three pins, repeatedly slamming momentum back to West; Ryder Harlan (285) fought to 3–2 with a pin and a tech (plus a forfeit), giving the Whippets important breathing room at the close of duals. Cole Harlan (145) finished 2–1 (major, pin, loss in the final), while Merhawy Kelata‑Williams (152/160) added two gritty wins (pin + decision) while taking on tough assignments for the team.

JV Shout outs

Beyond the varsity lineup, our JV athletes deserve a huge shoutout for the impact they made throughout the day. Not only did several step up to fill varsity spots and strengthen our dual lineup, but the entire group wrestled tough in their matches between rounds—bringing energy, depth, and resilience to the team. Their work ethic, coachability, and dedication to constant improvement are a big part of what makes this program special. The growth of our JV wrestlers pushes the entire room forward, and their contributions are helping build the future of Whippet Wrestling.

From the first whistle at 107 to the last hand raise in the crossover, Downingtown West wrestled with urgency, pride, and a team‑first edge. The boys embraced tough spots, bumped where needed, and chased bonus points across the board. The undefeated runs from Hoffman, B. Sigle, and Letscher set the tone, while the 4–1 group and the standout 3–2 performances filled in the gaps that great dual teams need. It was a statement day—and a springboard for what’s coming next. On to the next one, Whippets!