Whippets get payback, move on to District Title Game

Written by: Paul Sarpen on Saturday, November 18th, 2023. Follow Paul Sarpen on Twitter.

Two weeks. Two undefeated teams end their season with a loss. Last week was Souderton.

This week was Downingtown East’s turn, as the Whippets avenged their 35-7 loss to the Cougars in week 10, in epic fashion. The Whippets scored on a Quinn Henicle four-yard run with sixteen seconds left to pull out the 17-14 upset.

The Whippets got on the board first on their opening drive, when Ben Mehan kicked a 21-yard field goal. Following an exchange of punts, Ayden Harris put the Cougars up 7-3 with a six-yard run.

Right before halftime, things got very interesting. Following some issues with clock management and indecision on whether or not to burn time-outs for a punt, Quinn Henicle hit Dean Hangey on a 40-yard Hail Mary for a 10-7 lead.

Late in the third quarter, we had our fourth lead change, when Ayden Harris put East up 14-10 on a two-yard run.

A crucial sequence put the wheels in motion for West’s upset. Ben Mehan boomed a 49-yard punt, pinning East at their one-yard line. East’s vaunted run game managed only seven yards. Then a 28-yard punt put the Whippets in plus territory at the Cougar 35-yard line with about three minutes left to set the table.

Faking a run into the middle, Henicle pulled the ball and ran it in for the four-yard run at the end. Henicle went 13-22 for 196 yards on the night.

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