Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Special K
Kennett clinches first outright title in school history
KENNETT SQUARE >> A quick glance at all of the championship banners for each sport hanging inside Kennett High’s gymnasium reveals that there isn’t one for boys’ lacrosse. But that’s going to change very soon.
“I think that is going to come to an end — finally,” echoed Kennett head coach Bob Allvord.
That’s because the Blue Demons finally got one for the first time in program history. Capping off an unblemished record in league play with a dominant 11-1 triumph over visiting Downingtown East on Tuesday, Kennett captured the outright Ches-Mont crown and vaulted into the top spot in the district power rankings.
“We knew when we set out that we wanted to get to the next step,” said senior goaltender Jason Astle. “So it feels so great to be the first team to really cross that bridge.
“We hadn’t had a conference championship heading into this season, and we’ve never had a playoff win, so hopefully we can get some more stuff done before this season is over.”
Now 12-0 against league foes (15-0 overall), the Demons are the only unbeaten team in District 1 3A play. And if Kennett can keep its record pristine through two more non-conference regular season games – notably a showdown against Central League power Garnet Valley on Thursday – the squad will head into districts as the top-seed.
“I told the boys I couldn’t be prouder,” Allvord said. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m just happy for them – I really am. It’s been a fun ride so far.”
The Demons closed out the title with impressive wins against their top three pursuers – West Chester Rustin, Downingtown West and Downingtown East -in successive games. And they allowed a total of eight goals in 144 minutes of action.
“Our defense is solid all of the time and we never have to worry about that,” said star midfielder Sam Forte. “The offense kind of has the whole game to catch our rhythm.”
On Tuesday, the Cougars (8-2, 12-4) had a chance to grab a share of the championship with a win. But East managed just one goal, and surrendered the final eight to Kennett.
“(Kennett) is a very good team,” said Cougars’ head coach Joe Horvath. “I am really impressed with their players, their coaching and their strategy.
“It is a well-deserved title and I wish them luck in the postseason. I think they can really do some damage and really represent our league well.”
This one was quite competitive until the Demons reeled off six straight third quarter goals in a frenzied span of 6:02. It turned a 3-1 nail-biter into a 9-1 rout.
“Once we start to see goals go into the back of the net, they just keep pouring in,” said Forte. The senior finished with four goals and two assists.
“This group has played together for a very long time. It kind of feel right that this group of guys have been able to do something that’s never been done at Kennett. But we aren’t done yet. There is still a lot ahead for us.”
Faceoff specialist Richie Hughson got the rally started with a goal, and fellow senior Evan Hartmann made it 5-1 soon thereafter. And then Forte and sophomore standout Zach Hulme took over, accounting for the final six goals scored in the match.
“It’s something about third quarters with us,” Allvord said. “Richie (Hughson) figures things out with the faceoff and when he controls the X it enables us to go on those runs. And once the kids get into a groove, it is fun to watch.”
Hughson was a solid 11 for 15 on face offs, but he was 8-2 in the second half. Hulme tallied four of his five goals in the final 20 minutes of action.
“I am so grateful I got here when I did,” Hulme said. “This team is something special.
“It means so much more having the title all to ourselves instead of sharing it. If we were going to win it for the first time, why not take it for just ourselves?”
For Downingtown East, it was the squad’s third loss in the last four outings, but all four were against quality opposition. A common thread in the losses: a second half letdown.
“We did the same thing against (Downingtown) West and some other opponents,” Horvath pointed out. “We come out strong and then we kind of go mild. That can’t happen. I attribute a lot of that to unnecessary turnovers and the inability to pick up ground balls.
“We are going to have to forget this game quickly and get to practice with a good mindset and work hard if we want to finish strong.”
The scoring chances were far fewer in the first half, at least for the Demons. Forte scored once in the first quarter and again in the second, but the biggest goal came in the final minute of the half when Hulme scored in transition off a pass from Jake Freeberry to make it 3-0 at the break.
“Our defense is outstanding, and they keep us in games,” Allvord said. “And then the offense gets their runs, and the defense closes it out. We had a good game plan defensively, and they executed it perfectly.”
Astle turned aside nine of 10 shots on goal for Kennett, and afterwards, he praised the defensive unit in front of him.
“It makes my life so easy,” he said. “I think our defense is really the unsung heroes of this season. No one else in the league, and maybe the state, has as good of a defense the kind of defense in front of them.
“Eventually our opponents have to take some kind of shots, but they are outside, and they are bad shots. We don’t have a weak link on our team but our defense has an insane six and we have depth. It’s awfully nice.”
For Allvord, who is in the first season of his second stint as the head coach at Kennett, Tuesday was the culmination of work dating back to 2006 with the program.
“There was the possibility of us being a co-champion,” he said. “So our theme was: ‘no co-championship.’ And that came from the kids. Their desire to do this, and do it right, means everything to me.
“This team is special, so I’m savoring it. It is almost surreal to be standing on the sideline watching this after all these years. I’m enjoying it, and I am enjoying it for them.”
Kennett 11, Downingtown East 1
Downingtown East0 0 1 0 -- 1
Kennett 1 2 6 2 -- 11
Downingtown East goal: Ostertag.
Kennett goals: Hulme 5, Forte 4, Hartmann, Hughson.
Goalie saves: Milon (DE) 8, Astle (K) 9.