The Downingtown West Boys’ Soccer team faced a disappointing loss to rival school B. Reed Henderson High School on October 12. Despite a strong first half, the second half saw no goals made. Henderson started off the game with one goal, but West’s Matthew Lohr (’23) soon scored and gave the crowd some hope for another win. Both teams showed up to fight for victory, but before halftime, Henderson’s team put in another goal, making the score 2-1.

This was a huge loss for West since both teams tied as Ches-Mont League champs in 2021. One factor was team communication. “We were not connecting as a team, as we were arguing with each other the entire game,” Lohr said.

West also felt the absence of one of the team’s key players. Austin Deamer (’23), who captains the team with Lohr and Alexander Ade (’23), was sidelined for an injury caused outside of soccer, leading to a big change on the field. Deamer plays defensive mid and has a connection with longtime teammate Lohr, West’s lead scorer, and is able to get the ball back to him whenever the chance is given. 

Despite a few rough games, DW placed ninth in districts, leading them to the playoffs. Their first game is at home on October 25 against Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.