Ches-Mont Amercian Division no longer a one-game schedule

This has been a very interesting and entertaining first two weeks of the scholastic football season. Last week, Unionville defeated West Chester Rustin, 21-7. For what seems like ages, or at least since the Ches-Mont American Division was formed, that the winner of the Unionville vs. West Chester Rustin contest would take home the division crown.

This season may be no different as the Longhorns seem to have all the ingredients to become the league champions. Unionville has a solid defense, are always well coached by Pat Clark and may have enough playmakers to make the Longhorns the favorites after the triumph over Rustin. For years, the winner of this game would routinely march through its Ches-Mont American schedule and mercy rule the rest of the league without a whole lot of extra effort.

However, times may be changing. Great Valley, Kennett and Oxford are all 2-0 at this early stage of the season and all three squads have looked impressive so far in posting their unbeaten marks. Great Valley has a very good defense and quarterback Andy Talone takes a back seat to no one in the division. The Patriots are in the third season of a reclamation project by head coach Jeff Martin, and with a likely win over Sun Valley tonight, will be 3-0 for the first time since 2016 and on the way up.

Oxford sometimes got lost in the shuffle because the program has not really been on anybody’s radar for the past 20 years or so. The Hornets rotated head coaches and staffs like crazy and wins down in the southern part of the county were very hard to come by. That is the old Oxford, not the team head coach Mike Means puts out on the field this season. Means had a quality squad four years ago but the Hornets regressed after getting hit hard by graduation.

They have defeated both Radnor and Sun Valley at home this season and in what may be more important than wins, is that Means has the kids believing in themselves and each other and the results are on the field on Friday night. Oxford is not an easy out anymore and the rest of the Ches-Mont American better take notice or the ride back from Oxford will seem even longer than usual.

Athletic Director Sean Harvey inherited a losing football program when he took over the task of putting Kennett athletics on the right track. Enter head coach Lance Frazier and in a couple of years, Kennett is now a team that the other squads have to prepare for and not an easy mark on its schedule. Frazier has brought discipline, energy and pride to a program, that frankly, had none of that. Kennett is now sitting at 2-0, and the Blue Demons don’t look like they are ready to be just spoilers in the league, but actual contenders.

So, after beating Rustin, Unionville definitely has the leg up on the division title. The Longhorns know that the times are changing and that they can no longer take their division brethren for granted or they will get bit in the you-know-what.

The title may very well fall to Unionville after week 10 is completed. But, it has never been tougher to earn the Ches-Mont American division crown than it is this season and that makes it more fun for every fan.