TE's Best Gifts of the Year: 2012

A Coach's Gift for all Seasons Inspires TE

A Conestoga High School coach gives a gift that teaches important lessons and inspires a community along the way.

Conestoga High School's Head Football and Baseball Coach inspires his teams to greatness, regardless of how the scores or the standings stack up on any given moment of a season. John Vogan is literally a coach for all seasons and one of the greatest examples is a guy named Sonny. For years now, Sonny has been a fixture of Coach Vogan's 'Stoga football and basbeball teams. Sonny has Down Syndrome. While he doesn't have a place on official game rosters, Sonny is as much a member of Coach Vogan's teams as anyone. TE Patch first told you Sonny's story after the Pioneers won the 2011 PIAA Baseball Championship last year. (Sonny's story was already well known before Patch came along in May 2011). After winning the game, the players made sure …

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Stoga on 3! Freshmen Football Winning Season

The Conestoga Freshmen football team wraps up its season at Teamer Field.

It wasn't the storybook ending they wanted to write, but the Conestoga Freshman Football team of 2012 has a bright future, according to their coach. The team dropped the final game of the season in a tough loss to Upper Darby, but the freshmen can celebrate a winning 4-3 season overall. Coach Mike Diamond told his squad that they "are the future of Conestoga Football" and they'll look back at this season on senior night in three years and remember how it all began. For a complete photo gallery with dozens of photos like the Tredyffrin Easttown Patch Facebook page where you can see a lot more photos from Thursday's game.

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Stoga's Youngest Fan Has a Hug for the Coach

One of the Conestoga Freshman Football team's littlest fans gets a lift from the coach.

Conestoga Freshman Football Coach Matt Diamond gets a hug from daughter Katelyn after his team wraps up the last game of the season Thursday at Teamer Field.

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Conestoga Cheerleaders, Game Make Philly TV

Conestoga's Homecoming game is featured on the CBS3 Friday Football Frenzy.

The Conestoga High School Cheerleaders were the featured squad on Beasley Reece's Friday Football Frenzy Friday night. The 'Stoga cheerleaders open the segment, which features different games every week. Conestoga defeated Harriton 51-21 in the game at Teamer Field. The game itself is featured at 3:44 into the video with a big breakaway run.

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Conestoga Senior Named Valor Bowl Defense MVP

Valor Bowl pits Chester County High School senior all-stars in match up to benefit Special Olympics.

Monday Morning Quarterbacking the Quarterback

Coach says the Pioneers offense will be in good hands next year with Joe Viviano.

Joe Viviano showed signs all year of being special. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior quarterback helped Conestoga finish 7-3 in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. The Pioneers finished just out of the PIAA District 1 playoff race. But with Viviano back, expect the Pioneers to be among the top teams in the Central League again next year. “Joe has improved tremendously throughout the year,” Conestoga offensive coordinator Chris Gicking said. “During the season, Joe would come over my house and have dinner with my family and we’d break down film, going through things. He’d go out of his way to make sure we would see film together. What Joe’s commitment tells you as a coach is that he wants to get better, and if he plays well or not, …

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Conestoga Shuts Out Penncrest

The Pioneers put the Lions to rest in a downpour.

The Conestoga Pioneers handily defeated Penncrest High School on Friday night. The game, played in a downpour for three of its four quarters, ended in a score of 23-0. Conestoga commanded the game from the opening kick-off, scoring its first points less than five minutes into the game. The game's first quarter saw Consetoga rack up a touchdown with a good blend of passing and running. The heavy rain would normally preclude a passing game but the Pioneers seemed uninterested in conventional football wisdom. That touchdown was capped off with a two-point conversion ending the quarter with a score of 8-0. In the second quarter deep in their own territory, the Lions, finding themselves at fourth down with eight yards to go, set up to punt only…

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Conestoga Holds on to Upset Ridley Football

Pioneers escape with win after last-minute botched snap.

A botched snap saved Conestoga’s game against Ridley and maybe even their season. The mishap, which occurred after the Raiders had scored what should have been the game-tying touchdown, iced the game for the Pioneers at 21-20. “We said all week that you get very few chances in the season to get a big name win against a great opponent. And Ridley’s a great opponent,” said coach John Vogan said, who was honored during the game for leading the Conestoga baseball team to a state title earlier this year. “The game plan was exactly what we wanted… I’m just proud of how my kids fought all the way to the end. “ The Pioneers got off to an early lead after scoring on their first drive of the game. Junior quarterback Joe Viviano connected on a 4-yard…

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The Last Leg Of A Tough Stretch

Conestoga looks to take positives from games against tough opponents.

Conestoga coach John Vogan makes a strong point when he mentions to look at the Pioneers schedule. Vogan was looking for his team to mature, and the Pioneers received a strong lesson last Friday night in a 42-12 Central League loss to Garnet Valley. It doesn’t get any easier this Friday, when the Pioneers host Central League power Ridley. The five teams Conestoga has faced this season, including two scrimmages against undefeated Unionville and Downingtown West, are a combined 8-2. “We were going to find some things out, and we have,” said Vogan, whose team sits at 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the league. “We’re a young team and we were in the game against Garnet Valley, down 14-12 at one time. What I like right now is how well we’re moving the …

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