Tragedy eclipses town's big game

Their football rivalry may be of short duration, but its status is already legendary - the Whippets of Downingtown High School West versus the Cougars of Downingtown High School East.

Last night should have been their big game. The week should have been filled with rip-roaring lift-the-rafters pep rallies for the students, and intense, focused drills for the players.

Cheerleaders and bands and young athletes at their prime playing under the Friday night lights is the kind of event that pulls a sprawling suburban community together.

Instead, that community came together to mourn.

Sunday afternoon, a one-car crash on a country road killed the car's driver, Mohammadreza Daneshpooy, 17, a senior linebacker for the Cougars. His friend Christopher Evons, also a senior at Downingtown East, remains in critical condition at Crozer-Chester Medical Center.

A second friend, Christopher Layne, a football and lacrosse star at Malvern Preparatory School, suffered serious injuries but was released from Hahnemann University Hospital on Wednesday.

Thursday night, teammates lined up for the friend they called "Moe" one last time. At a memorial service at Calvary Fellowship Church that attracted nearly 1,000 mourners, they came wearing their football jerseys in his honor.

"He loved football," said his teammate J.J. Loudin before the service. "He put his heart into that."

Moe, they said, could put a smile on the saddest face. He was the kind of person who lit up the room when he walked in, the kind of guy who made everyone feel special, for whom life had no downside.

"He was a mature, happy kid who was a pleasure to be around," said Downingtown's athletic director, Paul Helm, in a statement. "He had a certain energy about him that was infectious."

Daneshpooy was tall and handsome, kind, witty, and intelligent. "My friends thought he was a real catch," said Sonya Seyedsadr, who had known him since the second grade, when their parents moved to the same neighborhood.

His family moved from Iran when he was just 21/2, but he spoke fluent Persian, she said.

Initially, the family asked police not to release their son's name, and district officials not to release any information about him. But at Thursday's memorial service, the Rev. Jeff Allem, senior pastor at Calvary Fellowship, said they were overwhelmed by the love and support that had flowed their way since Sunday's accident.

Between their sobs, hugs and tears, Daneshpooy's classmates spent the week crafting a memorial to their friend on his parking space at Downingtown East.

Yellow and green handprints from hundreds of hands decorated the pavement. His practice football jersey with No. 86 waved above. Candles and bouquets of flowers bearing the grief of the young were tributes to his memory.

Such spontaneous memorials are becoming part of high school life. According to the Chester County coroner's office, from 2002 through 2006, 33 county teenagers between the ages of 16 to 19 were killed in car crashes. Thirteen have died from drugs in other incidents.

School district spokeswoman Pat McGlone said the game between the two high schools had been postponed indefinitely because both teams are having successful seasons and may be in district playoffs.

Upper Uwchlan Township Police Chief John DeMarco said the crash remained under investigation.