Familar names at new school continue tradition

In the 1980s, West Chester Henderson football fans were familiar with the names Lauletta and Harris.

Joe Lauletta, a 1983 graduate, quarterbacked the Warriors and went on to play at the U.S. Naval Academy. Drew Harris followed him five years later at Henderson where he played defensive end and fullback.

The two earned all-Ches-Mont League honors.

Now the sons of the former Warriors, Trey Lauletta and Drew Harris Jr., are making names for themselves on the football field, but not at Henderson.

They're playing for Henderson's Ches-Mont League rival Downingtown East. Trey Lauletta, a junior, and Drew Harris, a sophomore, have been instrumental in the Cougars' 5-1 start.

The Cougars hope to defend a league championship they shared with Downingtown West last season.

This season, Downingtown East's Harris has rushed for 847 yards and scored at least one touchdown in every game. He tallied four to power the Cougars to a come-from-behind win over Avon Grove last weekend.

Lauletta, who took over the quarterbacking duties when Casey Roach went down with an injury in the first game last season, has managed to throw for at least one touchdown in each game. He was perhaps at his best Friday night when the Cougars defeated Malvern Prep, 27-17.

With the Friars geared to stop Harris and the Cougars' running game, Lauletta loosened things up by passing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Harris finished with one TD and 86 yards rushing.

"Drew actually came to us from Downingtown West as a freshman," East coach Mike Matta said. "He's just an outstanding individual who's dedicated and hard-working. Just a pleasure to coach. Trey doesn't have the strongest arm but he's a very accurate passer and such a great leader."

The two players' accomplishments have come without a lot of fanfare. That's simply a reflection of their workmanlike composure on the field.

"I try to stick to the fundamentals," said the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Harris, who has been clocked at 10.99 seconds for 100 meters.

"I know I don't have the strongest arm, but I'm always working on my mental skills," Lauletta said.

Coincidentally, their football careers began with the Marsh Creek Eagles, a youth weight program. While they credit their fathers for a lot of their football knowledge, they say they never felt pressure to follow in their fathers' athletic footsteps.

"My quarterback coach has always been my dad," Trey said. "He's taught me all the technical terms, but when he was in high school, they ran the option to death."

Joe Lauletta, a Navy pilot for 11 years and now a commercial airline pilot, said he never pushed his children to play sports.

"It's been fun to watch them, play. Sure, we'll go out in the yard and have a catch. Working out has probably been good for me. Otherwise I'd probably be 30 pounds overweight," Joe Lauletta said.

Drew Harris Sr., who also spent time in the Navy after graduating from Henderson, was a defensive end until his senior year when he got a chance to play fullback for longtime Henderson coach Mike Hancock.

"I constantly remind Drew that in my first game [at fullback] I gained 125 yards and scored three touchdowns against Downingtown," he said with a laugh. "It's exciting for me to watch him play now. I also remind him of the potential he has. I just want him to stay grounded."

It appears both players have a good foundation when it comes to that score.