Ean Winchester is making history at Twin Valley

Twin Valley’s Ean Winchester takes a shot on goal against Eastern York in a District 3 playoff Tuesday at Elverson.. (BILL UHRICH – READING EAGLE)

To hear from those who know him, Twin Valley’s Ean Winchester is the type of student-athlete that every coach and teacher would love to have on the field or in the classroom.

“I would say hard-working, determined, humble and a leader,” Winchester said when asked how he would describe himself. “I try to lead the team with whatever they need to accomplish all their goals.”

All three of his coaches backed up that statement, describing Winchester as one of the humblest, most hard-working kids one can meet.

The junior not only excels in football, wrestling and lacrosse, but also holds a 4.0 grade-point average. Because of those on- and off-field accomplishments Winchester is one of five finalists for the Reading Eagle’s Male Athlete of the Year award, which will be announced on June 29.

“I have never seen a three-sport athlete like this,” Twin Valley boys lacrosse coach Andrew Doupe said. “He’s unbelievable. He’s not just good or participating in three sports, he is one of the most dominant players on the field.”

Winchester, who is 6-2, 250 pounds, has built quite the resume through three years of high school, but his coaches say he still has incredible potential for growth.

“The list goes on,” Winchester said about what he would like to improve on as a senior. “I want to get faster and stronger and just work on technique on all my positions. You can never be too good.”

During the 2022 football season, Winchester helped lead Twin Valley to its first District 3 playoff victory — a 43-29 win over Milton Hershey in Class 4A — while earning All-Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 second-team honors at tight end and on the defensive line.

He recorded more than 70 tackles and had nine sacks in his first year at defensive tackle after playing linebacker in his previous seasons.

“When you talk about a linebacker moving down to play defensive tackle in a three tech and having the year he had, it talks about his toughness and strength,” Raiders football coach Brett Myers said.

“At first it was a little rough,” Winchester said of switching positions. “I worked hard to learn the position and understand all the rules to it. It ended up paying off in the long run.”

Winchester, who had 14 catches for 209 yards last season, also is the Raiders’ leading returning receiver.

Following football season, he jumped right into wrestling.

As a team captain, the heavyweight finished with a record of 36-6, won the Berks title and a sectional championship and was an All-Berks selection for the second straight season. He was named the Raiders’ MVP.

Winchester will reach the 100th-win mark next season; he is 95-17 in his high school career.

The wrestling team still holds informal practices twice a week and Winchester attends regularly to stay on top of his game.

A few weeks ago, a new wrestler arrived and needed a pair of shoes in order to wrestle, so Winchester gave his teammate an extra pair of his shoes to use and keep.

“That’s just the way he leads,” Twin Valley wrestling coach Shawn Wilkinson said. “He looks out for his teammates. He’s supportive. He’s pretty much a coach as a high schooler.”

Winchester ended his junior wrestling season on a controversial call in the regional tournament, which cost him a chance to go to states.

During the consolation semifinals at the District 3/PIAA South Central Regional Class 3A Wrestling Championships, Winchester’s opponent’s finger went into his mouth. While picking his opponent up, Winchester bit down accidentally, resulting in disqualification. It was a heartbreaking way for his season to end.

Wilkinson said he is confident Winchester would have been a state medalist if not for the disqualification. Winchester is excited to get back on the mat next year to have a chance to be a state medalist as a senior.

Winchester then jumped into his lacrosse season, which became another successful one.

The Raiders won their first district playoff game and finished 13-5.

“We don’t have this level of success without Ean Winchester,” Doupe said.

Winchester, a faceoff specialist who earned All-Berks honors for the second straight season, won 85% of his faceoffs, which is unheard of in lacrosse. Those won faceoffs gave his team more possessions.

“He’s special on the field,” Doupe said. “Numbers I’ve never seen before. … He’s something special. I don’t know if I’ll have the pleasure of ever getting to work with, let alone see, a kid as dominant as he is at the faceoff.”

Prior to lacrosse season, Winchester was debating whether to play the sport, but he decided to play and was happy he did.

Now he is thinking about being a four-sport athlete as a senior by participating in track and field in order to work more on his speed and strength. It’s part of him striving to make himself and those around him better at any opportunity.

In addition, he also set the school records for max squat and max bench press this school year.

“I don’t know many guys who have spent as much time in the weight room trying to better themselves as he does,” Myers said.

Winchester has received a fair amount of college interest in all three of his sports.

He said he will make college visits this summer and hopes to have a decision in the fall.

“Honestly that’s hard,” Winchester said of what sport in his favorite. “Hard to tell because I like all of them. Pretty much equal. I want to go to college for either one.”

As Winchester heads into his final year of high school, he will continue to strive to make himself and others better as he aims to have a senior year that eclipses the success of his junior year.

“I don’t know if there’s anyone in our county that unique athletically,” Myers said. “Won the first (football) playoff game in history, won the first playoff game in lacrosse history and his wrestling record speaks for itself. … He’s a unique kid who is leading our sports teams to things they’ve never done before.”