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District 1 6A: Cochran leads West Chester East comeback

03/02/2022, 1:00am EST
By Ty Daubert

Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert)
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DOWNINGTOWN — West Chester East freshman K.J. Cochran wants to have the ball in his hands in the big spots. It’s just what he’s been raised to do.

The son of former West Chester Rustin coach Keith Cochran, K.J. has quickly become a standout this season for a Vikings team pushing toward the state playoffs. The 6-foot-3 guard continued that trend on Tuesday night, scoring a game-high 20 points as East defeated Downingtown West 61-53 in a District 1 playback game at Wagner Gym.


Keith Cochran (R) has been preparing KJ (L) for hardwood success his whole life. (Photo: Ty Daubert/CoBL)

“I’m ready for the pressure,” he said. “I had a lot of pressure when I was younger, so I feel like I was ready for it and just kept playing. I worked for it and I was ready for it.”

Keith Cochran took over as the first head coach in Rustin history in 2006. In turn, K.J. Cochran grew up around the program his father developed into one of the top in the Ches-Mont League. But after stepping down this past summer, Keith has been able to watch K.J. flourish in his first year of high school.

“It’s been awesome, man,” the elder Cochran said. “It’s been an awesome feeling. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s a great feeling to see your son or any of your kids have some success.”

For those who have known K.J., that early success he’s found comes as no shocker to those who have helped him develop. With support from his father and his uncle, Carl, members of Keith’s coaching staff also took notice of his skill from an early age. Rustin assistants Alex Spann, LaTrell Shelton and Ty Brickus began working with K.J. at practices to improve his game. K.J. became a part of the program, and the team embraced having him there.

“I think it helped him a lot,” Keith said, “just being around the gym and being around the teams that we’ve had. I always say he’s got like 200 brothers out there. He stays in touch with a lot of the players. They stay on him, they encourage him and they’re very supportive.”

K.J.’s current coach at East, Tom Durant, knows first-hand how those players supported him. His own son, Tim Durant, played for Keith Cochran and graduated from Rustin in 2017.

“He was a little, like, third grader when my son was playing,” Tom Durant said, “and he was practicing with the varsity team. My son told me, ‘Hey, Dad. This kid’s gonna be a player in the future.’”

Those practice runs with Rustin as an elementary and middle schooler were an important part of K.J.'s growth. Going against that competition was a key in preparing him for high school, especially as a freshman with an important role.

“When I was young,” he said, “being in the gym and being in practice with them only got me better. They were older than me and I’m younger. Just working with them and practicing versus them every day, that’s what got me here.”


Cochran (above, in Jan.) has been starting all year long for the Ches-Mont League champs. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

His pre-high school dedication has paid off as he’s starred for the Vikings on their way to a Ches-Mont championship and a berth in the PIAA Class 6A tournament this season. As East took on D-West Tuesday to determine seeding in the state playoffs, K.J. sparked a comeback effort in the second quarter and nailed late free throws to lead the Vikings alongside an 18-point night from Jose Ramos in a rematch of the league title game. 

Trailing by 10 after the first, K.J. brought the Vikings back into the game in the second quarter with an unconventional five-point play. He drew a foul on a 3-point attempt, and the D-West bench was assessed a technical foul for arguing the call. K.J. then knocked down all five free throws.

Down the stretch, he set up teammates while continuing to bury foul shots and score in the lane as East fended off the Whippets late.

“Handling the ball, knocking down free throws, hitting a 3, taking it to the hole — he gives you all of that,” Durant said. “He’s not just a one-dimensial kid. He’s a team player.”

K.J. hopes to keep bringing his dynamic play as the Vikings look forward to states with one more district game to go (Friday against Penn Wood at 7 p.m.). In the meantime, he’ll watch game film with his dad and discuss it over with the man who coached in six PIAA tournaments. 

His father is just glad he gets to watch it all unfold.

“It’s been a blessing,” Keith Cochran said. “I’m never surprised at what he is able to do, but I’m a little bit in awe. He puts the time in and it’s something that he wants. I’m glad that this is working out for him.”

By Quarter
West Chester East:    9   |  17  |  17  |  18  ||  61
Downingtown West:  19  |  11  |   6   |  17  ||  53

Scorers
West Chester East: K.J. Cochran 20, Jose Ramos 18, Jack Gallagher 11, Jack Kushner 10, Ryan Price 2

Downingtown West: Jake Warren 16,  Dylan Blair 13, Cooper Hardin 10, Kelly Bell 5, Aidan Primanti 4, Donovan Fromhartz 3, Drew Shelton 2


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