Gunning for Gold: 90 Years of Canon-McMillan Wrestling

Canon-McMillan High School has dominated in the sport of wrestling for over 90 years. A brief history of the program reveals that the team is one of the most historic in the nation. CM holds the record dual meet wins in the state with 1,075, among other records. State champs and NCAA champs alike have wrestled in the practice room at the Canonsburg, PA high school since the days that R.J. O'Connell started the intramural program. Canon Mac's 90th season is officially over, and we're looking back on our history. Check out the video:

Mat Madness 2018: And Your Winner. . .

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And your winner. . .

Mark Angle

After two weeks of voting, Mat Madness 2018 is completed. 64 of the best wrestlers in Canonsburg and Canon-McMillan wrestling have been narrowed down to just 1 champion. With a record 246 votes throughout the tournament, the champion of Mat Madness 2018 is. . . Mark Angle!

Angle was a wrestler at CMHS in the 1990’s before he attended Clarion University. The #1 seed of the Gold Age Division (80’s & 90’s) made his way through the tournament by defeating Jim Harriot, Brad Mockler, and Ron Rothka. A win against Bruce Cridge in his division finals sent him to the final four against Colin Johnston. The final victory came in the championship bout by defeating Joe Solomon of the Gunners Division. Mark Angle was the ultimate victor amongst 64 other competitors across four divisions. In his personal career, 4 Section titles, 4 WPIAL titles, 1 State title, and 3 NCAA placings place Angle as one of the greatest Pennsylvania wrestlers of all time.

Click here to download the completed bracket. The CMWAA would like to thank all 303 voters who participated in the six rounds of the tournament. There were some tough voting decisions that had to be made, but the fans engaged in a positive conversation to make their favorite choices. We certainly had a great time, and we hope the fans did too.

Congratulations to the fan’s champion and “Best CM Wrestler of All Time,” Mark Angle!

The Boards: Present Victory, Eternal Glory

Roaring crowds, shining gold medals, thrilling emotions, and a flood of congratulations make a victory in the present a feeling unlike any other. But what happens after the fact? Does a win stay forever rooted in a particular gym only to be remembered by those who witnessed the act? Maybe not in today’s society with live streaming, photographs, and videos that can be saved and rewatched for years to come. However, the moments from the 1930’s may be hard to come by.

At Canon-McMillan HS there are certain ways that these victories live on in the wrestling room. 416 plaques currently hang on the walls of four different boards in the “Christopher Mary” wrestling room. The plaques display the names of every Section, WPIAL, and State Champion to ever make his way through the Big Mac wrestling program. One state board, one WPIAL board, and two Section boards because the other one filled up in 2013.

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This year the team has added 5 names to the Section board and 1 name to the WPIAL board. They seek to nail 3 more names to the State board this weekend at the PIAA tournament. The boards have meaning to the wrestlers because they know that the plaques help their names and legacy to live on in the room. Coach Havelka told the Observer Reporter after the Section tournament:

“There is a lot of history and tradition at Canon-Mac. It’s a big deal to get your name up on that wall. The kids see it every day and know once your name is up there, it will be there forever.”

— Coach Havelka

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Though many of these modern era wrestlers have never seen or met many of the wrestlers from the 1930’s, they know the names that stick out. Robert Haney (127 lbs) is the first name on the Section title board, which started in 1960. Andy Puchany, who later became Canonsburg/CM’s head coach in the late 50’s through 1970, appears at the top of the WPIAL board from 1936 at 85 lbs. Of course, George Custer’s name sticks out on the State board because he is Canonsburg’s first ever State Champion. He won at a weight that no longer exists -- 95 lbs -- in a time that seems foreign to many current wrestlers -- 1938. Custer is also one of only two 3-timers hanging in the wrestling room. Custer is one of the big motivations for the wrestlers who seek a State title, including Gerrit Nijenuis.  He told the Observer Reporter: 

“It’s really a big motivation for me. In the (practice) room on the wall is a list of state champions. There are some really big names there. I want to keep working until I see my name on that wall. It drives me every day.”

— Gerrit Nijenhuis

As for the wrestler with the most individual plaques on the wall? That honor goes to Solomon Chishko, with 10 total: 4 Section, 4 WPIAL, and 2 State titles. Close behind him are Mark Angle, Connor Schram, and Colin Johnston with 9 plaques.

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A new board is now hanging outside of the wrestling room that marks all of the program’s team championships. Chris Mary, with the help of the Alumni Association, put the board up not only to display the program’s accomplishments, but to give motivation to CM’s wrestling teams of the future. Wrestlers set goals every season, but seeing what they are striving for is something that helps to achieve those goals. The trip to Hershey this weekend may bring fantastic memories, but it may also be the beginning of a road to eternal glory and recognition.

Mat Madness 2018: Championship

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The field has been narrowed down from 64 wrestlers to 2 of the big guns. 265 votes across 5 rounds has brought us to this matchup: Joe Solomon versus Mark Angle. Download the updated bracket here.

Joe Solomon, the #1 seed from the Gunners Division, stampeded his side of the bracket with the most amount of votes. The Gunner wrestled for Canonsburg High School in the late 1940’s through the early 1950’s. During that time, he amassed 3 WPIAL titles and 1 PIAA title at 145 lbs. He might have earned some Section titles, too, if the tournament was around back in his day. What Solomon holds over Angle is a NCAA Division I title when he wrestled at Pitt.

One of the other four #1 seed’s, Mark Angle, also advanced to the championship match. He has received the most votes in the tournament thus far, and doesn’t look to stop his domination. Angle was a 4X Section champ, 4X WPIAL champ, and 1X State champ during his high school tenure in the 90’s. Additionally, he was a 3X NCAA All-American at Clarion, earning two 4th place finishes and a bronze medal.

It’s only fitting that the last match of the tournament is the most difficult to decide. Crown the Mat Madness Champion:

Mat Madness 2018: Division Semifinals

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Upset city! All four #1 and #2 seeds are moving on, but that doesn’t mean that they’re safe.  #4 seeds Bill Hulings (Gunners) and Jim Biringer (Blue) found that out against their respective #5 seeded opponents Vic DeFelice and Emil Deliere. Bruce Cridge plowed through the competition with an upset win over JUCO Champion Rob Benjamin, but he faces a resilient NCAA Champ Sylvester Terkay next. The only division to come out unscathed with all 4 of the top seeds still remaining is the Modern Age, though Wiercioch battled in a close contest against Kyle Deliere.

We’re moving onto Round 3, the Division Semifinals. State champs face off with Pihakis vs. George (Gunners), Peterson vs. Marino (Blue), Chishko vs. Johnston (Modern), and Wiercioch vs. Schram (Modern), while NCAA All-Americans clash with Solomon vs. DeFelice (Gunners). Download the updated Division Semifinals bracket here.

Vote below, and be sure to share with your friends as these rounds start to heat up:

Nicknames Origins

The wrestlers, fans, and coaches of Canon-McMillan Wrestling have had a variety of nicknames given to them over the years. The origins of a nickname can be silly, historic, cultural, or sincere. A truly great nickname can stick with somebody for life, and for certain individuals in the CM Wrestling program, it certainly has. Some nicknames of note are: Superfan Stanley “Stush” Sadowski, cameraman Aaron "Buck" Caldwell, legend Manuel “Buz” Pihakis, Jr. High coach Brian “Slack” Krenzelak, and former head coaches Andy “Pooch” Puchany and R.J. “Roc” O’Connell. We got together with two of these guys to discuss the origins of their nicknames. Watch below:

Alumni Spotlight: Angelo Broglia

Last week we highlighted Mike Hull, an athlete that had successes in a sport other than wrestling after HS. This week, we’re taking a similar approach with our Alumni Spotlight on Angelo Broglia.

Source: Instagram

Angelo graduated from Canon-McMillan HS in 2013. He was a dual athlete on the football field and on the wrestling mat. While Angelo struggled to make the lineup behind heavyweight Cody Klempay, he earned major successes as a senior. In the 2012-2013 season, Angelo won a heavyweight Section title; additionally, he made it to the WPIAL finals and qualified for the PIAA State tournament. The Big Mac excelled in other tournaments in his senior year by placing 7th at Powerade and 3rd at Reno Tournament of Champions by winning 8 straight matches after an early loss in the tournament, making him a high school All-American. The heavyweight was also selected to wrestle on the WPIAL team in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. On the team side, he was a part of 3 WPIAL team titles and 2 PIAA State titles.

Source: Instagram

Angelo continued his education at St. Francis, playing on the football squad for one year. Realizing that he missed the sport, Angelo transferred to Clarion University to wrestle. He ultimately ended up participating in a club sport instead. While Angelo has been pursuing his Marketing degree at Clarion, he has also been working on his mixed martial arts skills with his collegiate club: Clarion MMA. This past October, the Golden Eagle brought home a gold medal at the Western PA BJJ State Grappling Championship. Some of his highlights from the tournament can be found by clicking on the linked video here. Over the summer the grappler showed off some of his skills when he taught Jiu-Jitsu to the current generation of wrestlers at the CM Alumni Wrestling Camp, which was a lot of the camper’s favorite session.

Angelo has been honing his skills, working with old CM Head Coach Jason Cardillo and other MMA champions, such as Renato Canuto and Jean Jacques Machado. The former heavyweight thinks that there are many opportunities in MMA for wrestlers after they finish their wrestling careers. The CMWAA talked to Angelo in one of our funniest and most enjoyable interviews, found below:

Cover Photo Source: Facebook

Canon-McMillan’s Top 8 Greatest Team Rivals

Penguins versus Flyers, Yankees versus Red Sox, Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed; these are some of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. A rivalry is filled with competitions that have a sense of familiarity between opponents. Wins and losses are shared back and forth throughout years of history. Fans cheer loud when nemeses compete because emotions rise when the stakes are high. With a rivalry, bragging rights are sometimes more important than the trophy itself.

Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan High School Wrestling has had its fair share of rivals over the years. Some have lasted for nearly a century, while others have just recently emerged. Others started, died out, and resurfaced, with a feeling of competition lingering in the background. Because CM has been a wrestling powerhouse in the Section, WPIAL, and State of PA, the program seems to continuously be the “team to beat.” While many opponents fear the face of any Big Mac wrestler, others jump at the chance to grapple with one just to be able to boast a victory. With a program as old as Canon-McMillan, there have been many rivalries; for that reason, the CM Wrestling Alumni Association is ranking the Top 8 Greatest Rivalries over its 90 year history. Disclaimer: this is a list based upon length, win-losses, fan stories, and a personal opinion.

Honorable Mentions:

Within the WPIAL alone, there are some tough competitors. CM beat North Allegheny in the 2012 WPIAL team finals to three-peat, yet the same team took away the Big Macs’ chances at a PIAA team title three-peat in 2014 by beating CM in the consolation finals of the WPIAL tournament. NA was also a tough team in the 80’s, when they won 3 State titles and 5 WPIAL titles, defeating CM for 3 of them. Some fans might argue that Latrobe is a major foe; however, the only accomplishment that the wildcats can boast is ending CM’s 62 match win streak in 2014. More recent quasi-rivals include Belle Vernon and Franklin Regional. Nazareth and Easton have posed threats on the state level, while Walsh Jesuit and South Plainfield have been dangerous opponents for the Macs on a national level. The biggest issue with all of these opponents is that there were not enough major matches or big enough stakes to consider any of these teams true rivals.

8. Washington

Wins: 42, Losses: 14, Points Scored: 1508, Points Against: 863
Length: 76 years, Last Loss: 1980-1981

Considering Wash High a rival team may seem crazy, especially since the HS is a AA team now. However, back in the 40’s and 50’s, fans flocked in droves just to see the Prexies take on the Gunners. In the early days of wrestling, Canonsburg wrestled each team in the section twice a year, adding Washington to their schedule in 1941 when Canonsburg won 48-5. From 1947-1953 the only two teams to win WPIAL titles were either Canonsburg or Washington, during which time the Gunners went 7-3 against the team in duals. Washington also proved a formidable foe in the mid-70’s. The Prexies were eliminated from Canon Mac’s schedule in the late 80’s when they switched from AAA to AA, but the team deserves a spot on this list as an old-time rival.

7. Connellsville

Wins: 4, Losses: 13, Points Scored: 392, Points Against: 452
Length: 27 years, Last Loss: 2008-2009

The Connellsville rivalry is one that anybody who followed CM wrestling in the 2000’s knows well. From 1999 to 2009, the Falcons appeared in 8 WPIAL finals, earning a PIAA team State title in 2005. Connellsville is one of the only teams that the program has a losing record to, making it tough to consider the team a true back and forth rival. One of the biggest components to this team’s placing on the list is the controversial 2008 WPIAL semi-finals when Connellsville injury defaulted a wrestler out of a match. This move sent the Falcons forward to win a WPIAL title and made Big Macs fans very upset.

6. Kiski Area

Wins: 7, Losses: 8, Points Scored: 432, Points Against: 429
Length: 22 years, Last Loss: 2016-2017

One of the most recent rivalries for CM is Kiski, although the first match against the team was in ‘95-’96. The Big Macs have been fighting back and forth with the Cavaliers for the past ten years for a WPIAL team title. The Big Macs have won 5 out of the 11 dual meet encounters with the team from 2010-2017, unable to ever beat them at the PIAA State tournament. Canon Mac beat Kiski in the 2010 WPIAL finals, and Kiski returned the favor by beating CM in the 2017 finals. Fans might remember the 2010 finals as CM’s first WPIAL title out of four straight when Mike Hull came back from a shoulder injury to defeat the Cavaliers 33-27. The rivalry was so heated that fights began to break out in the stands. With tit-for-tat wins against each other, the record could be tied by the Macs next week when the teams will likely face off in the WPIAL finals for the third time in history.

5. McGuffey

Wins: 48, Losses: 11, Points Scored: 2160, Points Against: 1043
Length: 57 years, Last Loss: 2002-2003

The McGuffey rivalry started out hot in ‘60-’61, when the team beat the Macs in their first encounter. However, this was just one of eleven losses to the team. This rivalry intensified in the 1990’s, when CM went 8-8 against the Highlanders from ‘90-’00. During that time, McGuffey appeared in 7 WPIAL finals, winning 3 of them. The team traded titles with Canon-McMillan in back-to-back finals. In the 90’s McGuffey won 2 Section titles, while CM won 7. Unfortunately, the competition died out in the mid-2000’s, and the Highlanders switched to AA in the ‘14-’15 season.

4. Central Dauphin

Wins: 2, Losses: 1, Points Scored: 82, Points Against: 92
Length: 7 years, Last Loss: 2010-2011

This team rivalry had one of the most difficult placements on the list because of its recency and low amount of matches. So, is Central Dauphin truly a rival? Absolutely. After CM beat CD at the 2010 Powerade tournament, the teams dualled for the first time in ‘10-’11 when the rams knocked the Macs out of State title contention. A year later, Canon-McMillan ended Central Dauphin’s 95 match win streak and reign as 4X State Champions and went on to take the title from them. The following year CM bested CD again in, perhaps, the greatest match in program history when the Big Macs defeated the Rams in Brendan Price’s final bout of the 2013 State Championship to win 34-31. This is the shortest rivalry on the list, but it deserves its placement because of the high stakes.

3. Chartiers

Wins: 58, Losses: 9, Ties: 3, Pts Scored: 2054, Pts Against: 1055
Length: 77 years, Last Loss: 1981-1982

Ask anybody from the 1980’s who the biggest competitor was in the WPIAL, and he’ll tell you it was Chartiers-Houston. While the rivalry started in 1940 -- making this the 3rd longest -- it did not pick up speed until the 50’s when Chartiers first defeated the Macs in ‘50-’51. Things heated up heavily in the late ‘70’s into the 80’s when the Buccaneers won a Section title, a pair of WPIAL titles, and a State title. 1983 is the year that held one of Canon Mac’s other biggest matches, when CM defeated CH 29-17 in a HS so packed to the limit that fans had to watch the dual on tv’s in the cafeteria because they could not fit in the gym. Interestingly enough, this is the second major match to include Chris Mary, yet he was wrestling for Chartiers at the time. This is the third team rivalry on the list to die out over time as Chartiers did not grow and had to switch to AA in the late 90’s.

2. Trinity

Wins: 73, Losses: 28, Ties: 2, Pts Scored: 2717, Pts Against: 1785
Length: 86 years, Last Loss: 2000-2001

Trinity a rival? Yes. Trinity is Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan’s oldest and longest-lasting rival. Dating back to 1932, the Gunners added the Hillers to their first official schedule. Unofficially, Trinity handed Canonsburg its first loss in 1931 before the national record counted. The Hillers were tough opponents from ‘65-’80, handing the Macs 8 losses out of 16 matches and capturing 5 WPIAL titles. During that time the Section title was won by either the Big Macs or Hillers, each winning 7 titles a piece. Canon-McMillan and Trinity have faced off over 100 times, with the biggest win deficit in ‘11-’12 with a score of 67-9 and the biggest loss deficit in ‘79-’80 with a score of 11-47. This long feud explains why CM is always so eager to trounce Trinity, yet the Hiller’s last win against the Big Macs was in 2001.

1. Waynesburg

Wins: 66, Losses: 38, Ties: 4, Pts Scored: 3044, Pts Against: 2141
Length: 79 years, Last Loss: 2006-2007

We’ve finally arrived at the biggest team rivalry in Canon-McMillan history: Waynesburg. Canonsburg and CM have been facing off with the Raiders since 1938, when the Big Macs crushed them 32-10. This long history is the second longest on this list. From ‘39-’47 either the Raiders or Big Macs won a WPIAL title, and each team won a State title. Waynesburg has been first or second in the WPIAL 24 times, with 13 of those being encounters with Canon Mac. Of the 108 times that the teams have met, Waynesburg has won 38 times -- the most victories over Canon Mac by any team. The largest win streak by an CBG/CM team was from 1932-1940 with 87 wins, which was brought to an end by Waynesburg giving Canonsburg its first official program loss by a score of 15.5-18.5. The Big Macs returned the favor in 1960, when the team ended Waynesburg’s three year, 42 match win streak in 1960. The Raiders are also responsible for one of CM’s biggest loss deficits of all time by a score of 9-50 in ‘79-’80. Additionally, the team has the most points scored against the Big Macs, while we have the most points scored on any team against Waynesburg. While they have not beat CM since ‘06-’07, Waynesburg is looking for vengeance in the Section team title race this year.

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90 years and 8 great rivalries. These opponents have shaped Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan Wrestling into the program that it is today with outstanding victories, humbling defeats, and controversial calls. This list is meant to spark some controversy, so make sure to leave your thoughts about this list and share your own personal lists. CM has battled with many teams for nearly a century; however, new rivals are sure to emerge, and the HS boys will be ready to face them when they do.

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Mid-Season Canon-McMillan Wrestling Updates (CCNS, JH, HS, College)

College

• Dalton Macri (UNC) [125 lbs] - 2-2 record, #9 in NCAA
• Brendan Price (Pitt) [125 lbs]
• Connor Schram (Stanford) [125 lbs] - Hokie Open (1st), CKLV (6th), #16 in NCAA
• Tony Mastrangelo (Waynesburg) [133 lbs]
• Matt Oblock (Wheeling Jesuit) [141 lbs]
• Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) [149 lbs] - 5-2 record, #8 in NCAA
• Brendan Furman (Finger Lakes) [285 lbs] - 9-6 record, Cleveland Open (6th)
• Nick Konyk (Mercyhurst) [184 lbs] - Ohio Intercollegiate Open (3rd)

The Big Macs place 4th at the North Canton Tournament.

HS Matches (3-0 Record)

Montour 

CM wins 71-9.
Gardner (120), Ross (132), Hritsko (138), Rohaley (145), Nijenhuis (160), Miller (170), Hendal (195), Minis (220) and Ramos (Hvy) all won by fall.

Chartiers Valley

CM wins 66-6.
Binni (113), Hayman (120), Hritsko (138), Rohaley (145), Pihiou (152), Wolfgramm (160), Miller (170), Hendel (195) all pinned for the Big Macs.

Kiski Area

CM wins 36-27. Alumni Night honors wrestlers from the past 90 years, Gunners & Big Macs alike. Coach Mary's 2012 & 2013 State Championship teams were also honored.

Baxter (106), Binni (113), Macri (126), and Rohaley (220) had pins for CM. Hayman (120) had big win over #2 in the WPIAL, Miller. Nijenhuis (160) and Ramos (Hwt) also had decisions.

HS Tournaments

Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic

CM places 4th overall behind Cumberland Valley, Easton, and Bishop McDevitt.

120 - Kenny Hayman (3rd)
126 - Logan Macri (3rd)
138 - Tim Hritsko (4th)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (1st)

North Canton Tournament

CM places 4th overall behind Wadsworth, Cuyahoga Valley, and Louisville.

106 - Jimmy Baxter (3rd)
113 - Michael Binni (4th)
120 - Kenny Hayman (1st)
138 - Tim Hritsko (3rd)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (2nd)

Powerade Tournament

CM place 8th overall, beating out Waynesburg and Kiski.

JV
145 - Skylar Adams (3rd)
170 - Evan Miller (1st)
195 - Alec Hendal (2nd)
285 - Giomar Ramos (4th)

Varsity
120 - Logan Macri (1st)
138 - Tim Hritsko (6th)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (3rd)

WPIAL Rankings (As of 1/2)

Team - CM (#1)
106 - Jimmy Baxter (#7)
113 - Michael Binni (#5)
120 - Logan Macri (#1)
126 - Kenny Hayman (#3)
138 - Tim Hritsko (#3)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (#2)
195 - Alec Hendal (#10)
220 - Zach Rohaley (#4)

CM's Junior High wins the Greensburg Salem Tournament

Junior High (11-0 Record)

Matches

• 88-9 (Montour)

• 72-24 (Chartiers Valley)

Seneca Valley Duals Champions

• 68-24 (Hempfield)

• 78-21 (Burrell)

• 51-39 (Kiski)

• 85-16 (Quaker Valley)

• 90-9 (South Fayette)

Greensburg Salem Dual Meet Champions

• 87-15 (Mt. Pleasant)

• 104-0 (Latrobe Orange)

• 72-21 (Greensburg Salem)

• 58-39 (Kiski)
   

CCNS/JH

Viper Duals Champs (K-8)

• 88-12 (MD Eagles)

• 62-21 (Central MD)

• 91-0 (Vipers Wrestling Club)

• 70-24 (Naval Academy)
   

Other CM Happenings

• Colin Johnston named head wrestling coach at Pitt-Bradford
• Coach Mary celebrates the 12 Days of Chris-mas

Sources: Finger Lakes, FloWrestling, Mercyhurst,  Observer Reporter, Pitt, Pittsburgh Tribune, Stanford, Track Wrestling, UNC, Virginia Tech, Waynesburg, Wheeling Jesuit, WrestleStat

Alumni Spotlight: Bobby Patnesky

Source: Penn State News

As another way to discover the history of the Canon-McMillan Wrestling program in its 90th anniversary year, the CMWAA is rolling out a new video series. On Monday, we unveiled the Wrestler of the Week series, which will help to connect the CM wrestling community to the current high school wrestlers. Today we are launching the Alumni Spotlight, which will catch the community up with some of Canon Mac’s finest wrestlers whom have graduated.

In this first edition, the Alumni Association is shining the spotlight on Bobby Patnesky for propelling the Penn State Behrend wrestling team to its first dual meet victory in 40 years as the new head coach. Having transferred as a head coach at Davidson College, Bobby enters his first year coaching at the school that just relaunched its program after a 38 year hiatus.

Bobby’s time at CMHS consisted of winning a WPIAL championship, placing 3X at the PIAA State tournament -- making the finals once -- being a 3X Junior Nationals All-American and National finalist, and becoming a 2X Cadet Nationals All-American -- earning 3rd place in the Cadet World team trials. In addition, he was a part of the 1995 WPIAL Championship team. His career record ended 141-28. Bobby went on to wrestle at West Virginia University where he had over 100 college wins, won the EWL championship, and qualified 3X for NCAAs. Bobby was a DI head coach for over 10 years and was inducted into the Washington-Greene County Chapter PA Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Make sure to watch the Alumni Spotlight video below to learn more about this Big Mac wrestler!

Cover Photo Source: Davidson Wrestling News

CM’s 90th Anniversary Poster Analysis

It’s finally November, and that can only mean one thing: wrestling season is here! This is a special season for Canon-McMillan wrestling; the program will look to the future with new Head Coach Havelka while also honoring the past by remembering 90 years worth of history.

One of the best ways to pull all of this tradition together is through Alumni Night, which will take place on Friday, December 22 against Kiski. Former head coach, Chris Mary, and head of the CM Wrestling Alumni Association, Brian Hritsko, started Alumni Night a few years ago to honor decorated CM wrestling alumni.

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“Alumni night, to me, is about getting together with past wrestlers and fans and reminiscing about the great teams and times we had. CM wrestling is a close-knit community, and it’s important that we keep that going.”

— Brian Hritsko

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The Alumni Association is trying to make this event bigger and better than ever this year, and that starts with understanding the past. To discover the past, I’d like to introduce a poster that I created to give meaning to this upcoming season. . .

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Coaches from left to right: Jason Cardillo (2015-2017), Ron Junko (1976-1979), Dave Cook, R.J. “Roc” O’Connell (1927-1938), Chris Mary (2001-2014), Andrew “Pooch” Puchany (1957-1970), Tim Mousetis (1995-1996), John Ross (1948-1956)

Wrestlers from left to right: Philip Ahwesh (30’s), Cody Wiercioch (10’s), Albert Miles (00’s), Solomon Chishko (10’s), Lester Peterson (60’s), Bruce Cridge (90’s), Colin Johnston (00’s), Sylvester Terkay (80’s), Manuel Pihakis (50’s), Nick Catalano (00’s), Dalton Macri (10’s), Craig Dellorso (80’s), Elias George (40’s), George O’Korn (60’s), Mark Angle (90’s), Brendan Furman (10’s), Connor Schram (10’s)

The Wrestlers

Choosing the wrestlers on this poster was no easy feat, as Canonsburg and Canon-McMillan have had their fair share of phenomenal wrestlers. I chose wrestlers from many different years to show some of the dominant individuals across all eras. The wrestlers on this poster account for nearly a quarter of all of CM’s WPIAL titles and almost 50% of all of the program’s State titles. In addition, eleven of these grapplers are in the 100 Win Club -- Manuel Pihakis just falls short at 99 wins. There are also 13 total NCAA medals between the six collegiate medalists. Another fun fact is that Sylvester Terkay competed in the WWE in the late 2000’s. To me, and a lot of the Canonsburg wrestling community, these wrestling legends are the face of the program; for that reason, I included them at the forefront of the poster.
 

The Coaches

Of the sixteen coaches from the program, eight of them are on this poster. These coaches have won 722 matches over 64 seasons, accounting for 68% of CM’s total wins. Coaches Mary and Puchany are tied with having coached the most seasons, 14. Of course, I also had to include the founder and first head coach of the Canonsburg Gunners, Coach O’Connell. Interestingly enough, no coach has had a higher win percentage than Coach O’Connell’s 92.86%, although some have come close to it. Even though I included Phil Ahwesh with the wrestlers, he also went on to became a head coach in ‘46. Few of CM’s head coaches actually went through program; in fact, many are from neighboring towns, including Chartiers Houston. Without these coaches many of these wrestlers would not be able to compete at the high level that they have, and they deserve to be recognized. As the coaches are the backbone of the program, I included them looming in the background.
 

The Names

The legendary wrestlers are the face, the coaches are the backbone, but the names on the bottom of the poster are the heart of the program. These 148 last names are either Section, WPIAL, or State champs. The reason I included last names is because many of them have carried on for generations through Canonsburg. Grandfathers, uncles, dads, sons, brothers, and cousins have all competed for the program under the same last names. Personally, my grandfather wrestled in the 50’s, my dad and uncle wrestled in the late 70’s and 80’s, I wrestled in the early 10’s, and my brother is wrestling currently. The names are grouped on the poster because they are all united by a common bond that is CM Wrestling, and they show that CM is also strong as a team.
 

The Accomplishments

The accolades from 1927-2017 on this poster are unparalleled throughout the section, WPIAL, PA, and U.S. Canonsburg and Canon-McMillan have a combined 1060 wins, 242 losses, and 15 ties, giving the program an 80.5% win percentage. As wrestling is an individual and team sport, I included the team and individual accomplishments, both of which are impressive. The program makes successes out of individuals, but it also succeeds as a team.

The 90 year history of the Big Macs and Gunners is truly phenomenal because of the legends, coaches, family names, and holistic accomplishments. This poster is a way to look back on the history and pay homage to the greats that have passed through the wrestling room; furthermore, it is a way to allow current wrestlers and fans to discover the rich tradition of Canon-McMillan’s past. The Alumni Association will be selling these posters at home matches for the duration of the season, with proceeds going back into the program.

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A Brief History of the Canon-McMillan Wrestling Program

In a year that saw Charles Lindbergh fly across the Atlantic Ocean, Ford Motor Company produce its last Model T, and the Yankees sweep the Pirates in the World Series (typical), 1927 also brought the start of a dynasty when R.J. O’Connell journeyed from Penn State University to Canonsburg, PA to teach science. While Penn State was not the power house in wrestling that it is today, O’Connell brought his knowledge from the university’s program to Canonsburg High School when he started an intramural program.

The program started success early for Canonsburg from its first matches in 1933 into the 1959 merger between Canonsburg, Cecil, and North Strabane areas to form Canon-McMillan High School. The CM wrestling program has had over 2,000 wrestlers and 16 head coaches come into the mat room. As this year marks 90 years since R.J. O’Connell first stepped foot in Canonsburg, it’s time to take a look back at some of the history and stats of the whole program.

Wins & Losses

1,060 wins, 242 losses, 15 ties. The record of Canonsburg and Canon-McMillan HS helps the program stand tall as the team with the most dual meet wins in Pennsylvania. At more than 100 matches behind, Waynesburg and Easton come in at second and third most wins. Coaches O’Connell and Mason lead the “Gunners” on an 87 win streak in their first eight official seasons. With his own 45 match win-streak, Coach Chris Mary holds the record for most CM dual meet wins with 214, with notable victories over Erie McDowell and Central Dauphin in the 2012 and 2013 PIAA State Finals. While the wins are great, the program has also suffered many heartbreaking losses to teams that have become certain rivals like Waynesburg, Trinity, North Allegheny, and Latrobe, among others.

Coach Chris Mary gets psyched after a big WPIAL win

Coaches Cardillo and Haynes at the state tournament

Team Titles

8 is the number of times the “Big Macs” have gone a full season without a single team loss. The program boasts other team credits such as 39 Section titles, 20 WPIAL titles, and 8 State titles. Canon Mac has won the last 16 Section titles, dating back to Mary’s second season as a coach in 2002. If he accomplishes nothing else, new Head Coach Jeff Havelka must continue to dominate the Section, as he has big shoes to fill. As for WPIAL? CM won 4 straight WPIAL titles from 2010-2013. However, what most fans don’t know is that the “Gunners” won 6 straight WPIAL titles from 1936-1941, starting by capturing the first ever WPIAL Team Championship. At the state level, CM won 8 straight State titles from 2010-2013, including three team-individual titles.

Canonsburg "Gunners" wrestling team under Coach Phil Ahwesh (1947)

Individual Titles

Jason Dami after winning PIAA quarterfinal (1994)

There is nothing that has made CM Wrestling the program it has been more so than the individuals that have wrestled in it. From 1927-2017, over 220 wrestlers -- including myself -- have brought home Section titles. At the WPIAL level, there have been 150 titles won by “Gunners” and “Big Macs,” with twenty-four of those coming from 4X Champs Andy Puchany (a future head coach), Don Haney, Manuel Pihakis, Mark Angle, Colin Johnston, and Solomon Chishko. While there have been no 4X State Champs from the school, George Custer and Manuel Pihakis have each brought home 3 titles of the program’s 43 total. CM has qualified over 170 wrestlers and claimed 134 state medals.

Accolades

Other than big high school stats, the “Big Macs” have sent 20 wrestlers, 4 coaches, and 3 teams into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. 39 wrestlers have also made the prestigious achievement of being a part of the “100 Win Club.” At the collegiate level, the school has been a part in helping twelve individuals win 22 NCAA medals, including 5 NCAA Champions. In the 2017-2018 season, be sure to look out for Dalton Macri (12), Connor Schram (10), and Solomon Chishko (4), as they are all ranked in FloWrestling’s Top 20 and looking for NCAA titles. In other areas, the CM Alumni Wrestling Camp has molded the current generation of CM wrestlers for 3 years, while the Mac Open Golf Scramble brought together past generations of wrestlers and fans in its first year.

Canon-McMillan Wrestling has built up a tradition of continued excellence carried on from the “Gunners” to the “Big Macs.” These statistics show that CM started strong and has been a team to reckon with for nine decades, and that will continue into the future with the support of fans, families, and previous generations of wrestlers. As this upcoming season starts up, the Alumni Association will be taking a closer look back at the history of the program with analysis, history lessons, and interviews, so be sure to come back often for new articles. Check out the Infographic below, and look forward to an eventful season!

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*All outside information is referenced from http://www.cmwrestlingalumni.com/ or “A History of Canonsburg Canon-McMillan High School Wrestling” by Paul Amic.