A Look Back at the CM Wrestling Season

Canon-McMillan’s 90th Anniversary season is over, and Coach Havelka and his Big Macs did not disappoint on making this season an exciting one. Coaches Havelka, Bowman, Crivelli, Maisner, and Steele coached the team to a 15-3 record. Some of the exciting matches along the ride was a win over Kiski on Alumni Night, a rematch with the Cavaliers in the WPIAL finals, and matches that were too close for comfort against Central Dauphin and Seneca Valley at Team States. The grapplers won the program’s 17th straight Section title, claimed silver at the WPIAL tournament, and took 4th at the PIAA tournament.

On the individual front, the Big Macs competed in 5 tournaments during the regular season, with at least one finalist in each one. Gerrit Nijenhuis kicked off the season with a championship at Cumberland Valley, and Kenny Hayman continued the chase for gold at North Canton. Logan Macri won his first Powerade title, while Evan Miller earned his first JV Powerade title. In the TRICADA Tournament, Jimmy Baxter, Tanner Rohaley, and Gerrit all earned a title. During the season, Tim Hritsko also became a member of the 100 Win Club, joining his teammate Logan. The post-season started with 5 Section Champions, including first-time champs Jimmy, Tim, and Giomar Ramos - CM’s 11th straight heavyweight to win a Section title. At the WPIAL, Logan earned his first WPIAL title, Gerrit Nijenhuis earned silver, and Tim Hritsko qualified for States with a 4th place finish. The season ended with Gerrit earning a bronze medal and Logan Macri accomplishing a career-long goal by winning a PIAA State title, becoming CM’s 44th in history.

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Canon-McMillan wins a team Section title.

Team

Regular Season
CM (71) def. Montour (9)
CM (66) def. Chartiers Valley (6)CM (36) def. Kiski Area (27)  [Alumni Night] [Watch Here]
CM (27) def. Waynesburg (21) [Watch Here]
CM (62) def. Central Catholic (12) [Senior Night]
CM (39) def. Trinity (22)

Section Tournament (1st Place)
CM (59) def. Moon (15)
CM (36) def. Waynesburg (18)

WPIAL Tournament (2nd Place)
CM (51) def. Upper St. Clair (21)
CM (62) def. Hampton (3)
CM (47) def. Seneca Valley (17)
Kiski Area (33) def. CM (24)

PIAA Tournament (4th Place)
CM (36) def. Council Rock South (24)
Cathedral Prep (40) def. CM (18)
CM (59) def. Cedar Cliff (9)
CM (29) def. Central Dauphin (28)
CM (27) def. Seneca Valley (23)
Cathedral Prep (42) def. CM (22)

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Logan Macri wins first WPIAL title.

Individual

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

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

Powerade (8th Place)
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)

TRICADA (2nd Place)
106 - Jimmy Baxter (1st)
113 - Michael Binni (3rd)
120 - Kenny Hayman (2nd)
132 - Blake Joseph (6th)
145 - Tanner Rohaley (1st)
152 - Dimitri Pihiou (3rd)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (1st)
170 - Evan Miller (5th)
195 - Alec Hendal (3rd)

Escape the Rock (6th Place)
106 - Jimmy Baxter (5th)
126 - Logan Macri (2nd)
138 - Tim Hritsko (7th)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (2nd)

Section (N/A)
106 - Jimmy Baxter (1st)
113 - Jacob Gardner (4th)
120 - Logan Macri (1st)
126 - Kenny Hayman (3rd)
138 - Tim Hritsko (1st)
145 - Tanner Rohaley (2nd)
152 - Dimitri Pihiou (5th)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (1st)
170 - Evan Miller (3rd)
285 - Giomar Ramos (1st)

WPIAL (3rd Place)
120 - Logan Macri (1st)
138 - Tim Hritsko (4th)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (2nd)

PIAA States (5th Place)
120 - Logan Macri (1st)
160 - Gerrit Nijenhuis (3rd)

Photo Sources: Facebook

PIAA State Tournament Recap

The Big Macs put on one final performance of the season at the PIAA State Tournament. The team brought three wrestlers and placed two of them. After four years in pursuit of a State title, Logan Macri accomplished his goal by plowing through the 120 lb. weight class. With the finals win, Logan became CM's 44th State Champion. Gerrit Nijenhuis also made his way onto the podium with a bronze medal. Though he lost in the semifinals on a controversial call, Gerrit wrestled back for 3rd at 160 lbs. CM’s final wrestler, Tim Hritsko wrestled for his first time in the Individual State tournament and earned two wins before falling in the bloodround to go to placing. While Tim did not place, his points accumulated with his teammates earned the team a respectable 5th place team finish with 53.5 points behind Kiski (60 pts), Bethlehem Catholic (68.5 pts), Cathedral Prep (72 pts), and Nazareth (87 pts). Below are the match-by-match scores, as found on FloArena:

Logan Macri (120) - State Champion

Round 1 - Logan Macri dec Brandon Meredith (Spring Ford), (10-4)
Quarterfinals - Logan Macri tech fall Rafael Portilla (Carlisle), (23-8)
Semifinals - Logan Macri dec Sean Pierson (Nazareth), (5-2)
Finals - Logan Macri dec Doug Zapf (Downingtown West), (3-2)

Tim Hritsko (138) - DNP

Pigtail - Tim Hritsko fall Nathan Swartz (Hollidaysburg), (5:57)
Round 1 - Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic) tech fall Tim Hritsko, (17-2)
Consy Round 2 - Tim Hritsko dec Antonio Petrucelli (Owen J. Roberts), (9-3)
Blood Round - Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North) dec Tim Hritsko, (7-4)

Gerrit Nijenhuis (160) - 3rd Place

Round 1 - Gerrit Nijenhuis fall Patrick O’Neill (North Penn), (3:47)
Quarterfinals - Gerrit Nijenhuis fall Ethan Baney (South Western), (1:16)
Semifinals - Carter Starocci (Cathedral Prep) dec Gerrit Nijenhuis, (3-1 OT)
Consy Round 5 - Gerrit Nijenhuis fall Jacob Burgette (Scranton), (2:07)
Consy Finals - Gerrit Nijenhuis dec Luke Stout (Mt. Lebanon), (3-0)

Cover Photo Source: Observer Reporter

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: Final Four

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Four rounds of voting have finally decided the Division Champions. Joe Solomon (Gunners), George O’Korn (Blue), Mark Angle (Gold), and Colin Johnston (Modern) have been crowned individual division champs of their respective eras. Now comes the tough part: cross-era matchups. Download the updated PDF bracket here.

On the left side of the bracket, #1 Joe Solomon is up against #1 George O’Korn. Solomon is a 3X WPIAL champ and State champion at 145 lbs, in addition to being an NCAA Champion at Pitt. O’Korn has 3 Section titles, 1 WPIAL title, and 2 PIAA titles at 165 and 167 lbs. To be fair, the Section tournament was not around in Solomon’s day, but this is going to be a close match.

#1 Mark Angle takes on #4 Colin Johnston on the opposite side of the bracket, and this matchup is a doozy. Both wrestlers have 4 Section titles, 4 WPIAL titles, and 1 State title in the lightweight classes. The two are also members of the 100 win club, Johnston with 163 wins and Angle with 148 wins. Johnston continued his career at WVU and Angle at Clarion, becoming a 3X All-American. Good luck, voters.

It’s up to you who advances to the Mat Madness Championships:

Mat Madness 2018: Division Finals

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Mat Madness continues to stun fans with more upsets. It was apparently clear-cut for the Blue Age to host the #1 and #2 wrestlers in the finals, but the other three divisions were not so straightforward. #3 Manuel Pihakis edged out NCAA All-American Elias George to advance to the Gunners Division Finals. On the opposite side of the bracket, #6 Bruce Cridge advanced with a second upset against NCAA Champion, Sylvester Terkay; however, he now faces the wrestler with the most votes in the tournament thus far, Mark Angle. And in the final division, #4 Johnston pulled out a close victory over the only #1 seed not to advance, Solomon Chishko.

Make sure to download your updated version of the bracket by clicking here. The Division Finals are now set:

• Gunners Age - #1 Joe Solomon vs. #3 Manuel Pihakis
• Blue Age - #1 George O’Korn vs. #2 Angelo Marino
• Gold Age - #1 Mark Angle vs. #6 Bruce Cridge
• Modern Age - #4 Colin Johnston vs. #2 Connor Schram

Submit your ballot below for Round 4, and please share with your friends:

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:

Mat Madness 2018: Round 2

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Mat Madness 2018 Round 2 Updated Bracket

Thanks to all of those who participated in Round 1 of Mat Madness 2018. Last round there were some tight matches and three upsets: #9 Darrel Patterson over #8 Tony Compeggie (Gunners), #9 Nick Catalano over #8 Cody Klempay (Modern), and #11 Kyle Deliere over #6 Brendan Furman (Modern). Download the updated Round 2 bracket here.

We kick off our second round with some fresh matchups and some teammates facing off against each other. Who will come out on top? You decide!

As a reminder, you can vote for all or some of the matchups. Instructions: 1) Click on your picks, 2) Click “Next” to see the next Division or “Back” to see the previous, and 3) Click “Submit” to make sure your responses are counted. Round 2 voting closes on February 27 at 5:00PM. Vote on Round 2 Below:

Jr. High Qualifies Record 14 for PJW State Tournament

Not only was this a phenomenal weekend for the High School team, but the Jr. High had a great showing at the Area IV Regional tournament. Coach Slack's squad qualified a record 14 wrestlers for the PJW State tournament, beating the previous record of 12 qualifiers in 2016. The young men will compete next weekend in the PJW Jr. High State Championship at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, PA (3/3 - 3/4). Review the full results below or at TrackWrestling:

1st

102 Costa Moore (Champion)
107 Brandon Dami (Champion)
124 Gabe Stafford (Champion)

2nd

82 Lucas Dantry (2nd)
87 Conan O'Donoghue (2nd)
92 Jake Egizio (2nd)
97 Jacob Haupt (2nd)
117 Tyler Soule (2nd)
132 Danny Phillips (2nd)
140 Matthew Furman (2nd)
157 Ty Rohaley (2nd)

3rd

82 William Styperk (3rd)
92 Daniel Buckley (3rd)
132 Addison Miller (3rd)

Cover Photo Source: Facebook

Section 4 AAA Recap

The Big Macs didn’t disappoint in the Section 4 AAA Championships this weekend, qualifying 10 wrestlers for the WPIAL tournament next weekend at Canon-McMillan High School starting Friday (3/2). The team ended with the most 1st place finishes in the tournament (5) over Waynesburg (3). Logan Macri earned his 3rd straight section title, while Nijenhuis earned his 2nd championship. Below are the results from the championship and consolation matches:

1st/2nd

106 Jimmy Baxter pinned Hunter Shriver (Waynesburg), 1:48 / 1st
120 Logan Macri dec. Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg), 5-1 / 1st
138 Tim Hritsko dec. Jackson Henson (Waynesburg), 2-1 / 1st
145 Nick Acuna (Moon) dec. Tanner Rohaley, 2-0 / 2nd
160 Gerrit Nijenhuis maj. dec. Vincenzo Rauso (Central Catholic), 11-2 / 1st
285 Giomar Ramos pinned Ryan Howard (Waynesburg), (2:53) / 1st

3rd/4th

113 Giani Martini (Trinity) dec. Jacob Gardener, 4-0 / 4th
126 Kenny Hayman pinned Cody Trout (Chartiers Valley), 4:04 / 3rd
170 Evan Miller dec. Jamal Littlejohn (Moon), 7-6 / 3rd

5th/6th

152 Dimitri Pihiou pinned Michael Bates (Moon), 1:51 / 5th

Check out the results and articles:
WPIAL AAA Section 4 Tournament Results
Hritsko, Canon-Mac Get Best of Waynesburg in 4-AAA Finals

Mat Madness 2018 - Who is CM's Best Wrestler of All Time?

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Mat Madness 2018 - Click on photo to enlarge.

Welcome to Mat Madness 2018! It’s been asked on Facebook, at matches, and behind closed doors, “Who is the BEST wrestler to come out of Canon Mac?” Well, it’s time to decide in March Madness bracket style.

We’ve set up a 64-man bracket with the top 16 wrestlers from 4 different eras: Gunners (30’s-50’s), Blue (60’s-70’s), Gold (80’s-90’s), and Modern (00’s-10’s). The wrestlers were chosen and seeded based upon an algorithm of their amount of High School Section, WPIAL, State titles and Collegiate NCAA placings. We have excluded any wrestlers currently in High School because they have not finished their career yet.

The tournament will take place over 6 rounds and complete within two weeks. What’s the criteria on voting? It’s up to you: who would win in a match, who has more accomplishments, who has had the better career, etc.

Schedule:
Round 1: February 22
Round 2: Feburary 26
Division Semifinals: February 28
Division Finals: March 2
Final Four: March 5
Championship: March 7

Vote in all of the divisions or just your favorites. Want to learn more about the wrestlers? There’s not better way than on our website. Click here to view Individual History. Get started below:

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:

Wrestler of the Week: Dimitri Pihiou

All good things must come to an end, so the CMWAA is concluding our WotW series with one final installment. We’ve highlighted more than half of the starting wrestlers on the HS team, and now we’re moving into our ninth line-up spot at 152 lbs. Congrats to our final Wrestler of the Week, Dimitri Pihiou!

Source: Instagram

While the wrestler does not have any shoe collecting habits like some of his other teammates, Dimitri does tie his wrestling shoes a certain way before each match for luck. Another part of his warm-up ritual is listening to his favorite type of music. For those unfamiliar with his taste, he listens to Migos. As for his taste in food? Greek is the obvious answer, but Dimitri considers Ichiban Hibachi Steakhouse his favorite restaurant. With his culturedness in Asian food also comes a hankering to play his favorite sport, Ping Pong, which is a national sport in certain Asian countries.

Fans may be familiar with his older brothers Christos and Will, both of whom also passed through the wrestling program. This is the third Pihiou’s final year of wrestling.  With 12+ years of total experience under his belt, this is Dimitri's fourth year starting for the Big Macs. Of those many years, the Big Mac still considers his favorite memory as going to the team PIAA State tournament and wrestling with his teammates. He is hoping to make a few more great memories this year with his team by winning a WPIAL title and placing at the State level. The Senior has helped his team this year by winning dual matches; furthermore, Dimitri placed 3rd at the TRICADA tournament earlier this month.

Dimitri plans on pursuing a Business degree at a four-year university after he graduates in June.

Cover Photo Source: Instagram

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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Wrestler of the Week: Giomar Ramos

CM wrestling fans have been treated to bios of the 106, 113, 120, 126, 138, 145, and 160 lb. weight classes in our Wrestler of the Week series. But, where are the heavier weights? Well, this week we move up to the biggest weight class that there is with this week’s Wrestler of the Week, Giomar Ramos.

As a new edition to the Big Mac squad, Gio has enjoyed wrestling in the high school lineup this year. The sophomore doesn’t daydream in favorite class, history, but you may catch him thinking about pancakes throughout the rest of his day. The Big Mac doesn’t know what he wants to do post-high school, but he knows that he wants to go to college and be involved in athletics. Gio has the athletics part down now, as he also plays football in the fall and competes in track & field in the spring. The heavyweight wrestler considers shoe collecting his favorite hobby, just like some of his other teammates. Watching football is Gio’s other favorite hobby, and his favorite team to cheer on is Michigan State -- not a bad team to cheer for, considering their upset wins over Michigan and Penn State this past season.

Speaking of cheering, Gio’s favorite wrestling memory comes from middle school when all of his teammates cheered him onward to victory at a tournament in his second year of wrestling. Gio has earned his share of encouragement from his teammates this year as he won by fall against opponents during the Montour and Kiski matches. The grappler earned a 4th place finish at the JV Powerade tournament in December. His victories seem to fall into place with his season goals of being more of an offensive wrestler and taking more shots. Gio will wrestle next with his team in the Section Team tournament this Wednesday.

Alumni Spotlight: Mike Hull

Source: Pittsburgh Sports Report

So far in this series, we’ve highlighted past CM wrestlers who have become college coaches and Division I wrestlers. Taking a slightly different approach this week, the Alumni Association is removing our headgears and picking up helmets as we tackle 2010 CM graduate, Mike Hull.

During his days as a Big Mac, Mike was a four-sport athlete, excelling in football, wrestling, baseball, and track. On the football team Mike played linebacker and running back as a captain. #49 helped the Big Mac football team to a winning season record, a feat which has not happened since his time under Coach Montecalvo.

To Mike, fall was for football and spring was for baseball, when the Big Mac was a part of the 2008 AAAA State Championship team and made into a captain over time. In his senior year, Mike was not satisfied with three sports, so he picked up another; in track & field, Mike competed in the 100 meter and shot put. His high school wrestling days are remembered by many wrestling fans because of the 2010 WPIAL finals match against Kiski. Coming down to the last bout, the captain put his shoulder injury aside to clinch the Big Mac’s first of four straight WPIAL AAA Team Championships.

Mike furthered his education at Penn State University, where he continued to play football, following in his father’s footsteps. After a 2010 redshirt year, the Nittany Lion played special teams in 2011. In 2012 “Hull” started to become a household name in State College as he started as an outside linebacker, eventually switching to inside linebacker in the 2014 season. The defenseman was also named a captain in his final season under Coach James Franklin, when he lead his team and the Big 10 in tackles. #43 ended his college football career on a high note after PSU sanctions were lifted and Mike became a Pinstripe Bowl Champion.

Source: Daily Collegian

The Nittany Lion graduated with a degree in finance and signed with the Miami Dolphins after being undrafted. Cut from the lineup in 2015, Mike persevered on the practice squad. He was pulled up later that season for three games. #45 eventually earned a spot as the starting inside linebacker for Miami. During his three seasons with the team in the NFL, he has amassed 35 tackles and 1 interception.

Mike has had quite the career as a Big Mac, Nittany Lion, and now Dolphin. In 2015 he met us to discuss tips with the current wrestlers for the CM Alumni Wrestling Camp. That video can be found below:

Cover Photo Source: Dolphins Wire

Wrestler of the Week: Michael Binni

The Big Macs celebrated Senior Night last Wednesday with their last home dual meet of the year. The seniors helped push the team to a 62-12 victory against Central Catholic, so we would like to spotlight one of these 12th graders. Boasting a 20-9 record this season is this week’s Wrestler of the Week, Michael Binni.

Source: Instagram

Michael has been wrestling for eleven years, and his favorite memory was beating Kiski in the WPIAL semi-finals in his sophomore year. A hard-fought battle gave the team a win against the same team on Alumni Night, when Michael earned 6 points for his team with a pin. The Big Macs will likely wrestle the Cavaliers again in the WPIAL tournament on February 3. Michael would love to bring down Kiski once more, as one of his goals for his last season is to win the WPIAL Team Championship, which CM last won in 2013.

If you had asked Michael at the beginning of the season if his team would have pulled off the biggest upset of the year, he might have said “Get Out,” coincidentally the same name of one of his favorite movies. In addition to movies, the grappler likes to watch the television show Seinfeld, where he may have gained some of his humor. Michael is a big fan of the NFL, too; however, he will be cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoff season. While he enjoys watching the NFL, the Big Mac loves playing the video game NHL ‘18. And of all of the pastimes that he could enjoy, Michael’s favorite is spending time with his brothers.

This family-oriented wrestler earned a 4th place finish at the North Canton Tournament and a 3rd place finish at the TRICADA tournament this season. He is currently ranked #5 in the WPIAL at 113 lbs. Coming up just short with a 3-2 record in the blood round at Escape the Rock this weekend, the senior has big goals of becoming a Section Champion in his final season. Post high school, Michael will be studying Marketing and Communications at Waynesburg University or Penn State University.

Cover Photo Source: Instagram

Alumni Spotlight: Dalton Macri

The Alumni Association is back with our Alumni Spotlight series, this week showcasing Dalton Macri. The redshirt sophomore is wrestling 125 lbs. at the University of North Carolina.

Photo Source: UNC Instagram

As a Big Mac, Dalton was a 3X PIAA State placer and a PA State Champion at 126 lbs. in his senior year. He was a 3X Section Champion, as well as a WPIAL Champion and Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament. Furthermore, the grappler earned the Outstanding Wrestler award at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic in 2014 when he shut out #1 ranked Nathan Boston. Fans may also remember Dalton winning a Powerade title his senior year by hitting a lat drop in the final seconds of the match. In addition to his individual accomplishments, Dalton was a member of 3 WPIAL team titles (2011-2013) and 2 PIAA State team titles (2012-2013). His career record ended 133-15, and he finished as the #7 pound-for-pound nationally ranked high schooler by FloWrestling.

In college, Dalton placed at the EIWA championships and earned a wild card bid to the NCAA Championships in his rookie season when he wrestled for Cornell University. At the NCAA tournament, Dalton upset #11 seed Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State, a wrestler who just recently beat the “Iron Man” Spencer Lee.  In his true freshman year, he earned a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection. Throughout his college career, Dalton has carried on his wrestling style from high school by winning more than 50% of his matches by bonus decision; he is hungry to pin his opponents so he can wear his team’s new “Pin Chain.” At the end of the 2016-2017 school year, Dalton made the decision to transfer to the University of North Carolina to carry out his wrestling career. While battling injuries over the past few years, the Tar Heel still has over 20 wins overall and is looking to win an ACC Championship to earn a 2018 NCAA Championship berth.

We caught up with Dalton over the summer at the CM Alumni Wrestling Camp, where he shared his thoughts on wrestling. Check it out:

Cover Photo Source: FloWrestling