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:

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: 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: 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:

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

CM Dual Meet Season Recap

Dual Meet Record: 15-3

Regular Season
W Canon-McMillan vs. Montour (71-9)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Chartiers Valley (66-6)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Kiski Area (36-27)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Waynesburg (37-21)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Central Catholic (62-12)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Trinity (39-22)

Section Team Championship
W Canon-McMillan vs. Moon (59-15)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Waynesburg (36-18)

W.P.I.A.L. Team Championship
W Canon-McMillan vs. Upper St. Clair (51-21)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Hampton (62-3)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Seneca Valley (47-17)
L Kiski Area vs. Canon-McMillan (24-33)

P.I.A.A. Team Championship
W Canon-McMillan vs. Council Rock South (36-24)
L Cathedral Prep vs. Canon-McMillan (18-40)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Cedar Cliff (59-9)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Central Dauphin (29-28)
W Canon-McMillan vs. Seneca Valley (27-23)
L Cathedral Prep vs. Canon-McMillan (22-42)

Read about the tournaments:
CM Wins 17th Straight Section Title
CM Claims Silver in WPIAL Team Tournament
Big Macs Take 4th at PIAA Team State Tournament

Cover Photo Source: Facebook

Big Macs Take 4th at PIAA Team State Tournament

Canon-McMillan started the 2017-2018 season ranked 4th in the WPIAL, but ended it by placing 4th at the PIAA team state tournament. The squad racked up 6 regular season wins, including a big upset against Kiski Area. The Big Macs earned 2 more wins by smashing through the Section tournament to win the program’s 17th straight title. The boys made it all the way to the WPIAL finals before they dropped their first loss to rival Kiski Area in another tight match.

Source: Observer-Reporter

This past weekend Havelka’s Big Mac’s travelled to the Giant Center in Hershey, PA seeking a spot on the podium, though their road to it would be no easy feat. After a close match to Council Rock South (36-24), the team lost to Erie Cathedral Prep (40-18). The boys gathered some strength and fought back through the consolation bracket, first by beating Cedar Cliff (59-9). The easy matches ended after that when CM battled recent rival Central Dauphin down to the final bout, coming out on top with a victory (29-28). And, though Canon Mac plowed through the Raiders in the WPIAL semifinals, the team put up a fight in the blood round. Another match coming down to the final-bout went in favor of the Macs (27-23). Unfortunately, the team dropped another loss to Cathedral Prep in the consolation finals (42-22). This earned the Big Macs a 4th place finish at the tournament. Click here to view the full 2018 PIAA State bracket.

Source: Facebook

Excluding years when CM won a PIAA State Championship, this is the program’s first time placing at the tournament, marking the team down as one of the greatest that Canon-McMillan has seen in its 90 year history. This shows great promise for first year Head Coach Havelka and his coaching staff. The 2017-2018 team season was a roller coaster full of ups and downs, and certain matches from this season are sure to live on in greatness for as long as fans are alive to recount the stories. The Big Macs finished the team season 15-3, bringing total program wins to 1,075. The team will continue onto the final individual tournaments of the season starting with the Section tournament on February 24.

Read about the tournament in the Observer-Reporter:
Another chance for Canon-McMillan wrestling
C-M celebrates win over Council Rock South
Canon-McMillan falls in quarterfinals, can still finish third
Canon-McMillan finishes 4th in PIAA Team Tournament

Cover Photo Source: Facebook

So You Think You Know CM Wrestling Quiz

Think you've got the skills to takedown 90 years worth of history? Take our quiz below to find out where you stack up!

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CM Claims Silver in WPIAL Team Tournament

This was perhaps one of the craziest WPIAL tournaments in recent memory. After blasting through Upper St. Clair (51-21) and Hampton (62-3) in the first two rounds of the tournament, CM was poised to face Hempfield in the semifinals. The Spartans were disqualified from the tournament when one of their wrestlers was found ineligible to wrestle, therefore pushing Seneca Valley into a match against Canon Mac. The Big Macs rolled through the Raiders (47-17).

In the WPIAL Class AAA finals, Canon-McMillan went up against a tough Kiski Area for their second meeting of the season. Even with surprising weight class changes; big falls by Baxter (106) and Nijenhuis (182); great wins by Binni (113), Macri (120), Hayman (132), and Miller (170); and solid matches by Gardner (126) Hritsko (138), Rohaley (145), and Hendal (195) the Big Macs came up short (33-24). Unfortunately, midway through the dual Adams (160) suffered from a neck injury and was rushed to the hospital (update: no major issues, but prayers are appreciated).

Though the team did not bring home the gold that they wanted, they showed a lot of heart. The Big Macs wrestled a phenomenal tournament thanks to first year head coach Jeff Havelka. With three straight WPIAL finals appearances all ending in second-place finishes, it's easy to be disappointed; however, that unsettling feeling is what makes programs like Canon-McMillan better as the team strives for success in the future. Havelka's Big Macs have had an excellent season thus far, with an 11-1 record. The boys have one more go at gold, as CM wrestles in the PIAA state tournament next weekend at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Read about the tournament in the Observer-Reporter:
- Quarterfinals: Big Macs Breeze to Semifinals
- Semis & Finals: Kiski goes back-to-back, Downs C-M for Team Title

Cover Photo Source: Observer-Reporter

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

CM Wins 17th Straight Section Title

The Big Macs won gold in the Section Tournament on Wednesday. CM dominated Moon (59-15) to advance to another Section championship. To win their 17th straight title, CM beat Waynesburg in spectacular fashion, 36-18. The Big Macs picked up wins by Baxter (106), Hayman (126), Miller (170), Hendal (195), and Ramos (Hwt). Macri (120) and Hritsko (138) both won big matches over Henson and Morris, respectively. Binni (113) tech falled to earn 5 team points, while Nijenhuis (160) earned 4 with a major. Additionally, Rohaley (220) stuck his kid with a beautiful pin. This marks 40 Section Titles for Canon-McMillan HS; the Big Macs move onto the WPIAL team tournament next weekend.

Read about the tournament in the Observer-Reporter:
- Canon-McMillan Wins 17th Straight Section Championship, 40th Overall

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

Wrestler of the Week: Tanner Rohaley

This past weekend the Big Macs wrestled in the Tri-County Wrestling Tournament (TRICADA). With ten boys in the lineup, the Big Macs took second place behind Waynesburg and came away with three champions: Jimmy Baxter (106), Tanner Rohaley (145), and Gerrit Nijenhuis (160). The CMWAA is crowning Tanner Rohaley as the Wrestler of the Week for his phenomenal tournament.

Tanner has been wrestling for ten years, and his favorite memory stems from this past weekend when he won his first ever high school gold medal. Wrestling is Tanner’s passion, but he enjoys deer hunting and bass fishing in the off-season, too. While these outdoor sports require silence, this “country boy” is a fan of jamming out to his favorite country music star Blake Shelton. The farm boy is able to enjoy great food from his family’s farm, yet Tanner cannot resist a good pepperoni pizza and Pepsi or a meal at Fusion Japanese Steakhouse.

Rohaley struggled to make the lineup last year, but he has had a solid year thus far with pins against Montour and Chartiers Valley. He also had a match-sealing decision against Waynesburg’s Colby Morris, the same kid who Tanner pinned in the TRICADA finals. His career record is 15-6. And Tanner isn’t finished with his run this season; in fact, he intends to place top four in the WPIAL and qualify for the PIAA State Tournament in March. As he told Observer Reporter’s Joe Tuscano, Tanner believes that “You have to go out there and do your own thing,” and that’s just what he’ll be doing for the rest of the season.

Photo Source: Instagram

Cover Photo Source: Observer Reporter

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

Wrestler of the Week: Tim Hritsko

The Wrestler of the Week series has been on holiday hiatus, but we’re back with another edition. This past weekend the Big Macs took 8th place at the Powerade Tournament, and three wrestlers placed, including Logan Macri (1st), Gerrit Nijenhuis (3rd), and this week’s WotW, Tim Hritsko (6th). When Tim battled back through the consolation bracket by beating two state champs from MD and VA, Tim stood smiling on the podium with his first Powerade medal.

He also smiles when he thinks about steak while he is cutting weight to 138 lbs. In the off-season, you can usually find Tim at his favorite restaurant, Moe’s Southwest Grill, with his bros. And when he’s not eating, Tim is probably looking for a new pair of shoes for his collection. On the mats he wears his favorite pair of wrestling shoes, Nike OG Inflicts; on the streets he wears his favorite Off-White Air Prestos. His stylish shoes seem to match his wrestling style that is full of finesse.

Tim has been wrestling with CM since CCNS and is committed to the team as a captain for the 2017-2018 season. This year, the Big Mac took 4th at the Cumberland Valley Classic and 3rd at the North Canton Tournament. The rest of the season is in full view for Tim, and he has lofty goals of winning a Section title and making the PIAA State tournament. He also believes that the team can win a WPIAL team title this year. He has had a taste of Hershey over the last two years at Team States, one trip of which came from beating Kiski in the WPIAL semi-finals two years ago -- Tim’s favorite wrestling memory. Currently, the grappler is undecided on his plans post-high-school. Fans can catch Tim on Wednesday in a home match against Waynesburg or this weekend seeking his 100th career win at the TRICADA tournament.

The 12 Days of Chris-mas

Welcome to the 12 Days of Chris-mas! Former Canon-McMillan High School head wrestling coach fills us in on the stories of his time. Join us for all 12 days where he talks about his wrestling & coaching career, controversial matches, keys to success, and family holiday traditions. Mary Chris-mas!