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

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

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

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!

Wrestler of the Week: Gerrit Nijenhuis

For his work in winning the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic this past weekend, Gerrit Nijenhuis is being recognized as the Wrestler of the Week. Gerrit cruised his way to the 160 lb. finals with 3 straight pins; he earned a spot on top of the podium with a 14-1 major decision in the championship match.

Photo Source: Youth 1

This is not Gerrit’s first tournament win; among his others, the sophomore says that winning the Jr. High State Tournament is his favorite victory and wrestling memory. In addition to wrestling, he also plays football for the Big Macs. One of the upsides to football compared to wrestling is that Gerrit doesn’t have to cut weight for the former. In fact, he actually gets to indulge in his favorite restaurant, McGrogen’s, and favorite drink, McDonald’s Caramel Frappe, when it’s not November through March. Other than competitive sports, the grappler enjoys riding horses at his grandparents and rooting for the Steelers and Detroit Red Wings (uh-oh Pens fans!).

Much like Louden Swain in his favorite movie, Vision Quest, Gerrit is on a journey of his own to become a PIAA State Champion. After a 3rd place finish at 152 lbs. last season, he has his eyes set on the gold. With a 50-7 high school career record, we are sure to see great things from him in the future. Local fans can see great things from him as early as this Wednesday, when Gerrit and the rest of the team take on Montour in the Big Mac’s first home match of the season.

Cover Photo Source: Facebook

Wrestler of the Week: Jimmy Baxter

Source: Simple Booklet

Continuing down the chain of command from the senior class to junior class, we now arrive at the sophomore wrestling class of 2020. The CMWAA would like to send a big congrats to December 4th’s Wrestler of the Week, Jimmy Baxter.

This is the perfect season to highlight Jimmy because he loves getting into the Christmas spirit by watching his favorite movie, Elf. Other than the holidays, this time of year also brings around hunting season, which is one of Jimmy’s favorite hobbies along with fishing and wrestling. In school, the young grappler favors math as his favorite subject; however, you may find him in class daydreaming about pizza instead of equations when he is cutting weight.

With ten years of wrestling experience, Jimmy is entering his first season on the High School team following his recent finish at the Junior High level. One of the Big Mac’s favorite memories from his JH days was winning the Southwest Regional tournament under Coach Slack. Last year he earned himself a trip to the PJW State Championships at 102lbs.; and, after trading in his JH status for a HS one, Jimmy has his eyes set on the PIAA State Tournament. Catch Jimmy making his High School debut this weekend at the Cumberland Valley Classic!

Alumni Spotlight: Colt Shorts

Source: Waynesburg Athl.

We move from one coach to the next in this week’s Alumni Spotlight on local Waynesburg University Graduate Assistant, Colt Shorts. This is Colt’s first year coaching at Waynesburg (3-2 record on the season), as he just finished his degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science at Cal Poly State University earlier this year.

Colt graduated from Canon Mac in 2012 with a Powerade Championship, WPIAL Championship, and an 3rd place finish at the PIAA State tournament. He was a part of two WPIAL team titles, a team-individual State title, and a team State title. Colt is also a member of CM’s 100 Win Club with a HS record of 129-30, with 50 of those wins coming just from his junior year (an in-season wins record at CM).

In college, he jumped up to 157lbs after wrestling 103lbs for most of his high school life. Through his college career, Colt made the finals of Reno Tournament of Champions, finished 7th at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, placed three times at the PAC-12 Championships, was nationally ranked at #19 by FloWrestling, qualified for the DI NCAA tournament this past year, became a Papa John's and Coca-Cola student-athlete of the week, and earned a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

Colt gives back to the Canon-McMillan wrestling program by helping with CM Alumni Wrestling Camp and stopping in to practices and local clubs. Check out his video below to learn more about the Big Mac turned Mustang turned Yellow Jacket:

Cover Photo Source: The Tribune

Wrestler of the Week: Kenny Hayman

Source: Trib Live

This week we shift our focus from the Senior class into the Junior class at CMHS with our newest Wrestler of the Week, Kenny Hayman.

Kenny enjoys practicing and watching his favorite sport of wrestling, but he likes to spend his time off the mat playing wiffle ball with his buddies. And when he’s not outside hitting home runs, he is probably inside watching The Other Guys movie or the Game of Thrones tv series. Last season Kenny wrestled 113 lbs., but he might have put on a few pounds while eating his favorite steak at Texas Roadhouse over the summer.

Kenny is a veteran of the sport, having wrestled for the past eleven years of his life from CCNS all the way to the HS level. Before his matches you may find him doing “stance-motion” drills or jamming out to Kendrick Lamar to prepare himself for battle. Kenny’s favorite wrestling memory thus far was wrestling at the Team PIAA State Tournament. Being the team-oriented person that he is, Kenny is looking forward to making the team tournament again; yet, he has lofty goals for himself of making his own trip to Hershey in March. Good luck this season, Kenny!

Cover Photo Source: Trib Live

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

Wrestler of the Week: Logan Macri

Source: PA Power Wrestling

The 2017-2018 High School wrestling season has officially begun, and the best way to start it off is with our new “Wrestler of the Week” series. Each week throughout the course of the season, the CM Wrestling Alumni Association will highlight one of the Big Mac's wrestlers.

Congrats to our first Wrestler of the Week, Logan Macri! This recognition comes after the announcement of the recent news of his college commitment. For more than twelve years, Logan has been polishing his wrestling technique. Fans may be familiar with his older brother, Dalton, who went through the program and is currently wrestling at UNC. Like many fans, Logan also enjoys watching his brother wrestle; one of his favorite memories in the sport was watching his brother wrestle in Madison Square Garden at the 2016 NCAA tournament.

When he is not on the mat, Logan enjoys eating at his favorite restaurant, Outback Steakhouse -- or daydreaming about the steak when he is cutting weight. In the off-season he is a bit of an outdoorsman, taking part in wake-surfing and downhill mountain-biking. Logan also likes to cheer on all of the Pittsburgh sports teams with his friends.

Logan enters his last season at Canon Mac with a career record of 113-28 and as the #34 ranked senior in Pennsylvania by PA Power Wrestling. While he made the Powerade finals and placed 5th at the PIAA state tournament in 2016-2017, Logan has ambitious goals of winning both the Powerade and PIAA state tournaments this season. Logan will be continuing his wrestling career in college at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.

Cover photo source: PA Power Wrestling

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.

90 Days Until CM Wrestling's Home Opener

It's the 90th anniversary of the Canon-McMillan wrestling program, and what better way to kick off this season's events than with a countdown to the first home match! In just 90 days, the Big Macs will face off against Montour in its home opener on Wednesday, December 13. 

The high school team will compete in six dual meets this year, with four home matches against Montour, Kiski, Waynesburg, and Central Catholic. The team will also wrestle at the Cumberland Valley, North Canton, Powerade, TRICADA, and Escape the Rock tournaments throughout the season. Make sure to check out CM's full schedule here, including important dates for scrimmages, matches, and tournaments.

With the first match quickly approaching, the Alumni Association had the opportunity to sit down with new Head Coach Jeff Havelka to get his thoughts on the upcoming season. Coach Havelka was hired back in May of this year, and the wrestlers had the chance to meet him at a picnic in June. Watch the video below to understand his coaching mentality, and get ready to support him in 90 days as he leads the CMHS Big Macs into battle.