New challenges for revamped Big Macs
Solomon Chishko returns from an injury-plagued season in search of a second straight state title for Canon-McMillan.
Jason Cardillo, left, takes over for Chris Mary as head coach of the Big Macs. Glenn Haynes returns as an assistant.
All the weights will have a body, but some of the faces won’t be as recognizable as last year.
The changes that will come with a new high school wrestling season might be most dramatic at Canon-McMillan, the defending PIAA team champion.
Gone are such talents as Cody Wiercioch, a two-time state champion with the Big Macs; and Connor Schram, a four-time finalist and two-time state champion.
Joining them are most of the heavyweight starters from last year’s team that set a WPIAL record by winning a fourth consecutive team tournament title.
Also gone is coach Chris Mary, who retired after one of the most remarkable runs of any wrestling program in PIAA history. His replacement is Jason Cardillo, an assistant coach for that run.
“I just told (our wrestlers) that I wanted to continue the winning tradition,” said Cardillo. “I’ll do what I can do and control what I can control.”
The Big Macs are by no means bereft of talent. Senior Solomon Chishko, who missed the regular season last year with a fractured elbow, returned in time to win 11 straight matches, the final one giving him the 145-pound title in Hershey.
Dalton Macri, a state runner-up at 120, also is back after posting a 45-7 record. So is Brendan Price, a state qualifier with a 38-9 record.
Add to that Alec Hutchin, a senior middleweight with a 23-13 record; Josiah Hritsko, a senior who was 20-15; and Malachi Krenzelak, a senior who battled injuries last year; and you have a strong lineup.
Strong enough to defeat Franklin Regional?
Cardillo believes it’s possible, especially if the Big Macs continue to improve through the season. The first test is this weekend at the Greenville Duals. The Big Macs get five dual meets and Cardillo will get a good look at some of his inexperienced wrestlers.
“Right now, everything is going well,” Cardillo said. “The kids are working hard, it’s business as usual here, and the kids know what’s expected from them.”
The Big Macs have won the last three state team titles from the individual tournament and the past two in the state team tournament – yes, the PIAA crowns two team champions each year. In the process of winning those titles, the Big Macs wrestled two of the most historic matches in the program’s history, and both of them ended up victories over Central Dauphin. The first came in the PIAA team semifinals two years ago, and the second came in last year’s finals. Both were wrestled in front of a large crowd at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Canon-McMillan lost a combined 243 bout victories from last year’s lineup, and it was the performance of some of the lesser known but very talented wrestlers that made this such a strong team.
Sammy Minor came within one win of qualifying for the state tournament and finished with a 35-8 record; Steve LaFrance went 25-13 and was sixth in the WPIAL; Alex Campbell went 37-10 and finished eighth in the state at 220; and heavyweight Angelo Broglia was a WPIAL runner-up with a 37-10 record.
In most matches, the order went Minor, Wiercioch, LaFrance, Campbell and Broglia.
“We have all the weights filled like we have in the past,” said Cardillo. We need our (veteran) wrestlers to step up and help the younger guys. It’s a good opportunity for the future.”
How quickly wrestlers such as Declan Lewis (113), Josh Minor (120), Jake Spencer (145), Jacob Martin (152), Jesse Lesko (182) and Alex Paulina (Hvy) improve will determine how far the Big Macs advance this season.
The first home match for the Big Macs might not be on your schedule. General McLane of Erie was a late edition and visit C-M Dec. 9 for a 6 p.m. start.
“They are a top team,” Cardillo said. “It will be a good test for us.”
Chishko and Kittanning’s Jason Nolf will try to be the 23rd and 24th wrestlers in WPIAL history to attain four WPIAL individual titles. Chishko, who surpassed 100 wins in the state semifinals last season, is headed to Virginia Tech next fall. He is looking to repeat as state champion. Nolf, a Penn State recruit, is chasing state title No. 3.
Chishko did not compete at the Super 32 tournament this year, the site where he fractured his elbow last season. He wasn’t released to wrestle until the postseason and wen 11-0.
“He looks good; he looks strong,” said Cardillo. “He’s put a lot of time in during the offseason. He has a good attitude and is 100 percent healthy.”
Cardillo is one of 12 new head coaches in the WPIAL. A big chunk come from Section 2-A, where Mike Lesko came back for a second go-round at Jefferson-Morgan, John Paiani replaced Josh Barrette at Washington and Kory Bissett steps in for Curt Hughes at West Greene.
Jeff Havelka, whose father Terry is the head wrestling coach at Burgettstown, replaces Bill Sutton at Chartiers-Houston.
Maybe the most interesting new coach is Josh Shields, who takes over at Burrell. The Buccaneers are shooting for their record eighth consecutive WPIAL Class AA Team Tournament title and enter the season as No. 1 in the O-R’s Double-A ratings. Bud Sines coached Burrell last year.
Wrestling fans eager to get an early look at the talent in the WPIAL can find 25 teams entered in the Chartiers-Houston Tournament. The two-day event, which has grown into a strong season-opening event in the area, gets under way Friday at the high school. Saturday’s finals are at 4 p.m.
Local teams competing are Bentworth, Beth-Center, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, Peters Township and South Fayette.
Seven wrestlers – including Peters Township’s Italo Merante and Tyler Buckiso, and Nick Gavazzi of Charleroi – are back to defend their titles.