Silver lining to Canon-McMillan’s two defeats
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Jacob Houpt, top, maintains control over Hempfield’s Briar Priest during December’s quad meet, which also featured Kiski and Seneca Valley. All four teams are the top four seeds in WPIAL Class AAA Team Tournament, which begins Wednesday.
Canon-McMillan wrestling
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Costa Moore applies pressure to Julian Jones of Kiski. Moore recorded a 5-3 victory in the 113-pound match.
Canon-McMillan wrestling
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis battles Kiski’s Brayden Roscosky in their 195-pound match last week. Nijenhuiswon by fall.
Canon-McMillan’s Evan Miller wins by fall over Kiski’s Troy Kuhn in the 220 bout
Canon-McMillan’s Jacob Gardner wins by fall over Kiski’s Luke Lacaria in the 126 bout
Canon-McMillan’s Remington Ross wins by fall against Hempfield’s Zack Berginc in the 138 bout
CANONSBURG – If there were some positives to extract from Friday evening’s double dual meet for Canon-McMillan’s wrestling team, these might be on the list:
1. The Big Macs, despite a number of new faces, are deserving of their ranking. It’s top three on most lists.
2. There is still a long way to go, especially with the development of this young team.
3. C-M promises to be a much tougher out at the end of the season.
The Big Macs (2-2) dropped a 42-24 decision to Hempfield and a 36-33 loss to Kiski in this double dual meet that had four of the top 10 teams in the state competing.
“I think these two bouts showed us we can go with these teams,” said Canon-McMillan head coach Jeff Havelka. “We’re right there. It showed us where we need to work and situations where we need to get better.
“Our kids now know they can battle and go with these teams. It’s important and I’m glad we have had half of our guys in these situations. Some of them haven’t been there before and now they have been. So I think it was a good day for us. Hopefully, we’ll be a little better the next time around.”
Kiski, the top team in the Observer-Reporter Preseason Rankings, needed a 3-1 decision by Stone Joseph over Giomar Ramos at heavyweight in the final bout of the match to secure the win over Canon-McMillan.
That win moved the Cavaliers to 4-0 and probably kept them at No. 1 in the regional rankings.
But they saw an 18-point lead, established with the help of back-to-back-to-back pins from Cam Connor (152), Jack Blumer (160) and Nick Delp (170), dissolve when Canon-McMillan got back-to-back-to-back pins from Tyler Rohaley at 182, Gerrit Nijenhuis at 195 and Evan Miller at 220.
“We knew what this event was about with four of the top 10 teams in the state here,” said Kiski head coach Chris Heater. “We’re proud of the wrestling that comes out of this area. On paper, I had both matches within four to five points. If there’s a match that goes against you, it can turn around pretty quick.”
Joseph opened a 3-1 lead midway through the bout then managed to hold off takedown attacks by Ramos.
“We’ll meet with the our coaches and go over what we need to work on and go at it in practice (this week),” said Havelka. “In matches like this, they all are important.”
It didn’t go as smooth for Canon-McMillan against Hempfield. Nijenhuis’ pin of Dom DeRiso in nine seconds at 182 pounds was the only win Canon-McMillan had after the 138-pound bout.
Jacob Gardner (126) and Remington Ross (138) had pins early as Canon-McMillan opened an 18-6 lead.
Ty Linsenbigler (145), Trevor Verkleeren (152) and Magnus Speal (170) had pins for the Spartans (8-1) in their run of six wins over the final seven bouts.
Seneca Valley defeated Hempfield, 34-33, in the later bout. Kiski stopped Seneca Valley, 39-32, in the opener.
Canon-McMillan might have lost Tanner Rohaley for next weekend’s Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournamment when he suffered an ankle injury at the end of his bout against Kiski.