Dec 26, 2021 3 min read

The Powerade Wrestling Tournament is back home and better than ever.

The event, considered one of the best high school wrestling tournaments in the country, was held at the Monroeville Convention Center last year because of the seating restrictions caused by the pandemic. Now, it returns to Canon-McMilan.

“There is no place like home,” said Frank Vulcano, tournament director and athletic director at Canon-McMillan.

Vulcano said he had to be flexible last year to put the tournament on when most major events were postponing until at least the following season. The tournament had a later start date than usual but was pulled off without much problem.

“Things were changing daily last year and that was the hardest part to running a good tournament,” said Vulcano. “Not knowing day-to-day what changes you had to make was the hardest part.”

Vulcano said the tournament had signed a five-year extension last year to hold the tournament at Canon-McMillan.

“Obviously, we had to make an exception last year (and move the tournament),” Vulcano said. “But the tournament will be held at Canon-McMillan.”

This year’s listing of teams might be the strongest in tournament history.

“I keep saying this is the toughest field we ever had,” said Vulcano. “We never had what I call the big four – Blair Academy, Wyoming Seminary, St. Edward’s and Malvern Prep – all in one year. Well, we do now. Add to that the three best teams in New Jersey, and all the good teams from Pennsylvania. You add all that up and it’s just an unbelievable field this year.”

Action gets underway today with the junior varsity wrestlers and girls participation.

Varsity boys action begins Wedensday at 8 a.m. with the quarterfinals expected to start at 7:30 p.m. Semifinals begin 11 a.m. Thursday with the finals expected to get underway at 4 p.m.

Malvern Prep is the defending team champion and with Wyoming Seminary and St. Edward’s of Cleveland have combined to win the past six team titles.

Among the Pennsylvania teams is Waynesburg, which won the PIAA Class 3A team championship last season and was runner-up the year before. Waynesburg was runner-up to Malvern Prep last season in the Powerade team standings.

For Waynesburg, Mac Church, who won the 120-pound state title last year in Hershey, is the second seed at 132 pounds and Rocco Welsh, who has two runner-up finishes in the state tournament, is second seeded at 172 pounds.

From the field of 66 teams, seven returning Powerade champions, nine returning runners-up, and 106 placewinners from last year return.

The field also has 15 returning state champions and 114 individual PIAA qualifiers.

Vulcano said with the new outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus, the tournament will use a voluntary mask usage that is in place for the school district.

“The district’s policy is that masks are optional but that could change; it’s a day-to-day thing,” Vulcao said. “It’s like in our school, masks are optional. If you want to wear them, you can. If you don’t, then you don’t have to. Right now, that’s the policy we use for the school and that’s the policy we’ll use for the tournament.”