Apr 12, 2024 4 min read

By Tony DeLost

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

The legacy of Canon-McMillan (formerly Canonsburg High School) wrestling dates back to 1927 when Robert “ROC” O’Connell began the program at a time when scholastic sports were ruled by baseball and football. It was not until 1931 that O’Connell was able to obtain a wrestling mat needed to expand the program, but shortly thereafter Lloyd Reese became the program’s first wrestler. By 1932, the program had enough members to field its first team.

The popularity of wrestling had not yet caught on to neighboring schools, and in the beginning Canon-McMillan was left to compete against collegiate programs until high school wrestling was sanctioned by the WPIAL in 1936. On the one hand, it would seem unfair to have high school athletes compete against collegiate athletes, but this served as the training Canon-McMillan would later use to assert its dominance when matched against rivals on the high school level.

The PIAA finally sanctioned wrestling in 1938. Canon-McMillan was crowned that year as the first state team champion and had the first state individual champion in George Custer (95 pounds). Custer went on to become an undefeated three-time state champion with a record of 76-0.

Since that time, Canon-McMillan has become the most storied high school wrestling program in Pennsylvania and possibly the entire country. Canon-McMillan has produced 158 WPIAL champions, 47 state champions and has 1,475 dual meet wins, the most by far in the state. Canon-McMillan has produced five collegiate national champions in Joe Solomon (Pitt 1954), Arthur “Bucky” Maughn (North Dakota State 1963), Robby Benjamin (Utah State 1986), Sylvester Terkey (North Carolina State 1993), and Albert Miles (Pitt-Johnstown 2008).

This legacy extends to other parts of the country as well. Jamo Pihakis, 1942 WPIAL champion and National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, is considered the father of wrestling in Alabama. Manuel “Buns” Pihakis, a three-time state champion, was an Olympic alternate in 1952 and 1956. Arthur “Bucky” Maughn, 1959 state champion and 1963 national champion at North Dakota State, finished his career with the most collegiate wins of all time. Maughn is also the forefather of the prestigious Fargo National Wrestling Tournament. Bill Schmidt was a section champion in 1965 and later won the bronze medal in the javelin at the 1972 Olympics. George O’Korn, a state champion in 1972 and 1973, went on to Pitt to be a three-sport athlete and a member of the national championship football team. Darell Patterson, a 1979 WPIAL champion, went on to play in the Canadian League Football. In 1995, Mark Angle won the PIAA championship to cap off his high school career which included a second-place finish at the 1992 Cadet World Championships and 5-time Fargo National Championships. Angle became a three-time All-American at Clarion University.

More recently, we have seen our wrestlers showing up in the NFL (Michael Hull and Dorian O’Daniel). In Washington County, Judge Brandon Newman was a member of the wrestling class of 2000. The current Clerk of Courts, Ray Phillips, was a member of the 1983 team, which is arguably the toughest team of the modern era. Current head coach Brian Krenzelak was a member of the 1995 class, which is one of the most decorated to graduate from Canon-Mac. Elias George (1942 state champion) and Tony George (1943 state champion) were the first brother combination to win PIAA titles. Tony graduated early to serve his country in WWII. Unfortunately, Tony gave his life serving our country and succumbed to injuries sustained by enemy fire at the battle of Okinawa at a time when his country needed him the most. That is the type of grit and courage you needed to have if you were going to say you’ve wrestled for Canon-Mac.

Last month, the legacy of Canon-McMillan wrestling began a new chapter. At the PIAA Championships, Canon-McMillan was the first state girls team champion, and Valarie Solorio became the first formally recognized PIAA girls individual champion, at 100 pounds. With these honors, Canon-McMillan has the distinction of producing Pennsylvania’s first boys and girls team champions, as well as the first boys and girls individual champions. So let it be etched in stone, Canon-McMillan is where legacies begin.

With girls wrestling being one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the nation, several colleges are implementing girls wrestling for the first time. This trend is creating scholarship and NIL opportunities for student-athletes in a time when student debt is of the highest concern.

There has never been a better time to wrestle and graduate from Canon-McMillan.

Tony DeLost is a Canon-McMillan School Board member and graduated in the Class of 1997.