Feb 6, 2024 5 min read

By John Sacco

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

Keilan O’Daniel had been to the PIAA Wrestling Championship finals twice only to walk away with a silver medal as a sophomore and junior.

That left him unfulfilled and determined.

He was determined to stand at the top of the podium in Hershey, representing his family, Canon-McMillan High School and so much hard work.

Thirty-years later, the victory is engrained in his memory.

As a sophomore and junior, O’Daniel lost to Harborcreek’s Jeff Catrabone. He dropped a 9-7 decision in 1992 and was defeated 12-5 in 1993.

O’Daniel won his gold medal at 160 pounds with a 10-5 win over Bruce Hainan of Greensburg Salem in 1994. O’Daniel also won the WPIAL Class AAA title that season.

He fears, however, the moment has been “almost erased from history.”

“My 1992 and 1993 matches are there on video. I’ve searched for the 1994 finals and can’t find it.”

Oh, it happened, all right.

“It was a crazy year,” O’Daniel said. “The coaches changed. But I felt it was my year. I’m thankful I got one.”

The PIAA gold medal had eluded Keilan’s brother, Romy, in a controversial disqualification in 1991. Romy O’Daniel had lost to Plum’s Brian Cipolione in the WPIAL Championships a week earlier. He was closing in on defeating Cipolione in the state finals before being called for an illegal slam. It was determined Cipolione couldn’t continue and Romy lost by disqualification.

Keilan, who was in the stands, said he was “stunned.”

“Romy was, I think, the first freshman Canon-Mac brought up to varsity,” he said. “It was difficult to watch.

“When I think back about my (state) championship, it is more than just a match — especially with my brother’s history.”

Keilan O’Daniel’s family has athletic history. His uncle, Dr. Richard O’Daniel was a state wrestling champion in New York. His father, Edward, played for the San Diego Chargers. His mother, Andrea, was a longtime teacher in the Canon-McMillan School District.

The O’Daniels came to the district when Keilan was an elementary school student. Nether Romy or Keilan were wrestlers when they arrived at their Glencannon home.

“My friends were from downtown Canonsburg,” Keilan O’Daniel said. “Just living in the Canonsburg area, we became wrestlers. That’s how it was.”

Not always golden

Keilan O’Daniel realizes and appreciates the tradition and history of Canon-McMillan wrestling. He didn’t always enjoy some of the things he witnessed and endured.

“Sometimes a group of (Canon-McMillan) wrestlers would make trips to camps and such, and Romy and I never knew about it,” he said. “We started going on our own to Chicago to work with college coaches. I don’t think it was racism. It’s just the way it was.

“There was a lot of red tape, a lot of boosters, a lot of ‘Daddy Ball’ and a lot of parents in the (practice) room trying to make sure their sons were No. 1 in the practice room. Every parent was out for their kid.”

O’Daniel had a deep respect for his coaches from junior high school through his state championship victory. He praised Big Macs coaches Jim Neuman, Ozzie Gavazzi and Tim Mousetis.

“Keilan was a very hard worker,” Neuman said. “He gave everything he had and was a very dedicated wrestler. He had the personality and was fun to be around. He was fun to coach.

“He and Romy were different but on the same mold, highly devoted and motivated to do well. Keilan walked to a different drum. I was fortunate to be in the stands with my family after he won states. He found me and gave me a big hug.”

O’Daniel credited Big Macs assistant Tim Mousetis for helping him reach his goal through a new move.

“It was a technique — a defensive takedown from neutral when the opponent takes a shot,” Mousetis said. “It’s how to counter and score. Keilan worked that three times in the state finals. I remember that very well.

“For him to say that is quite a compliment. I appreciate him and his talent. He was a handful but he had talent. He was very consistent, fluid and fast. He put it all together his senior season. Keilan was an excellent wrestler, one of the top, if not the best in state that year.”

O’Daniel, who resides in Ohio and has two children and a fiancée, said the guidance and lessons he received along the way was vital.

“Coach Neumann could talk to you in a way that you’d walk on hot coal for him,” O’Daniel said. “He’d get you amped up. Gavazzi taught me to think about wrestling, to be smart with positioning and to be strategic.

“Coach Mousetis was the first coach I wrestled with. What an experience. He taught me so much. He was the first person I ever grabbed hold of or grabbed me who made me understand man strength. It was startling strength. He put me in positions I never knew existed.

“I knew with him that I was going to win state. He made a big impression.”

John Sacco writes a column for the Observer-Reporter about local sports history.