Feb 25, 2024 By Joe Tuscano 5 min read

McDONALD — Andrew Binni knows it hasn’t been one of Canon-McMillan’s best wrestling seasons. Missing the team tournament was a blow to the team and community that loves and relates to each win and loss. Binni knows the community wants a hero and he wouldn’t mind playing the part.

Binni feels the eyes upon him from the fans as the 127-pound senior makes his way through the individual tournaments. So far, he’s handled it all with a confident and optimistic attitude.

On Saturday afternoon at the WPIAL Class 3A Southern Section Tournament at South Fayette High School, Binni ran his record to 28-6 with an 8-3 decision over Ky Szewczyk of Waynesburg in the finals.

“There’s a little bit of pressure when you are coming in here,” said Binni. “Last year, we came in as the underdog so there wasn’t as much pressure. I talked to my coaches and they said just go out and have some fun. It’s your senior season, the last ride, so enjoy it.”

Szewczyk and Binni have been wrestling each other since junior high. Binni has lost count.

“It’s good to come into this tournament and win with two pins and a pretty good decision,” Binni said. “I’m very confident I can come into the WPIAL tournament and win a title.”

He can be sure there will be a lot of eyes on him each time he goes on the mat.

“Once I step on the mat, it’s like a machine mentality,” said Binni. “I don’t think about the fans. It’s just me and my opponent, and that’s all it’s going to be.”

The top six wrestlers from each weight class advanced to the WPIAL championships next weekend at Canon-McMillan High School.

Nicholas McGarrity, a 107-pound freshman from Peters Township, ran his record to 36-1 with an 11-4 decision over Jonathan Emma of Mt. Lebanon.

McGarrity’s first action of the season was in the season-opening Chartiers-Houston Invitational, where he won the 107-pound gold medal.

“This win definitely puts my goals in perspective,” said McGarrity. “Since the Chartiers-Houston Tournament, I’ve learned to be more coachable and to let my coaches help me to run through my positions. It’s allowed me to understand what my coaches want me to do. It’s given me more confidence.”

Dom Canali of Trinity shut down Collier Hartman of Canon-McMillan, 7-0, in the 121-pound finals. That stretched his won-loss record to 36-8.

“I think I wrestled pretty well in this tournament,” said Canali. “I’ve wrestled him a lot and know what he’s going to do.”

Blake Reihner took another step toward earning a berth in the state tournament with 8-2 decision over Ryder Joseph of Canon-McMillan at 139 pounds

“I think I wrestled pretty well, just getting ready for the WPIAL championship,” said Reihner. “I just need to work on my conditioning and fine tune it.”

Reihner does not let his emotions get the best of him. He seems almost catatonic on the mat. But he can unleash a flurry of moves that can knock off the toughest opponent.

“I feel I wrestle better when I can keep my emotions under control,” said Reihner. “I feel like I wrestle sloppy when I let my emotions take control of me. I was just going out there, wrestle my match and get some takedowns.”

Reihner was joined by Bodie Morgan, who shut out Parker Nave of Peters Township, 11-0, at 172, and Rob Allison, who won the 189-pound final over Jake Stephenson by injury default, as other Trinity winners.

“Those wins were good,” said Morgan. “It gives you confidence. The season is not over. We still have WPIALs and states”

Stephenson was in concussion protocol after being slammed by Nick Pruchnitzky of Chartiers Valley in the semifinals.

“I hate wrestling. It ruins relationships, and it makes good people go bad,” said Allison. “A lot of kids get hurt over nothing. Hopefully, I’ll go to states. But that would be funny for someone like me, who doesn’t care, who would make it that far.”

Geno Calgaro, a 215-pounder, came into the tournament undefeated and left the same way after pinning Landon Hartman of Bethel Park in 2:30 of the finals.

“I wasn’t really thinking about that,” said Calgaro, about his 17-0 record on the season. “I would give my wrestling a B-minus. I came out a little slow in the finals. I wrestled him before and I wrestled him better that time.”

Roan Tustin of Waynesburg closed the tournament with a 6-4 decision over Michael Albert of Upper St. Clair in the heavyweight finals.

“I was pretty confident,” Tustin said. “My last match I could have been more offensive. In the first period, I took only a couple shots. I definitely have to be more aggressive.”

NOTES: Shawn Taylor, a state runner-up at 160 pounds last year for West Allegheny last year, did not participate in the tournament. South Fayette’s Luke Dunlap (152) and Trinity’s TJ Allison (145) each won a silver medal.