Canon-McMillan earns WPIAL runner-up honors in team wrestling tournament
Matt Oblock of Canon-McMillan (left) controls Mat Siszka of Kiski in the 126-pound match in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AAA Team Tournament Saturday at Penn Hills. Oblock’s 3-0 decision helped the Big Macs to a 27-25 win over Kiski.
South Fayette’s Rasaun Culberson brings McGuffey’s Edward Shingle to the ground in the 285 pound bout. Culberson won by fall at 1:29.
By virtue of its runner-up showing in the WPIAL team tournament, Canon-McMillan advanced to the PIAA Class AAA championships in wrestling. The Big Macs head to Hershey this week and will face District 4 champion Jersey Shore Feb. 11 at The GIANT Center.
“It’s huge to get the Hershey experience, especially for the kids we think are going to make it up there for the individual tournament,” said C-M coach Jason Cardillo. “We missed out the past two years so we didn’t want to miss out.”
The Big Macs certainly did not miss out on bringing home a trophy last weekend. Thanks to their upset win against Kiski, 27-22, they advanced to the WPIAL finals at Penn Hills. In the championship contest, however, Canon-Mac succumbed to top-seeded Belle Vernon, 42-18.
“We were so pumped up to get through (Kiski),” Cardillo said. “I’m proud what the kids were able to accomplish. But, Belle Vernon was just too strong.”
Because the match started at 195, the Big Macs were able to take advantage of its strength and carve out a 18-10 lead with wins in five of the first seven bouts. Nick Konyk (195), heavyweight Brendan Furman, Skylar Adams (120) and Matt Oblock (126) won decisions while Logan Macri scored a technical fall at 113. The Leopards, however, captured the final seven bouts and shutout the Big Macs, 32-0, to claim their first title.
James Zeremenko propelled the Big Macs to victory against the Cavaliers, pulling off a pin in the first bout of the semifinal showdown. After the fall at 182, Furman, Macri, Oblock and Pihiou registered key wins before Micah Kusturiss and Blaze Kansco sealed the victory with decisions at 152 and 160.
Meanwhile, in the Class AA team tournament held at Chartiers-Houston, Burrell dispatched South Fayette, 32-27, in the semifinals. The Bulldogs erased a 15-point deficit with back-to-back pins at 182 and 195 and won a decision at 220 to forge a 22-21 lead. Though Rasaun Culberson scored a fall at heavyweight, the Lions dropped the final three bouts by decisions.
SF mounted a 21-7 advantage thanks to a forfeit win at 132, decisions from Jerod Witwicki (126), Shane Ging (138) and Christian Dedi (170) and a pin from Mike Carr at 152.
Despite the defeat, the Lions roared back to beat Derry, 39-26, to clinch a berth in the PIAA tournament. In the consolation match, Carr, Joe Bastaroli, Culberson and Colin Dunn posted pins. Jason Wolfe, Witwicki, Mike Cusick, Ben Previte and Dedi all won decisions for the Lions, who improved to 17-7 overall.
“For them to come back and win this match (against Derry), shows a lot of character,” said South Fayette head coach Rick Chaussard. “We threw all our eggs into the Burrell basket and we didn’t get what we wanted. But they knew that. They knew going in that we were doing that. We had a shot. We just didn’t finish the job.” Big Macs, Lions reach semis
Canon-McMillan (9-1) reached the final four with victories against Peters Township, 55-12, and Latrobe, 48-26.
In the opener, Alex Belack (195) and Michael McAleavey (220) won the first two bouts for the Indians. However, the Big Macs reeled off victories in the next 10 bouts to salt away the victory. During the run, Michael Binni (106), Tim Hritsko (132) and Declan Lewis (145) picked up pins. Logan Macri won by technical fall at 113. Anthony Mastrangelo and Micah Kusturiss registered major decisions at 138 and 152.
In the quarterfinal win against the Wildcats, David Ainscough’s fall at 220 and Brendan Furman’s decision staked the Big Macs to a 9-0 lead they never relinguished. Macri, Matt Oblock, Hritsko and Kusturiss scored pins at 113, 126, 132 and 152. After a decision by Blaze Kansco at 160, James Zeremenko and Nick Konyk closed out the match with falls for the Big Macs.
South Fayette (16-6) advanced by virtue of victories against Mapletown, 70-3, and McGuffey, 31-28.
Against the Highlanders, Mike Carr opened the match with a major decision at 152. Ben Previte followed with a fall before Christian Dedi and Joe Bastaroli won by decisions, giving South Fayette a 16-0 lead. Though McGuffey scored a fall at 195, the Lions widened their lead, 31-6, with pins from Rasaun Culberson and Colin Dunn and a decision from Cory Supan. McGuffey won the final six bouts, the last by forfeit.
In the win against the Maples, Supan, Culberson, Carr, Camdon Hoover and Mike Cusick won by falls.