Jan 21, 2020 3 min read

One of the most impressive streaks will be on the line tonight in the WPIAL Section Team Tournament at Waynesburg High School.

Canon-McMillan has won 18 consecutive Class AAA section team titles and 41 overall.

But this might be either the end of the streak or one of the great saves in the program’s history.

The Big Macs, the No. 3 team in the Observer-Reporter Wrestling Rankings, will have their hands full in the Section 4-AAA Tournament.

Canon-McMillan will take on Trinity in the 6 p.m. opener while Waynesburg wrestles South Fayette. C-M and the Raiders are heavy favorites to win their respective matches. The losers of the first round wrestle for third place. These four teams will wrestle in next week’s WPIAL Class AAA Team Tournament.

“We need to be ready to go,” said Canon-McMillan head coach Jeff Havelka, “because those are really good teams.

“Winning this tournament would mean a lot to this team. This is one we have circled and it’s obviously a tournament we have won for a long time. It’s a big deal to the kids, coaches and the community.”

If C-M and Waynesburg each win the openers, then everyone expects a great battle for the section title.

Making matters more challenging for the Big Macs is the loss of heavyweight Gio Ramos to a knee injury suffered in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association tournament three weeks ago at South Fayette.

Ramos injured his knee on the first day of the tournament and in one of the final bouts of the day. He needed the use of crutches to leave the gym that night and has not wrestled since.

Havelka said Ramos would not be able to wrestle.

“We are preparing as if he is going to wrestle,” Waynesburg head coach Joe Throckmorton said.

Canon-McMillan has been forfeiting the heavyweight class since Ramos’ injury. It’s possible the lineup can be shifted. If the Big Macs forfeit that weight class, then it would be a big plus for Waynesburg. If they don’t, then moving wrestlers up will probably affect returning state champion Gerrit Nijenhuis, ranked No. 1 at 182 pounds.

“They don’t have many holes in their lineup,” said Havelka. “Even when you get into the heavyweights.”

With the infusion of two outstanding freshmen and a returning state champion from Missouri, Waynesburg has arguably its strongest team in this century.

“We just love the challenge of being in Class AAA,” said Throckmorton. “It makes it fun.”

Mac Church is the top ranked 106-pounder in the O-R rankings and Rocco Welsh, No. 2 at 126 pounds. The addition of these two freshmen gives the Raiders a strong lightweight core of competitors.

“They have all performed well,” Throckmorton said. “Why they want to perform is to look good. That’s where we’ve been now.”

Wyatt Henson, who wrestled for the Raiders as a freshman, is back after winning the 138-pound state championship in Missouri last season. He comes into the match ranked No. 2 at 138 pounds behind two-time state champion Sam Hillegas of North Hills.

Waynesburg also has Cole Homet, who is No. 3 at 132 pounds, and Luca Augustine, who is ranked second at 160.

This is just one of seven section tournaments held today. Locally, Peters Township will travel to Mt. Lebanon to compete for the Section 2-AAA title.

In Class AA, McGuffey will be the host team in Section 1. Burgettstown, Beth-Center and South Park also will be competing.

Fort Cherry will be at West Greene to wrestle for fifth-place in Section 1-AA.