Jan 31, 2020 4 min read

Blood dripped from the nose of Burgettstown wrestler Shane Kemper twice during the first round of the WPIAL Class AA team wrestling championships Wednesday.

For Kemper, a junior who has moved from 145 pounds last year to primarily wrestling at 160 pounds for the Blue Devils, it was plug it up and get back to work.

A workmanlike mentality that has led Burgettstown to its first semifinal appearance since 2014, the Blue Devils will wrestle McGuffey in the semifinals today at noon at Chartiers-Houston High School. The winner will advance to the 2 p.m. finals against either Burrell or Quaker Valley.

The WPIAL Class AAA team wrestling tournament will also feature two local teams. Top-seeded Waynesburg will wrestle Hempfield while Canon-McMillan takes on Seneca Valley in the 4 p.m. semifinals at Norwin. The winners will advance to the finals, which are scheduled to follow at 6 p.m.

The top three in each classification advance to the team state tournament.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to be ready,” Kemper said. “I’ve been keeping a high pace but also taking it easier at some points to conserve energy. The heavier you get the more energy you’re having to exert.”

It’s worked well for Kemper, who has gone 22-6 this season and starts what has turned into a gauntlet of upperweights for the Blue Devils. Wrestling heavier than Kemper are D.J. Slovick, who is 20-8 at 170, 25-win Turner Lehman at 195 and Kemper’s older brother, Riley, who is 27-1 as a heavyweight.

Garret Suica (182) and Tyler Cody (220) have earned key wins since the Section 1 team tournament when Burgettstown edged the Highlanders, 41-34, after McGuffey was called for stalling with 17 seconds left in the final bout.

“It’s been a building process of growing into those bigger weights,” said Burgettstown coach Joey Vigliotti. “We’ve cracked some bad habits. We were down for a few years but we are back.”

Burgettstown will be trying to win its first WPIAL wrestling championship since 1974, a task that will be challenged immediately with a bout-to-bout battle with McGuffey.

“We have to have more heart,” Vigliotti said. “That’s it. They our hungry. Our goal is Hershey.”

Big Macs motivated

Motivation can come in all forms.

In high school sports, arguably the easiest motivation comes from one’s failure.

When Canon-McMillan saw its section winning streak snapped in a heart-breaking loss to Waynesburg last week, it stung.

It also ignited the Big Macs.

They came out and wrestled a strong match in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class AAA Team Tournament Wednesday in their home gym.

Canon-McMillan routed a decent Norwin team in the first round, then wrestled extremely well in the quarterfinals against a very good North Allegheny team.

Those victories put Canon-McMillan one step away from a rematch with Waynesburg and a guaranteed spot in the PIAA Team Tournament.

The Big Macs take on Seneca Valley in today’s semifinals at 4 p.m. at Norwin High School.

“It was kind of a long week and we had to pick ourselves back up,” said Evan Miller, Canon-McMillan’s 220-pounder. “We knew we were ready, but we just had to get it back. I think we wrestled with a chip on our shoulder.”

So did Tyler Rohaley, who’s pin at 182 pounds went a long way in helping to secure the victory over North Allegheny.

“After the loss, everybody was anxious to get back out there and get back after it,” said Rohaley. “We want to keep the process going and stay at it. It definitely got us going, got us fired up and ready to put it to them.”

Miller and Rohaley each said the Big Macs can’t overlook Seneca Valley in the semifinals. It is a strong team, led by returning state champion Alejandro Herrera-Rondon. He is part of a strong middle lineup and the Big Macs must be careful to avoid giving up major points there.

“The kids didn’t let the loss to Waynesburg deflate them,” said Canon-McMillan head coach Jeff Havelka. “They came in to practice the next day ready to go. They did a really good job. We talked about it a little bit in the locker room at Waynesburg and then at practice. But that was it.”