50 years ago, Canon-McMillan proved point with conference title

An intense desire to prove they were Western Conference championship worthy is what pushed the 1972 Canon-McMillan High School football team.
In the end, Canon-McMillan did indeed make its point.
Those Big Macs, honored earlier this month at AHN Field, earned a share of the conference title 50 years ago, tying with rival Mt. Lebanon and Chartiers Valley.
The team, coached by Ray Campanelli, won its first four games before tripping against Mt Lebanon.
But the Big Macs righted the ship in its final two games, defeating Chartiers Valley and Montour to secure a piece of the title, the first conference championship since 1969.
The 1969 Canon-McMillan football team went 8-1 and earned the Western Conference title, which is incredibly the lone outright conference championship in Big Macs football history.
Several players and coaches from the 1972 team were honored before the North Allegheny-Canon-McMillan game Sept. 2. Dave Synowka, part of that team, organized the reunion.
The ’72 Big Macs opened with victories against Trinity, Uniontown, Keystone Oaks and Upper St. Clair before losing against Mt. Lebanon, 30-6.
Canon-McMillan earned a hard-fought 6-3 win over Bethel Park before losing to Baldwin, 24-22.
“The ’72 squad was one of the best in Canon McMillan football history,” said John Somsky, an assistant coach. “It was a great blend of competitive coaches and players which resulted in the conference championship. The players were highly committed, motivated and hard-working. The coaching staff leveraged those traits. During my 15-year coaching career, this was one of the best teams, and certainly one the best high school staffs, that I personally was associated with.”
Somsky joined Jack Henry, who went on to coach in the NFL, Frank Sworden, Tom Olszewski and Frank O’Korn on the Big Macs’ staff.
Somsky, Sworden and Henry all coached collegiately. Sworden guided McGuffey to the WPIAL Class AAA championship in 1994.
“We all seemed to come together,” Sworden said. “We had a great mix of seniors and younger players. We were determined to prove we could win the conference.
“Ray was a unique coach, a great high school coach. He was able to bring all of us together and that wasn’t easy back then. Canon-McMillan was made up of Cecil, Canonsburg, McDonald and different races. We just all grew together.
“Mt. Lebanon was always a thorn in our side. We proved we could beat anybody else. We struggled with Mt. Lebanon.”
Going into that game against the Blue Devils, the Big Macs had lost eight games in a five-year period (1967-1971) with five coming against Mt. Lebanon. Both teams were undefeated going into four of the games.
“To our credit, we put it all back together” Sworden said. “O’Korn was a great quarterback and we had some outstanding players and quarterback. We felt we had the caliber of players needed to win a championship.”
Canon-McMillan had several players recognized on the conference offensive All-Star team.
That group included Macerelli, at end and quarterback George O’Korn, the Most Valuable Player. Honorable mention selections were tackle Mark Hanna, guard Rudy Woodhouse and halfback Randy Lenhart.
Other offensive contributors that season, among others, included Howard Hackley – who ended up in the Canadian Football League – and Lenny Williams. On the defensive side the top players were Dave Roney, O’Korn, Bob Andreone, Steve Antonette, Macerelli, Dave Nackoul, Dale Delier and Jim O’Rourke.
Offensive end Frank Mastrangelo, lineman Jim O’Rourke, guards Delier and Steve Antoinette, center Mike Franko and fullback Skip Kemp were starters.
Other notables were reserves Paul Longo, Joe Perkins and Roy Bookmiller.
“(This) group of men were challenged by an amazing array of coaches who themselves went on to solid careers and future recognition,” said Macerelli. “The (regular-season) championship was the result of that team’s efforts that surpassed all expectations. I am even more proud of what these men have done over the past 50 years, becoming positive contributors to society, both locally and nationally.”
George O’Korn said it all related back to Campanelli and how he operated the program.
“We weren’t as talented as a team as the ones leading up to us,” he said. “It was the culture Campanelli and the rest of the staff created. That culture brought the best out in everybody.
“Everyone responded and played well because we were prepared. We over-achieved and under achieved at the same time. We had some weak spots. But we could have gone undefeated.”