Penguins versus Flyers, Yankees versus Red Sox, Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed; these are some of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. A rivalry is filled with competitions that have a sense of familiarity between opponents. Wins and losses are shared back and forth throughout years of history. Fans cheer loud when nemeses compete because emotions rise when the stakes are high. With a rivalry, bragging rights are sometimes more important than the trophy itself.
Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan High School Wrestling has had its fair share of rivals over the years. Some have lasted for nearly a century, while others have just recently emerged. Others started, died out, and resurfaced, with a feeling of competition lingering in the background. Because CM has been a wrestling powerhouse in the Section, WPIAL, and State of PA, the program seems to continuously be the “team to beat.” While many opponents fear the face of any Big Mac wrestler, others jump at the chance to grapple with one just to be able to boast a victory. With a program as old as Canon-McMillan, there have been many rivalries; for that reason, the CM Wrestling Alumni Association is ranking the Top 8 Greatest Rivalries over its 90 year history. Disclaimer: this is a list based upon length, win-losses, fan stories, and a personal opinion.
Within the WPIAL alone, there are some tough competitors. CM beat North Allegheny in the 2012 WPIAL team finals to three-peat, yet the same team took away the Big Macs’ chances at a PIAA team title three-peat in 2014 by beating CM in the consolation finals of the WPIAL tournament. NA was also a tough team in the 80’s, when they won 3 State titles and 5 WPIAL titles, defeating CM for 3 of them. Some fans might argue that Latrobe is a major foe; however, the only accomplishment that the wildcats can boast is ending CM’s 62 match win streak in 2014. More recent quasi-rivals include Belle Vernon and Franklin Regional. Nazareth and Easton have posed threats on the state level, while Walsh Jesuit and South Plainfield have been dangerous opponents for the Macs on a national level. The biggest issue with all of these opponents is that there were not enough major matches or big enough stakes to consider any of these teams true rivals.
8. Washington
Wins: 42, Losses: 14, Points Scored: 1508, Points Against: 863
Length: 76 years, Last Loss: 1980-1981
Considering Wash High a rival team may seem crazy, especially since the HS is a AA team now. However, back in the 40’s and 50’s, fans flocked in droves just to see the Prexies take on the Gunners. In the early days of wrestling, Canonsburg wrestled each team in the section twice a year, adding Washington to their schedule in 1941 when Canonsburg won 48-5. From 1947-1953 the only two teams to win WPIAL titles were either Canonsburg or Washington, during which time the Gunners went 7-3 against the team in duals. Washington also proved a formidable foe in the mid-70’s. The Prexies were eliminated from Canon Mac’s schedule in the late 80’s when they switched from AAA to AA, but the team deserves a spot on this list as an old-time rival.
7. Connellsville
Wins: 4, Losses: 13, Points Scored: 392, Points Against: 452
Length: 27 years, Last Loss: 2008-2009
The Connellsville rivalry is one that anybody who followed CM wrestling in the 2000’s knows well. From 1999 to 2009, the Falcons appeared in 8 WPIAL finals, earning a PIAA team State title in 2005. Connellsville is one of the only teams that the program has a losing record to, making it tough to consider the team a true back and forth rival. One of the biggest components to this team’s placing on the list is the controversial 2008 WPIAL semi-finals when Connellsville injury defaulted a wrestler out of a match. This move sent the Falcons forward to win a WPIAL title and made Big Macs fans very upset.
6. Kiski Area
Wins: 7, Losses: 8, Points Scored: 432, Points Against: 429
Length: 22 years, Last Loss: 2016-2017
One of the most recent rivalries for CM is Kiski, although the first match against the team was in ‘95-’96. The Big Macs have been fighting back and forth with the Cavaliers for the past ten years for a WPIAL team title. The Big Macs have won 5 out of the 11 dual meet encounters with the team from 2010-2017, unable to ever beat them at the PIAA State tournament. Canon Mac beat Kiski in the 2010 WPIAL finals, and Kiski returned the favor by beating CM in the 2017 finals. Fans might remember the 2010 finals as CM’s first WPIAL title out of four straight when Mike Hull came back from a shoulder injury to defeat the Cavaliers 33-27. The rivalry was so heated that fights began to break out in the stands. With tit-for-tat wins against each other, the record could be tied by the Macs next week when the teams will likely face off in the WPIAL finals for the third time in history.
5. McGuffey
Wins: 48, Losses: 11, Points Scored: 2160, Points Against: 1043
Length: 57 years, Last Loss: 2002-2003
The McGuffey rivalry started out hot in ‘60-’61, when the team beat the Macs in their first encounter. However, this was just one of eleven losses to the team. This rivalry intensified in the 1990’s, when CM went 8-8 against the Highlanders from ‘90-’00. During that time, McGuffey appeared in 7 WPIAL finals, winning 3 of them. The team traded titles with Canon-McMillan in back-to-back finals. In the 90’s McGuffey won 2 Section titles, while CM won 7. Unfortunately, the competition died out in the mid-2000’s, and the Highlanders switched to AA in the ‘14-’15 season.
4. Central Dauphin
Wins: 2, Losses: 1, Points Scored: 82, Points Against: 92
Length: 7 years, Last Loss: 2010-2011
This team rivalry had one of the most difficult placements on the list because of its recency and low amount of matches. So, is Central Dauphin truly a rival? Absolutely. After CM beat CD at the 2010 Powerade tournament, the teams dualled for the first time in ‘10-’11 when the rams knocked the Macs out of State title contention. A year later, Canon-McMillan ended Central Dauphin’s 95 match win streak and reign as 4X State Champions and went on to take the title from them. The following year CM bested CD again in, perhaps, the greatest match in program history when the Big Macs defeated the Rams in Brendan Price’s final bout of the 2013 State Championship to win 34-31. This is the shortest rivalry on the list, but it deserves its placement because of the high stakes.
3. Chartiers
Wins: 58, Losses: 9, Ties: 3, Pts Scored: 2054, Pts Against: 1055
Length: 77 years, Last Loss: 1981-1982
Ask anybody from the 1980’s who the biggest competitor was in the WPIAL, and he’ll tell you it was Chartiers-Houston. While the rivalry started in 1940 -- making this the 3rd longest -- it did not pick up speed until the 50’s when Chartiers first defeated the Macs in ‘50-’51. Things heated up heavily in the late ‘70’s into the 80’s when the Buccaneers won a Section title, a pair of WPIAL titles, and a State title. 1983 is the year that held one of Canon Mac’s other biggest matches, when CM defeated CH 29-17 in a HS so packed to the limit that fans had to watch the dual on tv’s in the cafeteria because they could not fit in the gym. Interestingly enough, this is the second major match to include Chris Mary, yet he was wrestling for Chartiers at the time. This is the third team rivalry on the list to die out over time as Chartiers did not grow and had to switch to AA in the late 90’s.
2. Trinity
Wins: 73, Losses: 28, Ties: 2, Pts Scored: 2717, Pts Against: 1785
Length: 86 years, Last Loss: 2000-2001
Trinity a rival? Yes. Trinity is Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan’s oldest and longest-lasting rival. Dating back to 1932, the Gunners added the Hillers to their first official schedule. Unofficially, Trinity handed Canonsburg its first loss in 1931 before the national record counted. The Hillers were tough opponents from ‘65-’80, handing the Macs 8 losses out of 16 matches and capturing 5 WPIAL titles. During that time the Section title was won by either the Big Macs or Hillers, each winning 7 titles a piece. Canon-McMillan and Trinity have faced off over 100 times, with the biggest win deficit in ‘11-’12 with a score of 67-9 and the biggest loss deficit in ‘79-’80 with a score of 11-47. This long feud explains why CM is always so eager to trounce Trinity, yet the Hiller’s last win against the Big Macs was in 2001.
1. Waynesburg
Wins: 66, Losses: 38, Ties: 4, Pts Scored: 3044, Pts Against: 2141
Length: 79 years, Last Loss: 2006-2007
We’ve finally arrived at the biggest team rivalry in Canon-McMillan history: Waynesburg. Canonsburg and CM have been facing off with the Raiders since 1938, when the Big Macs crushed them 32-10. This long history is the second longest on this list. From ‘39-’47 either the Raiders or Big Macs won a WPIAL title, and each team won a State title. Waynesburg has been first or second in the WPIAL 24 times, with 13 of those being encounters with Canon Mac. Of the 108 times that the teams have met, Waynesburg has won 38 times -- the most victories over Canon Mac by any team. The largest win streak by an CBG/CM team was from 1932-1940 with 87 wins, which was brought to an end by Waynesburg giving Canonsburg its first official program loss by a score of 15.5-18.5. The Big Macs returned the favor in 1960, when the team ended Waynesburg’s three year, 42 match win streak in 1960. The Raiders are also responsible for one of CM’s biggest loss deficits of all time by a score of 9-50 in ‘79-’80. Additionally, the team has the most points scored against the Big Macs, while we have the most points scored on any team against Waynesburg. While they have not beat CM since ‘06-’07, Waynesburg is looking for vengeance in the Section team title race this year.
90 years and 8 great rivalries. These opponents have shaped Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan Wrestling into the program that it is today with outstanding victories, humbling defeats, and controversial calls. This list is meant to spark some controversy, so make sure to leave your thoughts about this list and share your own personal lists. CM has battled with many teams for nearly a century; however, new rivals are sure to emerge, and the HS boys will be ready to face them when they do.