Rivalries are a given in any sport. What’s better than a game between the Steelers and the Cleveland Browns? How about a game between the Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers? And for sheer fun and enjoyment, take in any sport event involving Trinity and Canon-McMillan. It’s one of the oldest and best rivalries in Western Pennsylvania high school sports.
Although both schools have other opponents that they would consider important rivals, nothing quite matches a game between the Big Macs and the Hillers for sheer intensity and pre-game hype.
“There’s the proximity, naturally,” said Guy Montecalvo, head football coach and athletic director at Canon-McMillan when he reflects on what makes games so huge. “From golf to tennis and from football, basketball and soccer, we compete against them in just about everything.
“The kids also know each other and the coaching staffs for many of the sports know one another, and I think that breeds the rivalry as much as anything,” he added.
His arch-rival and contemporary at Trinity agrees.
“The proximity of the communities is obviously a big part of it and the kids from both schools compete against each other all the way from the time they were five and six years old,” said Trinity athletic director and head football coach Bill Dalton. He also agrees that the adults play a large portion in the competition.
“The adults in the (communities) spend a lot of time with each other, either socially, at work or in churches. I think that’s the nature of a rivalry: people that you see on opposing teams that you know.
I think for the most part it’s a good-natured rivalry and it’s a lot of fun.”
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Michael Hull runs downfield during a play against Trinity.
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Dalton also believes that the coaches become part of the mix.
“I think in the coaches it’s just natural,” he said. Relating to his own experience, he notes his feelings when his Hillers take the field against Montecalvo’s Big Macs.
“With Guy over there and his reputation in the community and how successful he’s been, it really heightens the rivalry from our standpoint,” Dalton said.
Games between the two schools are not only great for the coaches and the teams involved, but fans and the student bodies of each school seem to relish the thought of winning against each other. Sometimes their spirited anticipation of the game reaches fevered levels. Prior to this year’s Trinity – Canon-McMillan football game, someone painted Trinity slogans at the Canon-McMillan stadium and spray-painted the celebratory bell the Big Macs ring to celebrate a score. The graffiti was cleaned up in time for the game and these pranks are the exception rather than the rule.
“I don’t think the rivalry is one in which there is contempt for one another or anything like that,” said Montecalvo. “It’s a friendly rivalry and it’s a good rivalry, and our game with Trinity attested to that. There were no problems with fans and everyone followed decorum. As athletic director, that is one of the things I want to be sure takes place.”
Although scoring a victory against one another is a huge landmark for the season, Dalton says the single game in which the teams face each other must be put in the proper perspective. “I hope that none of our programs are at the stage where one win will make a season,” he said. “I’m sure that (Canon-McMillan) will say the same thing. Obviously it’s an important part of the season to win over them but I don’t think either of us is playing just to win that game. All of our sports teams want to win and get to the playoffs. Yes, that game is big on its own, but I think it has to be one step and part of the season.
