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BY JEFF DEAN TIMES LEADER SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Tuesday, February 08, 2000 Page: 1B
In a 28-26 wrestling match, every decision is big. For Tunkhannock on
Wednesday, no decision was bigger than sophomore Lou MacMillan’s 7-4 victory
over Wyoming Valley West’s Joe Danosky.
With his Tigers down by 13 points, the 145-pound MacMillan found himself
trailing 4-2. MacMillan rallied by thwarting a second-period takedown attempt
when he reversed Danosky to his back for five points and held on for the
victory.
The victory (a decision earns three points) – before a large, hostile
audience – sparked a rally among his teammates. Tunkhannock erased the team
deficit and won by two points.
“Before the match, everybody was telling me what a strong wrestler
(Danosky) was,” MacMillan said. “And the crowd was big, too. So I was
nervous. But then we tied up and all that went away.”
On Saturday, MacMillan kept his hot streak going by beating Lake-Lehman’s
Rich Maciejczak, 10-8.
Admittedly struggling at the 152-pound weight class during the early-season
tournaments, MacMillan worked through early January to drop to 145 pounds.
Since then, he has gone 10-0.
“I feel real good at this weight,” MacMillan said. “I always thought I
was big for my weight, but my coach (Frank Wadas) said the opposite. He was
right. I feel better, and the competition has been easier for me to handle.”
MacMillan is one of many talented wrestlers on a Tunkhannock squad that has
been producing surprising victories all season. The Tigers are 3-2 in the
Wyoming Valley Conference West Division, trailing Lake-Lehman (5-0) and
Wyoming Valley West (4-1).
Though just a sophomore, MacMillan said he doesn’t feel young. For one
thing, he pointed out that he comes from a family of Tunkhannock wrestlers
(brothers Percy and Lynn). For another thing, he’s been wrestling since he was
5.
“So I feel like I’ve been around awhile,” he said.
Wadas agreed.
“With the experienced kids, you can tell by their sophomore year if
they’re going to be good or not,” Wadas said.
“And Lou (MacMillan) will be good. He’s a great worker. He’s good on his
feet, he has good natural balance. And now his leadership is developing, and
people are starting to follow his example.”
Getting to Know:
Lou MacMillan
Age: 17
Family: Parents Margaret and Percy; brothers Percy, 20; Lynn, 19; sisters
Chris, 32; Laurie, 25.
Hometown: Noxen
Outside interests: Deer, bear, and small game hunting. “I use a bow and a
rifle. I’d say my favorite spot is South Mountain.”