Wrestling

Perseverance on display as Oxford’s McMillan and McKinney star on Sr. Night

by
Nate Heckenberger
February 1, 2023

OXFORD >> When it comes to wrestling hair and talent on the mat, Oxford’s Austin McMillan and Jeremy McKinney have plenty of both.

McMillan, donning a mullet, and McKinney, with his long, shaggy blonde hair, have also had their fair share of bad breaks in the first three seasons, fighting through injury and the affects of a global pandemic.

They’ve taken the detoured route to becoming a pair of the top seniors in the Ches-Mont League, and Wednesday, on Senior Night, McMillan and McKinney led the Hornets to a 45-27 win over Unionville, as one final postseason looms just weeks away.

Oxford’s Austin McMillan locks up a cradle to pin Unionville’s Chase Minter at 139 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

“It’s been a long, hard road, but I still have time to do something,” McMillan said. “There have been some big ups and some big downs, but I’ve had fun doing it and I’ve worked really hard, so I’m happy with where I’ve been and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

As a freshman, McMillan went 16-8, but couldn’t find a spot on the postseason roster with Ben Smith and Cooper Johnson in front of him. In McMillan’s sophomore season, Oxford wrestled zero regular season bouts due to COVID-19, and he was selected to the postseason, where he was 1-2. Last winter, McMillan was leading Souderton’s Tyler Geiger in the Southeast Regional semifinals, before he injured his shoulder and slid to sixth-place, one win away from a state qualification.

Oxford’s Austin McMillan. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

With his shoulder still harnessed under his singlet, McMillan (139 pounds) followed fellow senior, Reiland Canaday (133), with a pin against the Longhorns.

“It’s been real tough, but I’ve been kind of making my way through the season real carefully,” McMillan said of his shoulder. “At the same time, I’ve worked my whole life for this. I have business to handle and I’m going to go out and do it.”

McKinney, while about 50 pounds heavier than McMillan, can relate to his perseverance.

Oxford’s Jeremy McKinney takes down Unionville’s Brady Kelly before pinning him at 215 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

As somewhat of a surprise regional qualifier as a freshman, McKinney was not selected for the postseason a sophomore, meaning he didn’t get to wrestle a match all season. As a junior, McKinney was 17-3 before he broke his leg against Sun Valley’s Chase Thompson in the semifinals of the Ches-Mont Championships, ending a promising campaign.

“It really does set a fire inside you,” McKinney said of his travails. “Every extra practice, you know what you’re working for and why you’re doing it. It teaches you that you can’t take it for granted.”

Oxford’s Jeremy McKinney. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

McKinney’s pin at 215 clinched the win for Oxford (2-2 American Division, 7-3 overall). For brief moment as he arose from the fall, McKinney looked up at the home crowd and soaked in “how great a wrestling family we have.”

No doubt the resilience of the two seniors has not gone unnoticed by the fans, nor Oxford coach, Tony Fabri.

“This is their last opportunity and we’re not worried about what happened in the past,” Fabri said. “Day by day we’re getting better. They’re both hard workers in the room and I don’t think they look at it as if it’s their last chance. I think they look at every day as an opportunity.”

Jeremy McKinney Sr. (black top) celebrates a pin by his son, Jace McKinney, at 285 pounds. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Jace McKinney (285), Jeremy’s freshman brother, ended the contest with a pin, which brought much of the crowd to its feet, including their father, Jeremy McKinney Sr., who pumped a proud fist after his sons capped the night with flair.

Jared Schaible (127), Canaday (133) and Xavier Alcaron (152) also pinned for the Hornets, while Sam Howell (107) started the dual meet off with a come-from-behind win by decision.

Unionville’s Chase Mousaw. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Unionville (2-2, 6-6), got six from Mason Coursey (121), Topher Tryon (160) and Ryan O’Leary (172). Jacob Julier (189) worked technical fall fall and Chase Mousaw (145) picked up a major, for the Longhorns.

Unionville’s Cole Haines (114) and Oxford’s Jordan Schaible (121) were out with injuries, but are expected back.

“I think in some of the tough matches our kids showed their progress, improving from a couple weeks ago,” Unionville’s first-year head coach, Eric Peoples, said. “We have seven sophomores and two freshmen in the lineup, so we’re a young team but they’re doing the right things and we’re headed in the right direction.”