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OIL CITY

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Logan Heath: Unofficial 133 (or 129) yards receiving. Photo by Kelly Malek photography.

Nothing left in suitcase after trip to Grove City

It's complicated, but there was plenty to unpack after Grove City's 35-27 non-region victory over the Oilers Friday night. First off, the Eagles had not one, not two but THREE touchdowns called back. And one was a 99-yard scamper by sophomore Gavin Purdy late in the first half that would have extended a 21-14 Grove City lead. But the men in stripes sniffed out a hold.

And that would 've capped another odd little sequence after Alex McIntyre intercepted a pass, perhaps induced by pressure put on quarterback Heath Hohman by Matthew Antrilli after Hohman completed a 59-yard pass to the Oiler 11.

But, wait, there's more. It looked like the Oilers were about to go four-and-out after the INT, but a roughing the passer call gave the them new life, short lived as it was. Four plays later Bryce Marchinke was stopped just short of the goal and Purdy took off for his apparent TD on the next play.

Not so fast, though, as the whistles blew. Of course, with less than a minute left, the Eagles did not go quietly into the locker room. No, not before they completed a 32-yard pass to threaten again.

They did take a 21-14 lead into the locker room before starting the second half by recovering an Oiler fumble on the first play. But wouldn't you know: another penalty almost killed a 42-yard touchdown (Drake Moore to Heath Werhnyak) before the officials picked up that flag and ruled the Eagles' 28-14 advantage stood.

It also was the second fourth down TD of the game for Grove City as the Oilers returned to an old bug-a-boo that plagued them in the General McLane game: fourth down touchdowns.

Their first score, logged off the the game's opening possession, also came on fourth down. The 10-yard pass climaxed a 40-yard march after a 48-yard return of the opening kickoff. 

The third Grove City touchdown to be called back came on a 36-yard run by Purdy in the fourth quarter. Holding, again, was called. The Eagles punted on the next play, but no worries, for them a 78-yard pass from Hohman to tight end Tanner Mong came one possession later and left them with a 35-21 lead with 1:58 to play. It was the second by Hohman, the flashy sophomore, and the third by Grove City

Speaking of flashy sophomores, Marchinke did all right for the Oilers, passing for an unofficial 213 yards (11 of 17) and accounting for four touchdowns.(Oil City was limited to a less than spectacular 93 yards rushing.)

Marchinke scored twice in the first quarter on 11- and 7-yard runs. Carter Thompson tied the game at 14 with a PAT after missing a kick after the first.

Grove City went ahead to stay early in the second quarter on a 5-yard run by Purdy after two great catches by Levi Toth for 31 and 14 yards. 

Marchinke threw a 62-yard TD to Logan Heath in the third quarter and an 11-yard scoring pass to Thompson as time ran out.

Heath, a senior, is having a solid if not spectacular season for the Oilers, doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. He handles the punting, and got off a 49-yarder. What's more, he a caught a career high six passes for 129 yards. Carter Bialo contributed a 44-yard kickoff return.

​

NOTE: Yardage totals subject to change, but will be straightened out as the week progresses...When the smoke cleared, Purdy was left with 76 yards on 21 carries...

 

FRANKLIN

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Another 200-yard passing game for Harrison Doty.

In their battle of sophomore quarterbacks, Warren's Parker Kiser got the best of Franklin's Harrison Doty on Friday, scoring three touchdowns on runs of 3, 14 and 22 yards as the Dragons beat the Knights, 40-16.

Doty wasn't too shabby himself, completing 21 of 39 passes for 273 yards, but he was intercepted twice as the Knights remained winless in seven starts. 

Warren, which escaped the Region 5 basement, took a 20-0 lead on Kiser's 3-yard run, another 30-yard run by Aiden Eger and a 3-yard return of a blocked punt by Chris Orth.

Kiser later added 14- and 22-yard TDs. The 14-yard run came after a Tucker Sanford interception, and the 22-yarder was a fourth-and-goal prayer. Eger also scored from the 17.

Freshman Jacob Fleming booted a 44-yard field goal for Franklin. It tied Dan Zasa for fifth longest in program history, and cut a Warren halftime lead to 26-10.

Caden Mincer scored on a 20-yard run. He finished with 143 yards rushing. Franklin's final points came on a 1-yard run by Luke Marsteller.

Other stats for Franklin: Damian Cassano 5/84, Korbyn Sires 5/66, Mincer 4/70 and Anthony Martin 3/19 receiving. Sires had an interception, Marsteller made eight tackles, giving him 67 for the season. 

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Freshman Jacob Fleming's 44-yard field tied Dan Zasa for fifth longest on Franklin history. (Photo by Brandon Goodman)

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Caden Mincer has rushed for 2,543 yards for Franklin through the Warren game. The school career record is 3,089 yards set in 1988-89 by Ian Quarles. Mincer has three games to break it.

AROUND REGION 5

Region 5 standings

Today's Games

Karns City (7-0) 78, Ridgway (5-2) 26

General McLane 40, Cathedral Prep 27

Harbor Creek 27, Meadville 0

Conneaut (2-5) 42, Titusville (2-5) 41

Sharon (4-2) 35, Slippery Rock (3-2) 0

Fairview (3-2) 12, Seneca (2-4) 0

Maplewood (2-5) 29, Union City (0-7) 14

Saturday's Game

Iroquois (4-2) at Cambridge Springs (6-0) 

​(Teams involving Oil City and Franklin schedules)

LEGENDS

THE WINS JUST KEEP ON COMING AT KIRTLAND

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Oil City native Tiger LaVerde's teams at Kirtland, O., just keeping rolling along  -- even though he lost his quarterback due to injury for the third straight year.

Yes, the Hornets lost a game this season, but they are 6-1 and on a collision course with another playoff berth, it would seem.

LaVerde's coaching career began in 2001 with a three-year stint at Franklin before he moved on to Kirtland.

He is 280-31 overall and 260-21 at Kirtland. He sports the highest winning percentage in Ohio history. 

He was also the third in Ohio history to claim eight state titles -- (Class VI). The Hornets have reached the state finals in 14 of the last 15 seasons.

LaVerde was national Coach of the Year in 2023.

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Giving 'em the old stiff arm

D-10 all-time top rushers

* active

Photo from Mercyhurst web site

Ethen Knox's numbers at OCHS were unreal, now he's finding his place at 'Hurst

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He doesn't get to play much, but Ethen Knox is seeing more action this season for Mercyhurst's Division I football program.

Knox, District 10's all-time leading rusher with 7,870 yards for Oil City from 2021-23, is a junior cybersecurity major at Mercyhurst.

Knox has played in four games this season for the 1-5 Lakers, and has seen more action lately. He caught six passes for 38 yards Sept. 26 against Western Kentucky and added four more receptions for 29 yards against LIU, a game the Lakers lost 29-27. (Their only win was 49-20 against Glenville on Sept. 19.)

For the season, Knox has 36 yards rushing on 10 carries and 10 catches for 67 yards.

His 10-game career umbers show 113 yards rushing on 20 carries and his only touchdown plus 10 receptions for 67 yards. Defensively, he was three tackles (two solo) and a block of something.

Looks like he's fourth on team in rushing. Jameir Gamble is 67/310, but nobody is close to him. Next are Emanuel Fincher 18/74 and Byron Cardwell 24/42 and then Knox.

Mercyhurst's next game is Oct. 17 when it hosts Central Connecticut at noon.

They will also be home to Wagner on Nov. 7. Kickoff is 2 p.m.

The Lakers will visit Pittsburgh twice in the coming weeks. They play Robert Morris on Oct 24 (2 p.m.) and Duquesne on Nov. 14 (noon).

In Memoriam

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Franklin baseball great Gary Shingledecker dies

Gary Shingledecker, the first Franklin High School player to be selected in the MBL draft, died in September after battling pancreatic cancer. He had just turned 59.

He was remembered during the FHS Hall of Fame ceremony Monday. Shingledecker and his brother Steve were 2024 inductees into the Hall.

Gary, after starring in Franklin's youth baseball programs, earned 11 letters in the golf, baseball and basketball in high school. He scored 1,176 points in basketball and later was an assistant coach for the Knights' 2006 state championship team. 

But baseball was his sport. He played at North Carolina State (1987-89) and was drafted as a second baseman/third baseman by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th round of the 1989 draft.

He played a few years for Erie and and then Wausau in the minor leagues.

While he was an assistant coach for one of the Knights' state championship basketball teams, he had said the coaching job he was most proud was baseball. He took over a Franklin program that was 0-20 and in two years the Knights won a District 10 title.

His brother, Steve, followed a similar career path, playing baseball at NC State from 1989-91. He's now the golf coach at Robert Morris.

About this site

If you are from Anywhere, USA, and happened to stumble upon this site, Franklin and Oil City are about eight miles apart along Route 8 in Venango County, Pa. -- which is about halfway between Pittsburgh and Erie in the western part of the state.​

yardsandpoints.com (formerly venangofootball.com and then route8rivalry.com) covers the grid doings of Oil City and Franklin high schools in Venango County. Not only does it include the football histories of the two schools, which date back to 1896, but of (RIP) Venango Catholic/Chriistian/St. Joe, which dropped the sport in the 1990s. I've recently included more stuff on basketball as well as the other sports.​

You can say what you want about the caliber of football played in northwestern Pa. (few Division I players and state champs), but one thing you can't take away. These schools and their local playmates are old, old OLD. Lots of history here.

Former Derrick sports editor Penny Weichel is webmaster.​

Contact pennyweichel@gmail.com if need be.

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