This site is about the sports doings of the high schools in Venango County, Pa. Contact: pennyweichel@gmail.com
2026
Titusville 41, Franklin 13 -- The Knights took the opening KO and marched down the field, only to be turned away at theTitusville 2. The Rockets answered with a 98-yard scoring drive and never looked back.
Caden Mincer became the first Franklin player with 100 yards (163) rushing and 100 (105) receiving in a game. Closest: Red Law's 130 rushing and 90 receiving vs. Oil City in 1966.
Mincer also scored both Franklin TDs on a 78-yard run and a 65-yard pass
from soph QB Harrison Doty.
Doty threw for a career-high 260 yards. Luke Marsteller (pictured) had 18 tackles for
Franklin, Korbyn Sires 15, Austin Brown 14 and Michael Miller 11. Jack Wimer: two sacks.​
Oil City 63, Franklin 3 -- The Knights drew first blood when freshman Jacob Fleming kicked a 20-yard field goal early, but the Oilers quickly answered when Logan Heath returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and never looked back.
A 26-yard pass from Harrison City to Anthony Martin (pictured) to the 4 set up the field goal.
Other than that, the Knights were unable to go much of anything on offense as the Oilers held Caden Mincer in check. There was another 23-yard completion to Freddie Blackhurst, but that resulted in a fumble., but the Knights mounted only 82 yards total offense.
Eddie Platt boomed a 66-yard punt (with roll).
Luke Marsteller is averaging 14 tackles per game.
Harbor Creek 62, Franklin 0 -- Slippery at times Gavin Zillman scored four touchdowns on runs of 33, 39, 4 and 51 yards.
The Huskies (3-0) led 28-0 at the quarter, but had to wait until early in the second half to put the mercy rule into effect. It was 34-0 at intermission after a pick six late in the second quarter.
Interceptions stopped a couple of promising drives for the Knights (0-3), including their third possession after Harrison Doty passed to Anthony Martin for 26 yards and Freddie Blackhurst ran for 16 yards. But Zillman intercepted on the next play.
Doty threw for 99 yards. The Knights used several tailbacks in the absence of the injured Caden Mincer, including Luke Marsteller and Conor Johnson. Blackhurst (pictured) had several of nice pickups both running and catching the ball. He had some 135 all-purpose yards.
Blue Collar
Players
of Week
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Scrimmage -- Luke Marsteller
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Titusville -- Kaden Kiselka
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Oil City -- Michael Miller
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Harbor Creek -- Luke Marstelller
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Cathedral Prep -- Anthony Martin
Cathedral Prep 79, Franklin 6 -- Prep came to town and immediately put up 31 points in the opening quarter. Brogan McCarthy threw five TD passes to five different receivers.The unbent Ramblers also scored on a kickoff return.
McCarthy threw for 191 of the 234 yards the Ramblers gained passing. They only had 81 rushing, but of 12 carries.
The Knights remained winless but lit up the scoreboard when Harrison Doty hit pay dirt from the 2 in the third quarter.
Doty completed 10 of 18 passes for 108 yards. He has 520 yards passing this season. Damian Cassano caught four passes for 63 yards.
Luke Marsteller and Freddie Blackhurst took care of the ground game in place of Caden Mincer, who was out the second straight week. Indications are he might be back for the Iroquois game.
Marsteller continues to lead the team in tackles with 38.
Austin Ion replaceS turk
Austin Ion was introduced as the new Franklin football coach at a school board work session on Jan. 19. He officially became Franklin's 26th paid coach at the board's Jan. 26 meeting.
Ion succeeds Matt Turk, a former Knight all-star, who resigned after six years at the helm.
Ion is a 2017 Keystone High School graduate who played football, basketball and baseball for the Panthers.
He played wide receiver at Grove City College, where he majored in accounting.
He has coached at Keystone for eight years and most recently served as jayvee coach under coach Todd Smith.
The commiittee to select a new coach at Franklin consisted of athletic director Becky Barnes, high school co-principal Tom Holoman, Central Elementary principal Joe Keenan and assistant AD Chris Romanowski.
Ion was the choice among "nine good applicants," according to Barnes.​
He's a 28-year-old business development engineering who is pursuing his business education certificate.
Spent eight years at his alma mater Keystone, working with QBs, WRs and DBs. Jayvee head coach, special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.