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Ben Schill (right) poses with his brother Jay (left) and former Oiler basketball coach Dan Fry at his retirement party.

Ben Schill earned his wings
without 
forgetting his roots

Ben Schill is the only Oil City basketball player to score 1,000 points -- all in an Oiler uniform. That was 29 years ago. 

Since then he matriculated to the Air Force Academy in Colorado, became a pilot -- of F-16s yet -- flying dangerous missions over places like Afghanistan. Now a Texas resident, he recently retired and shared his at times complicated story  (9.21.25 and 9.22.25) with Joe Henderson of The Derrick/The News Herald.

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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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