Northwestern Pa.
sports banquet
Franklin's Damon Curry (boys basketball) and Oil City's Ethen Knox (football, offense) received Player of the Year Awards at the Northwestern Pennsylvania Sports Awards gala June 23 in Erie. (Big event, like the Oscars.)
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What's more, Knox, just a junior, was named male Athlete of the Year. (See below).
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Damon Curry poses with former Steeler Derek Watt, guest speaker at the event. (Photo by Tammy Curry).
Venango County nominees for the NWPAHS Sports Award Show were (from left): Sydni Hoobler, Nate Pfennigwerth, Kallie Smith, Damon Curry, Jake Hornbeck, Camden Smith, Gage Haniwalt and Ethen Knox. Other nominees who were absent from the event were Cam Crocker, Nadalie Latchaw, Alaina Brown, Trinity Edge and Caleb Prettyman. (Photo by Tammy Curry).
Around the diamond...
Edge, Hoobler repeat on 4A all-state softball team
So many stats...
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But they are what got Franklin's Trinity Edge (left) and Sydni Hoobler named to the 4A all-state softball team for the second straight year. Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times News had it onTwitter July 5.
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The two seniors triggered Franklin's success over the last three years, which includes a surprise District 10 title in 2021, and region crowns the last two years.
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Here are some numbers on Edge, the Waynesburg recruit:
29-6 over the last two years (Max Preps) with a 2.28 ERA. 75/358 walks to strikeouts ratio. And she also found time to slug: nine homers and 48 RBI and a .504 batting average.
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Hoobler, a three-sporter (volleyball and swimming) who will take her talents to Akron: .630 batting average and a .647 on-base percentage who stole 58 bases the last two seasons, including a state-leading 40 in 2022.
D-9 champion Cranberry
reaches state's Elite Eight
Cranberry's improbable run in the PIAA 2A softball playoffs ended June 8 when the Berries bowed to unbeaten (24-0) District 5 champion Everett, 12-2. Everett went on to win the state championship, 12-1, June 15 over Bald Eagle Area.
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Cranberry was 7-7 after losing to Forest Area on May 23, but finished 14-8 while winning the District 9 2A championship after a three-year hiatus.
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Venango County players named to all-region teams released by the Erie Times News:
Baseball
Region 2
Oil City -- Connor Highfield, OF second team
Franklin -- IB Aiden McCracken and SS Luke Guth, first; P Guth Guth, second
Region 3
Rocky Grove -- 2B Eli Wilson (First), ; 1B Aaron Wetjen and OF Logan Gaven, second
Softball
Franklin's Trinity Edge and Sydni Hoobler were named to the District 10 all-stars.
Region 4
Pitcher of the Year -- Trinity Edge, Franklin
Franklin -- P Edge, SS Hoobler, 1B Gabby Wimer (first team); C Kristen Hicks and OFs Gabrielle Laderer and Rilee Hanna, second
Oil City -- P Sophia Garmong and DP Hannah Krug, first team
KSAC
Cranberry ball players were named to all-star teams released May 23. Cassie Scarborough (first team 3B) and Austin Shoup (second team P) were lated named to the District 9 all-stars and Chrissy Shumaker was named softball Coach of the Year.
Baseball
First team -- P Austin Shoup
Second team -- INF Cole Findlay, OF Austin Shoup
Softball
First team -- OF Kendell Findlay
Second team -- P Reyna Watson, 1B Cassie Scarborough, OF Alexis Reisinger
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Special mention
OCHS grad Jon Clark is head coach of the Bellefonte baseball team that won the 4A state championship. Clark, who played on the Oilers' 1998 D-10 football championship team, has been at Bellefonte for 18 years, the last six as head coach.
Franklin's Prettyman
earns three state medals
Franklin's Caleb Prettyman added to his state medals collection May 27 with a fifth place in the 2A 3200 and an eighth in the 800.
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The junior ran a 9:21.31 in the 3200, which is about 23 seconds faster than the school record he set earlier this spring. His time in the 800 later in the day was 1:57.61, less than a half second off the school mark set earlier this spring.
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They were the second and third state medals for Prettyman who ran another school record (4:19.23) for sixth in the 1600 on May 26. He joined Oil City senior Cam Crocker on the medals stand. Crocker was seventh in the discus, finally breaking that school record he's been eying for some time.
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Crocker tossed 162-11 -- and on his final throw, erasing the record shared by Randy Greene, who threw 160-6 in 1974, and matched in 2012 by Jared Hollidge. Crocker's clutch throw moved him from eighth to sevent
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School records set in '23
Oil City boys discus -- 162-11, Cam Crocker, May 26
Franklin boys 1600 -- 4:19.23, Caleb Prettyman, May 20
Cranberry girls long jump -- 18-3, Laiyla Russell, May 8
Franklin boys 800 -- 1:57.28, Caleb Prettyman, May 5
Cranberry boys pole vault -- 13-7, Scott Finch, May 4
Franklin boys 3200 -- 9:21.31, Caleb Prettyman, May 27
Franklin girls 3200 -- 11:27, Nadalie Latchaw, April 21
Oil City boys 400 relay -- 44.02, (De'Vaughn Griffin, Jake Hornbeck, Isaiah Robinson, Ethen Knox), April 15
KSAC
Cranberry senior Laiyla Russell was named field events MVP on the KSAC all-stars released May 23.
Cranberry athletes named to the team:
GIRLS
First team -- Laiyla Russell (100, LJ), Kayla Hanna (1600), Kelsey Hanna (3200), Kayla and Kelsey Hanna, Karleigh Shaffer, Jordan Montgomery and Zofia Earp (3200 relay)
Second team -- Russell (200, TJ)
BOYS
First team -- Ethan Merryman (300 hurdles), Scott Finch (PV)
Second team -- Kaleb Heath (400), Kevin Perarsall (jav)
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DISTRICT 10
Caleb Prettyman, Franklin, and Cam Crocker, Oil City; Nadalie Latchaw, Franklin
REGION 3
BOYS
Co-Athletes of the Year -- Caleb Prettyman, Franklin, and Nic Williams, Meadville
Team champion -- Oil City boys
First team
Oil City -- Ethen Knox, 200; Jack Mumford, 800; Gavin Stephens, triple jump; Sawyer Cavalline, high jump; Cam Crocker, discus; (Franklin) Caleb Prettyman (1600, 3200)
Franklin -- Bryson Watson, 300 hurdles; Caleb Prettyman, Easton Adamczyk, Ethan Knapp and Jay Prettyman, 3200 relay
Second team
Oil City -- Knox, 100 and discus; Kaiden Shreve, 110 hurdles; Sayyid Donald, high jump; Crocker, shot; Charley Motter, javelin; De'Andre Griffin, Jake Hornbeck, Isaiah Robinson and Knox, 400 relay
Franklin -- Trysrtin Boocks, pole vault; Adamczyk, 800; Camden Smith, Knapp, Watson and Jay Prettyman, 1600 relay
REGION 3
GIRLS
First team
Oil City -- Baine Snyder (high jump, pole vault); Kallie Smith, high jump
Franklin -- Olivia Rondinelli, high jump
Second team
Oil City -- Kallie Smith, high jump; Chase Skinner, Nicki Petro, Meghan Flinchbaugh and Smith, 400 relay
Franklin -- Nadalie Latshaw, 1600; Isabella Griffin, 3200
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Volleyball
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District 10 all-stars -- Alex Zinz, Rocky Grove, second team
Basketball
District 10 champ –Franklin boys (3A for third year in a row)
Region champ – Franklin boys
District qualifiers – Franklin, Oil City and Rocky Grove boys, Franklin girls
State qualifiers – Franklin, Oil City boys
3A all-state – Damon Curry, Franklin (second team)
District 10 Player of the Year – Damon Curry, Franklin
District 10 small school all-stars – Damon Curry, Franklin (first team), Jalen Wood, Franklin (second team), Jake Hornbeck, Oil City, and D’Andre Whitman, Rocky Grove, third team
Boys region all-stars – Curry, Hornbeck and Whitman, first team; Wood, Franklin’s Johnathan Leccia and Cole Buckley, Oil City’s Cam Van Worker and Rocky Grove’s Blayne Baker, second team
Girls region all-stars – Estella Adams, Franklin, first team; Franklin’s Katie Boal and Jamie Blum and Oil City’s Maddy Marczak, second team
KSAC girls all-stars – Kendell Findlay, Cranberry, third team
Special mention – Lily Homan, who transferred from Venango Catholic, third team District 9 and first team repeater on KSAC all-stars, and Monique Vincent and Natalie Keith, former Rocky Grove students, were starters on Kennedy Catholic’s 2A state championship team. Also, James Henry who scored 501 points for the Vikings after transferring from Oil City, earned a spot on the Venango Catholic Wall of Fame.
Wrestling
State medalists (all from Cranberry)
Seventh – Dalton Wenner (107), Brayden McFetridge (215)
Eighth – Elijah Brosius (121, second straight)
Regionals
Champs – Dalton Wenner
Thirds – Brosius, Dane Wenner, McFetridge
Fourths – Conner Reszkowski (133)
Top 8 – Devyn Fleeger, (152)
Team finished fourth. Dustin Wenner was named Coach of the Year
District 9
Champs – Dalton Wenner, McFetridge
Seconds – Brosius, Reszkowski
Thirds – Dane Wenner
Fourths – Fleeger
Berries won the Howland Invitational and finished fourth in the prestigious Fred Bell event at Grove City.
District 10 all-region wrestlers
Franklin’s Cael Dailey, Jonah Heckathorne and Drew Kockler were all second team selections.
Swimming
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Nobody won a District 10 title, but...
Camdon Smith, Franklin, 100 fly, 100 free
Caleb Stover, Charlie Motter, Garrett Morse, Logan Rakow, Oil City, 400 free relay
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...made all-state.
District 10 Swimmer of the Year – Alaina Brown, Franklin
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Oil City boys went 13-0 in duals for their first unbeaten season in the 55-year history of the program, won the Iroquois Invitational, the Southern Tier meet and teamed with the girls for the overall title in the Southern Tier.
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Several swimmers from both squads broke school records and cracked the all-time school top 10 lists.
Fall 2022
League/region/conference champions
Boys cross country -- Oil City, Rocky Grove
Girls cross country -- Cranberry
Golf -- Oil City
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District qualifiers
Volleyball -- Franklin, Cranberry
Boys soccer -- Franklin
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State qualifers
Cross Country:
1A
Cranberry girls (team) -- 4. Karleigh Shaffer, 8. Kelsey Hanna, 13. Kayla Hanna, 28. Jordan Montgomery, 29, Ashlyn Shultz. Girls were sixth at states.
Cranberry boys (team) -- 4. Dalton Wenner, 7. Ben Seybert, 23. Kaleb Heath, 30. Dane Wenner, 38. Noel Bunyak. Boys were 13th at states.
Rocky Grove boys - 5. Ethan Knapp, 13. Evan Wolfgong
2A
Oil City boys-- 10. Jack Mumford
Franklin boys -- 18. Caleb Prettyman
Franklin girls -- 4. Nadalie Latchaw
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Golf: Cayden Baker, Cranberry
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All-Conference:
Cranberry boys (KSAC)
Golf -- Dane Wenner (second team), Dalton Wenner and Cayden Baker (third)
Cross country -- Dalton Wenner and Ben Seybert (first), Kaleb Heath (second)
Cranberry girls (KSAC)
Volleyball -- Ayanna Ferringer (first team), Mackenzie Barnes and Brooke Hart (second)
Cross country -- Karleigh Shaffer,r Kayla Hanna and Kelsey Hanna (first, Ashlyn Shultz and Jordan Montgomery (second)
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Franklin girls
Cross country -- Nadalie Latchaw (District 10 first team), Region 7 "Runner of the Year"
Volleyball -- Sydni Hobbler, Region 5, first team OH
Soccer -- Alexis Holtz, Region 5 first team CB; Raelynn Montgomery, second team OB; Riley Brophy, second team CB
Franklin boys
Soccer -- Gage Haniwalt, second team all-District 10, Region 4 first team CM and Player of Year , Nate Pfennnigwerth F and Ben Yard, CB Region 4 first team; Quinn Ritchey CM and Sheldon Bean, CD second team
Cross country -- Caleb and Jay Prettyman, Region 7 first team
Golf -- Aiden McCracken Region 4 first team; Avery Purich, Zach Rugh and Ty Prince, second team
All-Conference:
Cranberry boys (KSAC)
Golf -- Dane Wenner (second team), Dalton Wenner and Cayden Baker (third)
Cross country -- Dalton Wenner and Ben Seybert (first), Kaleb Heath (second)
Cranberry girls (KSAC)
Volleyball -- Ayanna Ferringer (first team), Mackenzie Barnes and Brooke Hart (second)
Cross country -- Karleigh Shaffer,r Kayla Hanna and Kelsey Hanna (first, Ashlyn Shultz and Jordan Montgomery (second)
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Franklin girls
Cross country -- Nadalie Latchaw (District 10 first team), Region 7 "Runner of the Year"
Volleyball -- Sydni Hobbler, Region 5, first team OH
Soccer -- Alexis Holtz, Region 5 first team CB; Raelynn Montgomery, second team OB; Riley Brophy, second team CB
Franklin boys
Soccer -- Gage Haniwalt, second team all-District 10, Region 4 first team CM and Player of Year , Nate Pfennnigwerth F and Ben Yard, CB Region 4 first team; Quinn Ritchey CM and Sheldon Bean, CD second team
Cross country -- Caleb and Jay Prettyman, Region 7 first team
Golf -- Aiden McCracken Region 4 first team; Avery Purich, Zach Rugh and Ty Prince, second team
Oil City boys
Cross country -- Jack Mumford, Keegan Kirkwood, Elijah Brosius and Eli Collins, Region 7 first team; Andrew McGarvie, second team
Golf -- Charlie Motter Region 4 Golfer of the Year; Connor Highfield also on first team; Jacob Teeter and Will McMahon on second team. Golfers won the Venango Cup.
Oil City girls
Cross country -- Kennedy Liederbach, Region 7 first team; Sophie Garmong, Ella Speece and Baine Snyder, second team
Rocky Grove boys
Cross country-- Evan Wolfgong, Ethan Knapp and Easton Adamczyk, Region 3 first team; Schiffer Anderson and Gauge Gierlach, second team
Golf -- Aaron Wetjen named to Region 4 first team; Alex Zinz on second team
Rocky Grove girls
Cross country -- freshman Isabel Griffen, Runner of the Year In Region 3; Kaylin Jacoby also first team'; Ellie Coyer and Sophie Wehrle, second team
Volleyball -- Courtney Clark, Region 1, first team OH; Paige Cresswell, second team, OH
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Plus:
Venango Cup (golf) --Franklin
48th annual Rocky Grove Invitational (cross country) -- Rocky Grove boys
McQuad Invitational, Rochester, N.Y. (cross country) -- Oil City boys (1A small school)