Cranberry, other dominations

The Streak

After winning three consecutive 2A state titles from 1992-94, the Cranberry girls put together another impressive streak in basketball: 202 straight wins in the Tri-County Athletic Conference (Division II) from Feb. 13, 1990 to Jan. 16, 2003.

It began after a 41-40 loss to East Forest in 1990. It ended with a 54-44 loss to Youngsville 13 years and 202 games later.

The Berries had little trouble disposing of league foes through 1995. That's when they won three state championships and four District 10 crowns.

Their average winning margins in those years were: 48.06 in 1991, 63.87 in 1992, 59.37 in 1993, 54.31 in 1994 and 62.81 in 1995.

But there were some close calls after that:

a 3-point victory over Youngsville (59-56) in 1996

another 3-point win, this time over Eisenhower (39-36) in 1997 when they also survived 8- and 9-point decisions over Eisenhower and East Forest. Their averaging winning margin dropped to 21.43.

three straight close calls against Sheffield (44-40), Youngsville (34-33) and West Forest (52-49) and one game later a five-point victory over Rocky Grove in 1998.

Their closest games in 1999 were six and seven points, and in 2000, six and nine points before 2001 turned out to be another waltz (44-point average winning margin.)

The nail-biters returned in 2002 with a pair of two-point victories, on in overtime, against East Forest. Still, that average winning margin was a pretty good 33.8.

Venango Catholic gave the nine-time district champion Berries a scare in 2002 with a 41-38 victory. One game later, after wallowing Tidioute by 54 points, Cranberry met its Waterloo with a 54-44 loss to Youngsville.

Largest margins of victory

105 vs. Tidioute (125-20) in 1991-92
90 vs. Eisenhower (112-22) in 1995
88 vs. Venango Christian (103-15) in 1993-94
86 vs. Rocky Grove (97-11) in 1995-96

and dynasties, too

Special thanks to Ed Brannon, retired sports editor of The Derrick/The News-Herald, for providing me with the numbers.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

TENNIS

Rocky Grove, led by Ted and Tim Gardner, won 39 straight tennis matches from 1972-76. Titusville was the last team to beat coach Dan Gallegos' Orioles until Oil City beat them, 4-3, in May 1976. The Grove had notched straight Section 2 titles.

Meanwhile, coach Crunk Porter's Oilers had a 30-match streak going in the early 1960s when it wasn't unusual for teams to play only five matches a year. Porer's record stood at 100-38 from 1960-76 after the win over the Grove.

FOOTBALL

Remember this sign on the 13th Street Island in Franklin celebrating the Knights three straight Section 2 football titles from 1965-67?

They put together a 20-game winning streak, which was ended by Warren in 1973, and then logged TCAC titles in 1983, 11984, 1988 and 1989 when they also claimed their first Northwest Football Conference crown.

They shared another TCAC title under coach Tiger LaVerde in 2003.

Oil City, meanwhile, was just getting started, logging five District 10 championships, starting in 1998. There was a three-peat from 2018-20 before the Oilers won again in 2025.

BASKETBALL

Where to begin? This is about the Franklin boys and girls, who have ruled in hoops since the 1990s.

Bill Hager has been the prime architect. He started at Franklin in 1993 as the boys coach and had already accumulated a 307-156 record at Jamestown, N.Y., and Maplewood. (He was turned down for a job in Corry!

Hager's life at Franklin would be somewhat checkered in that he coached both the boys and girls at one time or another.

The first of two stints with the boys (1993-03) included a state championship in 2001. He also coached the boys from 2006-10. All told, 10 straight TCAC crowns and a 78-2 record, which included a controversial forfeit to Oil City.

He was 290-109 with the boys and 75-8 with the girls.

Bill Mook was the primary mover and shaker for the girls. He coached them for 23 years, building the program from the ground up after returning to his alma mater from Oil City in 1980.

But, there were others who had more than a little to do with this dynasty. Steve Singledecker took over for Hager, and coached the boys to another state title in 2005 during his three years.

Todd Wetjen was successful as Mook's successor with the girls, and, finally, Justin Fulmer, put together a 89-21 record for the boys from 2020-24 with 34 straight league wins.

During this time, the boys won District 10 crowns in 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The boys had plenty of star players over the years; the girls had a superstar in Hillary Hager as they won D-10 championships in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2012 2013.

For more on Bill Hager, click here.

Back in the Day...

The Oilers once had a 26-game winning streak in basketball.

It began with a 31-14 win over Pleasantville during the 1914-15 season, and ended with a 31-19 loss to Kittanning during the 1916-17 campaign.

The Oilers started 0-3 in 1914-15, falling to Rocky Grove, Pleasantville and Titusville. Then they won their last five to finish with a 5-3 record. That streak included wins over the Franklin Boy Scouts and Mu Betta Kappa.

They were undefeated (12-0) the next year, including a 26-25 decision over Sewickley to end the season. Other close calls: 16-14 over Kittanning and 23-20 over Clarion.

The Oilers won their first nine games in 1916-17, all by at least six points except for a 27-26 decision over Franklin. Their last win in the streak came over New Kensington, 31-14.

SWIMMING

Franklin swimming under coach Eric Smith:

574 victories in 25 years
undefeated boys teams (2006-07-08-11-12)
undefeated girls teams (1992-97-07)
19 conference titles
16 district crowns
46 All-Americans
263 D-10 champs in 128 events

Girls -- 1992-95-97-99-05-06-07-14

Boys -- 1991-94-95-96-99-00-06-07-08-11-12-13

Franklin boys also won league titles in 1991 under Hank Reed and 2024 under Charlie Smith

While their counterparts on the hardwood were hoopin' it up on the hardwood from the mid '90s on, Franklin swimmers were no slouches, either, making a big splash in the pool under Eric Smith -- the most successful coach in school history.

His two biggest stars were Phil Emerson, a five-time individual state champion and Jill Wilkinson, who claimed two state crowns.

Emerson won three titles in the 100 free and two in the 50 from 2012-14. He also teamed with Andy Frederick, Quinn Heffernan and Isaac Cooke to win the 200 free relay in 2013 when the Knights were runners-up in the team standings at states despite only having six swimmers.

Wilkinson won the breaststroke in 1995-96. She was on the Lady Knights' state championship 200 medley relay in 1997 with Amanda Armburger, Gwynne Junkin and Katie Findlan.

Both Emerson and Wilkinson would go on to swim for Division I programs in college, Emerson at Tennessee and Wilkinson at Penn State where her career was cut short by injury.

Smith later returned to his alma mater, Oil City, to coach.

All-Staters/All-Americans

D-10 individual champs

ALSO OF NOTE...

TRACK

Oil City boys -- currently five straight region titles; 34 straight victories; seven straight and eight out of nine league wins from 1978-87

Oil City girls -- three straight D-10 from 1982-84, five league titles from 1982-89

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Oil City -- five D-10 from 1976-87, seven league titles from 1981-1990

Cranberry -- five in District 9 from 2015-22

VOLLEYBALL

Cranberry girls -- 203-28 from 1979-94 with backk-to-back District 10 2A title in 1987 and 1988 under coach Cindy Schenck. Back-to-back 18-0 seasons in 1993 and 1994. Won league title again in 1995

OIL CITY girls -- four D-10 from 1984-94, nine league titles from 1981-95

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Cranberry -- four straight D-10 (1992-95;) three straight state titles 1992-94

Franklin -- seven D-10 titles, beginning with three in a row from 1998-00 under coach Bill Mook

GIRLS SWIMMING

Franklin -- seven D-10 from 1992-05, including three straight from 2003-05

Oil City -- three straight D-10 from 2000-02

SOFTBALL

Cranberry -- four in District 9 from 2012-25 including three straight 2023-25

BOYS BASKETBALL

VC -- three from 1976-84

Franklin -- nine from 1995-24 including three straight from 2022-24 and 2001-03

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Cranberry -- four Districtc 9 since 2014, including three straight from 2019-21 under coach Keith Siverling

Oil City -- three straight D-10 1982-84; six league titles from 1981-90

Rocky Grove -- three from 2020-23

BOYS SWIMMING

Franklin -- eight in District 10 from 1995-08, three straight 2006-08

VOLLEYBALL

Oil City boys -- six straight in D-10 from 1937-42 under coach Hud Wells

FOOTBALL

Oil City -- five D-10 since 1998