This site is about the sports doings -- mainly football -- of the high schools in Venango County, Pa. Contact:
Football
Franklin schedule 2026
Caden Mincer has a chance to do big things as a senior running back and he's been in the weight room getting ready.
According to a Facebook post:
"It’s been a busy few months for the Knights this offseason!
Today we max tested after Phase 1 of our offseason workout plan.
Junior Caden Mincer joined the 1,000 pound club!
We’re super proud of all the guys and how hard they’ve worked this far.
On to Phase 2!"
D-10 Champs!
Oil city schedule 2026
Oilers end skid behind
Zach Love's two-hitter
The 2026 baseball season has not been kind to Oil City -- 2-5 record. Ugh.
But the Oilers snapped a five-game losing streak Wednesday with a 1-0 decision over Titusville, walking it off on Carter Bialo's two-out RBI in the seventh that scored pinch runner Brady Fulmer.
Bialo's AB ended a pitchers' duel between Oil City's Zach Love (pictured) and Titusville's Blake Schmidt.
Love got the best of it with the two-hit, no-walks shutout that included 10 strikeouts. He threw 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes, according to a report on YDLsportsnetwork.com.
Schmidt scattered seven hits over 6.2. He walked one and fanned five. Bialo had two off the hits off Schmidt.
The Oilers and Franklin were in a Region 2 "Battle for the Basement" going into Wednesday's games. The Knights lost to Grove City, 6-3, to gain sole possession of the cellar with an 0-4 mark. (Their overall record is a respectable 7-4).
Oil City crawled out of last place with a 1-4 record. The Oilers are 3-5 overall.
Titusville, which had been tied with Hickory, slipped to 2-3 and 4-4. Sharon is the king of the region with a 5-0 record.
Bialo and Casey Rybak each had two hits for Oil City. Rybak continues to hit .500 while Bialo is at .370.
A four-run sixth snapped a 2-2 tie and gave Grove City its win over Franklin.
And a 10-run second propelled Rocky Grove to a three-inning 15-3 rout of Jamestown in a Region 3 game.
(Photo by Eric Elliott)
Trish Erickson, soph starter for OC
girls' state semifinalist, dies at 66
Trish Erickson, one of the two underclassman starters on the Oil City girls basketball team that reached the state semifinals in 1975, died April 9.
Erickson, 66, was a long-time resident of Port Townsend, Wash., and once served as finance manager for the City of Seattle. She studied economics and physical geography at the universities of Alabama and Oklahoma.
But before that she was an “Oilerette.” That’s what Oil City High School girls athletics teams were called in the 1970s.
Erickson was a 5-7 sophomore forward for coach Dixie (then) Cox’s group that went 23-1, losing only to Elizabeth Forward 56-28 in the state semifinals. The team’s exploits captivated the town and surrounding area as it made its way through the state playoffs.
She was a solid starter for that 1974-75 squad, teaming with Jodi Gault, Peg McDougal, Sue Preston and junior Lynn Petulla in the starting lineup. They were the first local team – after the PIAA state tourney was expanded in 1972 – to create that “playoff excitement” as they mounted their march, which included what has turned out to be the school’s only District 10 title in girls basketball.
Gault and McDougal were the big stars and the players with the most recognizable names from that team. That’s why some might find it hard to believe that it is Trish who holds the school record for most points in a game – 48 against Titusville on Sept. 28, 1976 – her senior season. This was at the start of the late Rick Fletcher’s coaching career.
Hitting mostly from the corner and adding a few fast break layups, Erickson was 20-for-25 from the floor and eight-for-eight from the foul line.
“I’ve just never seen anybody shoot like that,” Fletcher told The Derrick. Trish also found time to deliver some pinpoint outlet passes off the break to Deb Harkless, who finished with 15 points in the 85-28 rout.
Erickson’s outburst is also a Venango County record, and that includes the days of the six players to a side basketball played by girls through the 1960s.
And it got her picture in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”
Years later, in 1986, Bridget Hale twice scored 46 points in a game. The first time, McDougal, who was then Oil City’s coach, took Hale out with three minutes to play. Later, she phoned Fletcher only to learn of Erickson’s record – and so it still stands.
Erickson finished her career with 1,010 points, reaching 1,000 in the midst of her final game – a 38-35 loss to Villa Maria in the District 10 final at Edinboro. She ranks No. 9 on the Oil City girls' all-time scoring list, No. 10 if one counts the points Joan Smith scored at VC.
At the end of the 1976-77 school year, Erickson and wrestler Gary “Pooch” Stralko won the sportsmanship awards.
Arrangements are being handled by Bradley-Kosec Funeral Home & Crematory in Port Townsend, Wash.
From the Oil Can: Trish Erickson (13) and Peg McDougal sneak a peek at the scoreboard during a timeout.
FHS grad Fultz ('76 winner) to serve
as Boston Marathon grand marshal
Jack Fultz will serve as grand marshal of the Boston Marathon April 20 -- the 50th anniversary of his victory. Fultz, a 1966 Franklin graduate, was a surprise winner; many of the "big names" sat out to prepare for the 1976 Olympics. With temps soaring to 96 degrees, the '76 marathon has become known as the "Run for the Hoses."
According to a story written by The Derrick's Joe Henderson, Fultz now teaches sports psychology at Tufts and is coach of a team of 500 members that he trains to run the race and has raised millions for cancer research since 1990.
Modest beginnings: Fultz started out as a sprinter in high school, but by his senior year was running the 880 and mile, smashing the school record in the latter by six seconds (4:34.5.)
Pulling
his weight
Franklin junior Logan Knight is one of the best in District 10 -- and in the state for that matter -- in the discus and shot -- aka the weights. (Tammy Curry)
Emma Morrow drove in eight runs in the Cranberry softball team's 14-5 victory over Forest Area.
Morrow clubbed a homer and a double among her three hits.
Avery Coe and Karlie Schneider also had three hits and Danica Wenner fanned 11.
The baseball team also won, 11-3 over North Clarion. Peyton Sloan's two-run double and Connor Morrow's two-run single highlighted an eight- run fifth.
Another Berry good day
(at least in some respects)
Sophomore Darien Wenner broke her school record in the pole vault Tuesday, clearing 11-6. She soared 11 feet as a freshman.
But neither her record nor Beatrice Kolesar's triple winning effort was enough for the Berries to get by Brookville, 76-74.
The Cranberry boys also lost to the powerful Blue Raiders, 112-38.
Lists
Here are the proposed District 10 basketball regions for the next two years. They'll be voted on Thursday.
Done deal here
Franklin wrestlers will be in a region with Commodore Perry, Maplewood, Saegertown, Cochranton and Greenville. Meadville is moving down to 2A, but won't be in Franklin's region.
Swimming regions same as last year.
Track honor roll
GIRLS
3200 relay -- Cranberry (Beatrice Kolesar, Darien Wenner, Elena Ishman, Ava Earp), 10:20.96; Oil City (Corabel Shiley, Lilly Shiley, Addison Wyant, Maddie Elder) 10:21.85; Cranberry 10:26.85
100 hurdles -- Olive Collins, Oil City, 16.4; Anna Rodgers, Franklin, 17.17; Bailey Stevens, Oil City, 17.22
100 -- Lilyan MIller, Franklin, 12.95; Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 13.7
1600 -- Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 5:18.43; Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 5:28.89; Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 5:33.1; Addison Wyant, Oil City, 5:40.34
400 -- Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 62.55; Lena Laderer, Franklin, 63.15; Miah Shingledecke,r Franklin, 65.28
400 relay -- Franklin (Anna Rodgers, Lilyan Miller, Lily Griffin, Lena Laderer), 52.82
300 hurdles -- Bailey Stevens Oil City, 48.98; Anna Rodgers, Franklin, 49.58; Olive Collins, Oil City, 51.13
800 -- Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 2:23.69; Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 2:24.24; Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 2:26.76; Addison Wyant, Oil City, 2:28.55
200 -- Lilyan Miller, Franklin, 27.11; Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 28.26; Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 28.49
3200 -- Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 11:45.53; Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 11:47.59; Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 12:06; Addison Wyant, Oil City, 12:10.33
​1600 relay -- Franklin (Anna Rodgers, Lena Laderer, Miah Shingledecker, Sophie Wehrle), 4:23.73; Oil City 4:24.52.
Shot -- Madi Garland, Oil City, 32-21/2; Halle Curry, Franklin, 29-71/2
Discus -- Madi Garland, Oil City, 101-101/2
Javelin -- Madi Garland, Oil City, 112-6
High jump -- ChishaBetty Watson, Cranberry, 4-10; Olive Collins, Oil City, 4-8
Long jump -- Lilyan Miller, Franklin, 16-61/2; Isabella Vorse, Oil City, 15-113/4
Triple jump -- Lena Laderer, Franklin, 34-5
Pole vault -- Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 11-6; Bailey Stevens, Oil City, 8-0
​
BOYS
3200 relay -- Oil City 9:33.16
110 hurdles -- Michael Fink, Oil City, 15.97
100 -- Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 11.41; Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 11.93; Jackson Wilson, Franklin, 11.97
1600 -- Rilee Matalino, Oil City. 4:42.65; Max Griffin, Franklin, 4:51.16
400 -- Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 51.8; Blake Marchinke, Cranberry, 53.64; Dylan Van Wormer, Oil City, 54.06; Eddie Mattocks, Franklin, 54.78
400 relay -- Oil City, 45.61; Franklin (Eddie Mattocks, Jackson Wilson, Cody Walkowski, Samuel Miller), 46.77
300 hurdles -- Carter Thompson, Oil City, 43.64; Garrett Dick, Cranberry, 45.12; Jayden Jackson, Cranberry, 46.10; Sam Miller, Franklin, 46.71; Cam Winger, Franklin, 47.58
800 -- Rilee Matalino, Oil City, 2:02.67
200 -- Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 23.44; Eddie Mattocks, Franklin, 24.41; Dylan VanWormer, Oil City, 24.54; Blake Marchinke, Cranberry, 24.6
3200 -- Daniel McCain, Cranberry, 10:28.47; Max Griffin, Franklin, 10:34.81; Elliot Hulsizer, Oil City, 10:59.29
1600 relay -- Oil City (Dylan VanWormer, Rilee Matalino, Carter Thompson, Morris Woodhouse), 3:32.61; Cranberry (Cole Findlay, Landon Baker, Blake Marchinke, Dalton Wenner), 3:36.80; Franklin (A.J. Rodriguez, Eddie Mattocks, Samuel Miller, Jackson Wilson), 3:44.28
Shot -- Logan Knight, Franklin, 59-4; Aaron Moore Junior, Franklin, 46-101/2
Discus -- Logan Knight, Franklin, 162-4
Javelin -- Spence Singleton, Oil City, 183-1; Shane Clark, Cranberry, 153-3
High jump -- Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 5-10; Michael Fink, Oil City, 5-9; Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 5-8
Long jump --Nevin Stinson, Oil City, 20-10; Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 20-5; Clark Findlay, Cranberry, 20-2
Triple jump -- Nevin Stinson, Oil City, 41-1; Bart Rosen , Oil City, 40-6
Pole vault -- Tahelon Tarr, Oil City, 9-0
​
Oil City's Spence Singleton has improved his distance in the javelin by 20 feet over last year to become one of the best in District 10.
Keeping up with Luke Guth
Luke Guth worked three scoreless Friday, but Vanderbilt dropped a 13-11 decision to No. 16 Oklahoma.
The Sooners, after erasing an eight-run first by the Commodores, already had the 13-11 lead by the time Guth entered the game. He allowed a hit, walked one and fanned three. He didn't play in the series opener Thursday, a 10-5 Vandy victory.
He leads the team with 15 appearances.
The Commodores also lost to the Sooners, 6-5, Saturday. They beat Lipscomb, 15-1, Tuesday for a 22-16 record, but Guth didn't pitch. They visit Kentucky Friday through Sunday.
This space is dedicated to keeping up with Guth, a 6-1, 188-pound junior right-hander from Franklin.