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ANOTHER MEDAL

Cranberry sophomore Darien Wenner earned a sixth place medal in the pole vault at the state track meet. It was her second straight medal in the event.​

Berries' Wenner claims medal in pole vault again,
Kolesar, relay, knight go home empty-handed

Cranberry's 3200 relay didn't make it back to the medal stand Saturday, finishing 10th in this year's race, but sophomore Darien Wenner made her way back with a second straight medal in the pole vault, capturing the sixth-place prize.

Meanwhile, it was another disappointment for Franklin junior Logan Knight, who was deprived of a medal for the second straight year -- and fourth event -- this time,  when he was beaten out for eighth place in the 3A discus on someone else's final throw.

The Berries took the bronze last year in the relay, but a second straight in that event was not to be. Elena Ishman, Nanvy Perry, Wenner and Beatrice Kolesar finished 10th in 9:50.89 -- a time that was close to their best this season. Top-seeded Hughesville did not disappoint, winning the race in 9:23.39.

While all this was going on, Wenner was competing in the pole vault, and doing very well. She was looking for a second medal after finishing seventh last season.

Wenner got off to a rocky start, failing to clear 9-6 on her first try, but made her next jump -- and then the next two on her first try when she had to leave to get ready for the relay. She was facing 11 feet at the time. When she returned, she cleared that on her first attempt, and by that time only six people were left in the competition. But she missed her three tries at 11-6, her school record height. 

Meanwhile, the big girls, led by Grove City's Aleah Morganti were taking over the event, working on the 12-foot barrier when Wenner was eliminated. Morganti cleared 13 feet to win the event.

Kolesar was in the open 3200 two hours before the relay. She was seeking her second straight medal after taking sixth last year. Oil City's Corabel Shiley was also in the race, but neither local runner did as well as they did last spring -- place-wise or time-wise.

Kolesar ran 11:04.42 for ninth place -- just out of the money since the top eight medal. She ran a school record 10:58.44 when she medaled last season..

Shiley finished 19th in 11:49.03, some 30 seconds off the time she ran at states in 2025 when she was 12th. It was also 37 seconds off her school record.

Baylee Espinosa of Lewisburg repeated as champion. Her time was 10:58.44.

Knight's bid for medal foiled again

Knight was clinging to eighth place, and the final medal spot, by six inches over Drew Hopper of Carlisle, 159-5-158-11. Knight's sixth throw sailed only 149-10. Up came Hopper and he tossed 164-11 to overtake Knight. His 159-5 came on his fourth throw after two fouls. He opened at 159-5. Knight broke the school record on May 16 with 167-7, but that only would have been good enough for fifth place at states.

Grove City's DeLathian Boanes was second, flipping a 172-4, before he takes his football and track talents to Slippery Rock. The champion, Grayson Pittman of Avon Grove, threw 187-11 on his first try and then proceeded to rack up five straight fouls.

Knight also finished ninth last year in the shot, but did nothing in the discus. This season it was just the opposite. At least he does have one more year.

Cranberry's Dalton Wenner and Oil City's Rilee Matalino in the 2A 800.

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The lone local medalist so far is Cranberry senior Shane Clark, who was eighth Friday in the 2A boys javelin.

of note
  • Corry's Blake Cook repeated as 2A 110 hurdles champ. He ran a 14.08.

  • Defending champion Vinnie Feliciano had to settle for fifth in the 2A 100, and Ft. LeBoeuf's Kc Wasiulewski seventh. Feliciano's time was 10.96. Deakyn DeHoet of Beth Center won in 10.51.

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(Photo by Kelly Malek)

Grove advances to D-10 title game behind Bevier's 1-hit shutout

Another gem by Haydon Bevier propelled Rocky Grove to a 2-0 decision over Cambridge Springs Thursday in the District 10 1A baseball playoffs.

Bevier (8-2) hurled a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts as he lowered his ERA to 0.89. It avenged the Grove's 1-0 loss in eight innings to the Spa on March 30. Bevier worked the first seven in that one.

The hit Bevier gave up Thursday came in the first inning when he worked out of a slight jam.

Rocky Grove had only two hits, run-scoring singles by Landon Jones and Lucas McCool. The Orioles (11-9) will meet West Middlesex (14-5) at 10 a.m. Monday at Slippery Rock  for the championship. 

The Big Red beat Cochranton, 8-0, in the other semifinal Thursday.

Thursday's game (softball)

Gracee Hess hurled a one-hitter with nine strikeouts as Cranberry blanked Moniteau, 10-0, Wednesday to advance to the District 9 2A softball finals. Over in District 10, West Middlesex bounced Rocky Grove from the 1A playoffs with an 11-1 romp.

Ashlyn McWilliams parked two doubles and drove in three runs for Cranberry (16-5). Emma Morrow had three hits, including a walk-off single in the sixth. The Berries will play top-seeded Brockway for the title at 4 p.m. Monday, also at Heindl Field in DuBois.

Losing pitcher Abigail Mawhinney had three hits and drove in the only run for Rocky Grove, which closed at 6-15.

Tuesday's  games (baseball)

Franklin dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to Girard in the District 10 3A playoffs Tuesday on Ryan St. Julien's walk-off two-out double in the bottom of the seventh.

Cranberry's season also came to an end. Homestanding Curwensville snapped a 3-3 tie with a 10-run fourth in the District 9 2A tourney. The final verdict was 14-4 in five innings.

Victor Gould had a no-hitter going through five before Franklin (11-10) rallied for a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Luke Marsteller hit a two-run homer that inning.

Both pitchers went the distance and gave up five hits. Gould struck out nine. Losing pitcher Nate Fezell walked two and struck out eight. Fezell  finished the season with a 2.18 ERA.

Cranberry (8-10) committed four errors in its loss to Curnwensville, which solved four Berry hurlers for 11 hits.​

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Monday (baseball)

Rocky Grove  vs. West Middlesex, 10 a.m., Slippery Rock

Monday (softball)

Cranberry vs. Brockway, 4 p.m., Heindl Field, DuBois

THIS 'N THAT

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Keegan Kirkwood, son of Mark and Jamie Kirkwood, signed a letter of intent to continue his athletic career at Slippery Rock. Keegan will participate in cross country at the Rock. An injury sidelined him for most of the track season this spring.

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OCHS athletic director Bundy Fulmer sent these photos along -- a gift from the Steelers. 

Bundy said he had to Google Pleger, so... see below

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Cranberry Awards

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Zofia Earp, a member of the cross country team, received the Keith Siverling Memorial Scholarship. She plans to attend Clarion, where she will major in early childhood education.

Baseball player Jake McCloskey, another senior, received the Eric Meade Memorial Award for his play on the diamond this spring.

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Ken Pleger

Football

Halyday Street resident scored six touchdowns and 40 points for 1952 Oilers. The erstwhile 225-pound lineman tallied three TDs on short runs against Warren, a 27-12 victory. Pleger delivered a key block on a 71-yard TD run by Bobby McFadden against North East...Pleger also scored on a 27-yard run, setting up the TD with a 17-yard dash on a reverse, and averaged 45 yards on three punts…Had a 53-yard run called back by a clipping penalty against Hickory in 1952…

Basketball

Scored 261 points for the 1952-53 Oilers, and 150 points as a junior in 1951-52. Apparently missed significant time as a senior due to illness…Teammates included Pete Burch (Dutch’s younger brother), Ron Black, Bosco Hajduk and Jim Enos…Scored 28 points in a loss to Meadville in 1953…Played center AND guard on the basketball team

Track

Took fourth in the shot put in the state track meet in 1951 and 1952. Undefeated in the shot going into the D-10 meet in 1952 when he threw 47-51/2 to win the title. Threw 46 feet in the state meet…Eligibility apparently ran out after the 1952-53 basketball season…​

College/Pros

Voted greatest tackle ever at Capital University in Ohio...Little All-American...Drafted in the 16th round (#185) by the Chicago Bears in 1958...released by the Bears in 1958...played "minor league" football with Ottawa Rough Riders and Columbus Colts through 1962...Grew to 280 pounds as a pro...

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Keeping up with Luke Guth

Vanderbilt's hopes for a third straight SEC tournament title came to an end Wednesday with a second-round 8-3 loss to Florida.

Luke Guth pitched an inning was touched for another run -- with the 38-18 Gators already ahead. Guth allowed three hits and a walk.

Vanderbilt, 33-25, now awaits a bid to the NCAA tourney. The selection show is at noon Monday.

Guth is a 6-1, 188-pounder from Franklin. He's one of 19 pitchers on the Vanderbilt staff and is tied for  the team lead in appearances with 23.

This space is dedicated to keeping up with him and Vanderbilt, usually one of the top programs in the country.

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FOOTBALL

Oil city schedule 2026
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Franklin schedule 2026
Clarification
Jake LaVerde  preferred walk-on at Penn State
Tiger's son to play safety for Nittany Lions
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Editor's Note: Jake's uncle Matt LaVerde     was a preferred walk-on at Penn State   before transferring to Mt. Union. And Tiger wore a Penn State shirt to school everyday at Oil City Junior High.

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.

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yardsandpoints.com (formerly venangofootball.com and then route8rivalry.com) covers the grid doings of Oil City and Franklin high schools in Venango County. It also includes the football histories of the two schools, which date back to 1896, along with that of (RIP) Venango Catholic (nee Christian and formerly St. Joseph in Oil City), which dropped the sport in the 1990s. I've recently included more stuff on basketball as well as the doings in other sports.

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Former Derrick sports editor Penny Weichel is webmaster.

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Contact pennyweichel@gmail.com if need be.

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