This site is about the sports doings -- mainly football -- of the high schools in Venango County, Pa. Contact:
FHS grad Fultz ('76 winner) to serve
as Boston Marathon grand marshal
Jack Fultz will serve as grand marshal of the Boston Marathon on Monday -- 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.)
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.
Friday's games
The Oilers blanked North Clarion, 7-0, Friday, behind Bialo's three hits, while, Franklin (Hickory), Rocky Grove (DuBois CC) and Oil City softball (Sharon) all lost.
(Photo by Eric Elliott)
Gracee Hess stepped in the circle for an ailing Danica Wenner and led Cranberry to a 9-7 victory Friday over Karns City.
Hess induced a come-backer with two out in the seventh to preserve the Berries' eighth win in 10 starts.
The Gremlins fell to 7-3.
Hess drove in four runs and hit an inside-the-park homer.
Check out the game and an entertaining Hess interview here.
Earlier this week, Emma Morrow drove in eight runs in Cranberry'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.
Berry good again
(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 were enough for the Berries to get by Brookville, 76-74.
The Cranberry boys also lost to the powerful Blue Raiders, 112-38.
Slippery Rock Invitational
What's More: Findlay wins Long jump,
many medals for Kolesar, Wenner
Up until the clock was about to strike 8:30 p.m., it looked like Darien Wenner and Beatrice Kolesar were leading Cranberry efforts Friday at the Slippery Rock Invitational.
And then along came Cole Findlay. While Wenner and Kolesar were piking up seconds galore, Findlay was the surprise winner in the long jump -- an event that was going on about the same time.
The senior went a personal best 21-10 on his first try, and that was all he needed. It was a top 50 leap in the state this spring.
The meet was attended by some local athletes and skipped by others.
But Kolesar and Wenner were there in all their glory. With the clock having struck 7:30 p.m. (the event began at 1), Wenner had collected seconds in the pole vault and 400 and Kolesar had run to another second in the 1600. Both were on the Berries' 3200 relay, which, along with Elena Ishman and Ava Earp, took fifth.
Kolesar and Oil City's Corabel Shiley were seeded 1-2 in the 3200 so Kolesar had a chance to match Wenner with two individual medals. She didn't disappoint with another second place in that event.
Neither Kolesar (11:20.72) nor Shiley, who was fifth in 11:35.20, ran their best times. Mercer's Maggie Jewell won the race in 11:07.60
Wenner was coming off a school record 11-6 performance in the pole vault. She cleared 11 feet Friday with the winner, Ashlynn Horvath, matching her Hickory school record with an 11-6.
Wenner was 3.5 seconds off the pace in the 400. Kaley Cubellas of Neshannock darted around the track in 58.48, which wasn't even her personal best.
Anyhow, getting back to Kolesar. She ran a 5:17.34 in the 1600. The 3200 relay was timed in 10:15.71.
Just before 8 p.m. and with the 3200 just about to start: Findlay put the Cranberry boys in the scoring column, tying for seventh in the high jump with his first personal best of the day, clearing 6-0. Then the exclamation point in the long jump.
Five seconds for Oil City
In addition to Shiley, Oil City claimed four more fifth places, one by Spence Singleton who threw the javelin 165-5. The other three posted personal records: Rilee Matalino, 4:31.36 and Addison Wyant, 5:24.03, both in the 1600 and 48.68 by Bailey Stevens in the 300 hurdles.
Both schools had some younger athletes who did pretty well -- Lilly Shiley and Kaelyn Klapec in the 800 and Madi Elder in the 400 for Oil City and Navy Perry for Cranberry the 400 and pole vault are four examples.
Erstwhile state mat champ Dalton Wenner ran a 2:05 in the 800, and Shane Clark is flirting with dependable point-threat status in the javelin (151).
Franklin not there
The meet was on the Franklin schedule, but the Knights weren't there. Their biggest threat to score, weight man Logan Knight, would have been up against Slippery Rock track and football recruit DeLathian Boanes of Grove City who flipped the discus 166-8 and put the shot 60-51/4 for a pair of firsts.
Grand finale
Oil City didn't run a team in the grand finale, which was still going on near 10 o'clock, and Cranberry was disqualified in the 1600 relay.
Pulling
his weight
2 medals for knight at butler
Logan Knight took a third in the discus (151-2) and a fourth in the shot (55-9) Saturday in the 61st annual Butler Invitational.
The Franklin junior was up against Slippery Rock football/track recruit DeLathian Boanes in both events, and the Grove City weight man was coming off a double win at Slippery Rock Friday.
Boanes -- who had set five invite records this spring -- settled for a pair of seconds Saturday. Ryan Kent of Hempfield won the discus with 163-3 ad Ft. LeBoeuf's Mason Friedman took the shot at 60-6. Boanes threw 160-5/60-4.
Franklin had another entry in the shot. Aaron Moore Junior was 11th at 45-21/2. Nobody else scored but Isabel Griffin with her 14th in the 1600, ran a 5:21.83. Long jumpers Jackson Wilson (20-3) and Lilyan Miller (15-81/2) made the honor roll below. The 1600 relay of Lena Laderer, Miah Shingledecker, Alaina Byler and Anna Rodgers also finished 14th.
Lists
Regions approved 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), 10:15.71; Oil City (Corabel Shiley, Lilly Shiley, Addison Wyant, Maddie Elder) 10:21.85
100 hurdles -- Olive Collins, Oil City, 16.4; Bailey Stevens, Oil City, 16.6; Anna Rodgers, Franklin, 17.17
100 -- Lilyan MIller, Franklin, 12.95; Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 13.15
1600 -- Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 5:13.72; Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 5:18.43; Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 5:21.83; Addison Wyant, Oil City, 5:24.03; Elena Ishman, Cranberry, 5:56.53
400 -- Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 61.73; Lena Laderer, Franklin, 63.15; Sophia Garmong, Oil City, 63.17; Miah Shingledecker, Franklin, 65.28
400 relay -- Franklin (Anna Rodgers, Lilyan Miller, Lily Griffin, Lena Laderer), 52.82
300 hurdles -- Bailey Stevens Oil City, 48.68; 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, 27.51; Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 28.49
3200 -- Beatrice Kolesar, Cranberry, 10:58.44; Corabel Shiley, Oil City, 11:12.90; Isabel Griffin, Franklin, 11:47.59; Addison Wyant, Oil City, 12:10.33; Elena Ishman, Cranberry, 12:32.41
​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; Payton Liederbach, Oil City, 4-9; Olive Collins, Oil City, 4-8
Long jump -- Lilyan Miller, Franklin, 16-61/2; Isabella Vorse, Oil City, 15-113/4; Lilyan Miller, Franklin 15-81/2
Triple jump -- Lena Laderer, Franklin, 34-5
Pole vault -- Darien Wenner, Cranberry, 11-6; Bailey Stevens, Oil City, 8-0; Navy Perry, Cranberry, 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. 4:31.36; Maxx Griffin, Franklin, 4:51.16
400 -- Morris Woodhouse, Oil City, 51.8; Dylan Van Wormer Oil City, 52.73; Blake Marchinke, Cranberry, 53.34; 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, 23.24; Eddie Mattocks, Franklin, 24.41; Dylan VanWormer, Oil City, 24.16; 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; Caleb Sparks, Cranberry, 43-6; Bradley Graham, Oil City, 43-41/4; Jayce Becoate, Oil City, 42-51/2
Discus -- Logan Knight, Franklin, 162-4
Javelin -- Spence Singleton, Oil City, 183-1; Shane Clark, Cranberry, 153-3
High jump -- Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 6-0; Michael Fink, Oil City, 5-9; Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 5-8
Long jump --Cole Findlay, Cranberry, 21-10; Nevin Stinson, Oil City, 20-10; Jackson Wilson, Franklin, 20-3; 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, 9-6
​
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 April 10 in a 13-11 loss to Oklahoma, but hasn't pitched since.
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.
Oklahoma took two of the three games, but Vandy beat Lipscomb, 15-1, Tuesday.
The Commodores (22-17) opened another three-game series Friday night and dropped a 5-2 decision to Kentucky.
Games this weekend are at 10 a.m. today and noon Sunday.
This space is dedicated to keeping up with Guth, a 6-1, 188-pound junior right-hander from Franklin.