route8rivalry.COM

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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Penny Weichel, site editor

pennyweichel@yahoo.com

Covering high school football in Venango County, Pa.

Fighting Orioles of Rocky Grove

It's true. Rocky Grove once had a football team!

Oilers' 27-game winning streak in hoops

It began with a win against Pleasantville in 1914-15.

Franklin's 
all-oughts team

The first and last      of former FHS coach Dave Smith's          all-decade teams

School  enrollments from back in the day

Found these figures in The News-Herald from 1936-37 when I was doing my original Franklin site.

BAY LAWRENCE

A little about Rolland "Bay" Lawrence a star in the 1960s for Franklin who played in the NFL.

Walter Camp gives thumbs up to Franklin

Father of American football rules in favor of Franklin in a dispute with Greenville.

OCHS grad has Ohio high school team in playoffs year-in and year-out.

(updated 12.7.21)

For those who give a hoot: "owl" game firsts

The first game under the lights in Venango County was hosted by St. Joe, which was playing Stoneboro at          Oil City's West End Grounds in 1931.

MARTY MARCZAK

Put her anywhere in the lineup.

LOU FOGLE

The former FHS star flirted with the pros, but had a successful high school coaching career in the Carolinas after starring for Clemson.

First team all-state guards

Two FHS guards from the 1960s, Paul Beals and Fred Blackhurst were first-team all-state guards.

MILESTONE  MILER

Charlie Winger won three state championships for Oil City in the early 1950s, He's pictured here with coach John Kaufman.

Al Foster scored 51 points in a 1918 game for Oil City

He later starred at Grove City College -- he's one of the guys in the photo above -- and held the OCHS record for 53 years.

He played QB in the NFL after being drafted by the Steelers and was Coach of the Year for the Colts in 1975.

Oil City's Adam Lehnortt and Ben Lynch both starred for West Virginia in the early 2000s.

NATE BYHAM

Nate Byham's pro career was cut short by knee problems. He starred at Pitt after graduating from Franklin. He is an assistant coach at Albany.

Dale Lash:
Second fiddle to Al Foster no more

Dale Lash scored 28 points in the 1918 game that Al Foster bucketed a then OCHS school record 51. He also played on the Oilers' unbeaten team in 1916. Then he went on to make a name for himself in New England.

Read More >

Grove state champions

Rocky Grove had two state track champions in 1959 -- Bob Flickner (left) and DeWitt Green.

DAVE DETAR

Oil City's Dave Detar wrestled for and coached at Penn State in the early 1920s.

Former five-star tight end Ben Koyack of Oil City played at Notre Dame and then enjoyed a brief career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

JIM SHAUGHNESSY

Jim Shaughnessy was a first-team all-state running back for Oil City in 1964.

After starring at Oil City St. Joe and in college, Forrey Hall played on the 1948 San Francisco 49ers, accumulating 966 all-purpose yards

SHIELDS HAS A NAME!

For years, he was just "C." Shields.

ONE MAN'S ALL-OIL CITY COLLEGE TEAM (1930)

The guys who were good back in the day.

SOME REALLY OLD TRACK TIMES

The times won't wow you from an inter-school meet held in 1899 at the OC Fairgrounds.

Probably the Greatest Oiler Ever in hoops.

Former Oil City High star played on Princeton's "Team of Destiny' in 1922.

Former Franklin stars Jack Biery (left)  and Larry Gent once starred for Penn State. And other tidbits.

On again, off again saga of girls hoops

Girls basketball in Venango County has a checkered history

OPEN REAL ESTATE

Rich Ahrens: Not your everyday 1930s player

Former Oiler star stood 7-feet (or maybe 6-10) under the basket.

Girls such as former Cranberry star Carrie Mason have done better at the next level of hoops than boys once they leave Venango County.