Blog Archives - Eight & 322/Eight & 27

Titusville again has influence in Franklin theater

3/24/2023

The Titusville and Franklin theater communities have a long standing connection. Currently some thespians are taking to the stage in the Barrow-Civic theatre production of "Pride and Prejudice."

Read more about the production and see full cast list here.

Here is another story from the show about a retiree taking to the stage for the first time to act along side his granddaughter before she heads off to college.
Click here.

New school record in Titusville

3/15/2023

Joe Herman etched his name into the record board at Titusville High School this morning at Bucknell University in the PIAA State Championships. "Joe swam great this morning. He broke our school record previously held by Zach Titus with a 52.95 (time.) " The time was also good for 14th place in the heat, he was seeded 25. Though he cannot medal he is swimming in the consolation finals tonight. Only the top eight finishers medal.
Read more about his hopes going into the tournament here http://www.8and322.com/eight--27/lone-rocket

What a season for Wood

3/15/2023

Before Tuesday night’s loss in the girls PIAA Class 2A playoffs at Slippery Rock University, the Maplewood Tigers won their first state playoff game in over 29 years.

The Tigers hosted Aliquippa Saturday night and took it to the Quips winning 65-47. It was quite a team effort with different players seemingly putting the team on their shoulders when someone needed to step up. Bailey Vandell was first looking like a one woman wrecking crew in the first quarter. When she grew a tad cold her teammate Sadie Thomas took over.

The first quarter, sans a Madison O’Hara bucket, was the Vardell/Thomas show. They each scored eight.

When the Tigers came out cold in the second quarter, it was Maggie Means, who despite being one of the shortest players on the court nabbed a huge offensive rebound, tried to put it back up but got hacked. She then sank one free throw to break the two-minute scoring drought. Moments later she got the ball on the outside and drilled a three. Her efforts thwarted any Aliquippa momentum who only managed to come within six.

The Tigers all contributed buckets at key moments, but was crystal clear from halfway through the second quarter until the final buzzer, the plan for success was to get the ball in Thomas' hands. The senior poured in 24 on the night.

Varndell chipped in a solid 14, Madison O'Hara and Maggie Means had six each and Madison Eimer pitched in seven. Rhaelynn Joelle had four and the last Tiger points were two free throws from Megan Woge.

Their 65-47 victory was a good rebound from the 73-33 loss to Kennedy Catholic in the District 10 finals the previous week.

The win then pitted them against Greensburg Central Catholic Tuesday in Slippery Rock.

The Tiger unfortunately came pout cold and listless in the contest with Greensburg scoring every time they had the ball through the first seven minutes of the contest building a 17-3 lead. Other than Vardell’s one off the backboard three-pointer they were cold as ice including a normally very good foul shooting Thomas who missed five in a row. Varndell then hit her second, then third three. Thomas finally got a bucket and Vardell drilled her fourth three of the quarter.
At the end of one the Tigers, miraculously were only down by 10.

In the second quarter everyone seemed to begin pitching in, but they couldn’t seem to stop Greensburg and ended up down 12 at the half.
In the third quarter they dominated and marched back to life on the back of senior Thomas who scored 11 third quarter points. With around 20 seconds left in the quarter the took a 41-40 lead. The quarter ended tie at 41.

With eight minutes to go this was a ball game. But the Tigers came out much the same way they entered the game and looked slow and listless. In just a couple minutes they found themselves again down by nine. Other than another Varndell three that brought within six they couldn’t find a rhythm again.
With less than two minutes left on the clock, down ten and desperate nothing seemed to be working.
Varndell ended with a team high 18 while Thomas had 17.

The terrific 20-6 Tigers season, that they were undefeated in region play and at one point winning ten straight games, ended to Greensburg Central Catholic 61-48.
At the end of the game the Maplewood fans who made the trip in the wintry weather rose to their feet to give their team a standing ovation as they walked off the court.

To the left is a sports story written for the weekly newspaper - The Titusville News-Journal.

The TNJ is a weekly paper that came in to fill the void left when the Titusville Herald ceased to exist any longer.

I am trying to help them out by learning new skills and writing about sports while doing what I love to do, which is photograph life.

These photos are from their season ending game against Greensburg Central Catholic.

Below are more photos from Maplewood v. Greensburg.

EXTRA, EXTRA, Read all about it!

3/13/2023

Titusville Middle School is putting on Disney's Newsies Jr, at the high school's Colstock Auditorium this week. The cast of 63 students portrays a group of young paper delivery youth who organize to take on the rich and powerful that control the publishing industry in Manhattan. It's a tale of doing the right thing and fighting for your rights.

The performances will be Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. The show runs roughly one hour.

CAST
(in order of appearance)
Jack Kelly Ty Witosky
Crutchie Willa Kirvan
Race Laurel McKellop
Albert Ian Hironimus
Muriel Ella Lavery
Nancy Mackenzie Jones
Specs Noah jaco
Pigtails Aubrey Nichols
Hazel Teyonna Peeples
Buttons Mary Herman
Tommy Boy Kathryn Kline
Romeo Kaylee Chamberlain
Jo Jo Kylie Crocker
Newsies Addisyn Edwards, Aubrey Schmude, Taylor Tang
Katherine Plummer Olivia Clinton
Darcy Ava Happoldt
Oscar Delancey Grayson Steinbuhler
Morris Delancey Bailey Prather
Wiesel Milo Decker
Les Kiernan Fullerton
Davey Brady Hasbrouck
Joseph Pulitzer Adam Reynolds
Bunsen Maria Gionti
Seitz Mykenzie Jackson
Hannah Maddison Caldwell
Woman Isabella Holcomb
Snyder Kaylee Chamberlain
Police Officer Sam Samonsky
Medda Larkin Isabella Mucha
Pat Katrina Sauerland
Ada Ella Donaldson
Ethel Aaliyah Matuszewski
Olive Sydney Riddell
Scab 1 Addelyne Armstrong
Scab 2 Katie Banner
Scab 3 Blake Schneider
Police Chief Kiptyn Hunt
Spot Conlon Ella Donaldson
Brooklyn Newsies Nora Goodnough, Kadence Hicks
Dorothy Piper Chamberlain
Bill Atilla Foxberg
Governor Teddy Roosevelt Saxton Sider
Newsies Ensemble Maddison Caldwell, Piper Chamberlain, Attila Foxberg, Nora Goodnough, Kiptyn Hunt, Aaliyah Matuszewski, Sydney Riddell, Maria Gionti, Isabella Holcomb, Mykenzie Jackson, Saxton Sider, Grayson Steinbuhler

CREW
Sound Cash Lavery
Light Board Lincoln LaLone, JackLynn Schwab
Spot Lights Zachary Boemmel, David Cox
Backstage Zoey Atwood, Alaina Bair, Karlie Beatty, Jayden Brown, Andrew Bryan, Evan Clinton, Abram Foxberg, Wyatt Farren, Kerington Hancock, Chiquita LaRocque, Sophia Locke, Sagel Ricke, Kaylan Plemmons, Brayden Thompson, Arik Yochum

Lone Rocket

3/13/2023

His eyes had red circles around them from his goggles as he stood dripping at poolside with two of his teammates in the pool behind him swimming laps. “I feel good, right now I’m tired but that’s because of tapering, but, you know, I feel good,” Titusville’s Joe Herman said Monday afternoon while taking a short break from swim practice.

Two of his swim team friends were there, despite their season being over, to show their support and help Herman stay focussed on his workout. Herman is the lone Rocket to qualify for the PIAA State Championships.

Coach Kevin Dawson said it was nice to see his friends there. "Training alone is pretty tough to do."

Tapering is a training technique where practices build to a intense physical peak and then, before competition, the workouts “taper” off to allow the body to be in the best possible conditioning for the goal races.

“Once you get to competition you feel good,” Herman said.

Dawson admitted that tapering this time of year difficult because Herman is also a top swimmer in the Titusville YMCA program that is also currently in heavy competition season.

Herman and his coach are realistic about medaling at the PIAA state competition. Herman is ranked 22 in the state in backstroke and 25 in the butterfly. Though his ranking is lower the butterfly is his best race. He’s around five seconds off the top seeds in both events.

“Personally I don’t think there is that great of a chance (at medaling), but, I really want to break Zach (Titus) record.” Titus is now a Division I college swimmer at St. Bonaventure and current holder of the Titusville 100 butterfly school record. Herman, a sophomore is .1 second off Titus’ mark.

“It’s doable,” he said.

“He’s one of the hardest workers that has come through here,” Dawson said. “He’ll push it to the point he can barely breathe at the end of a set. And that’s a normally every week occurrence for him. He just doesn’t turn it on and off, he goes.”

Dawson, who has coached the Rockets now for 20 years, also said the record is in his grasp. He noted again that Herman a tenth-grader and Titus set the mark in his senior year.

“I think it’s pretty cool for a sophomore to get to experience this,” Dawson said,

This is Herman’s second trip to states. Last year he was part of a rocket freestyle relay team. This year he is by himself in two individual races. “It’s a little lonely without all the others from last year there,” Herman admitted. And though he reiterated he doesn’t think he has a great shot a medalling he said he happy to be going. “I’m just going to try and swim.”

Any of these girls are capable of stepping up anytime as Maplewood defeats Aliquippa in opening round of PIAA tournament

3/10/2023

During Friday's home game against Aliquippa, Maplewood's Bailey Varndell looked like she was going to put the team on her shoulders and let the others come along for the ride.

She came into the PIAA opening round contest aggressive - launching the ball confidently from behind the arc and draining two threes early on.

She even drove, was fouled and nailed two free throws. It was the Bailey Vardell show to behold. Understandably she was feeling it and launched another and then another but those didn't drop. A couple in the lane also didn't go. Suddenly she didn't have the team on her back and needed help.

Senior Sadie Thomas seemed to say "no problem, I got you" as she took the reins for the rest of the first quarter. Grabbing a rebound with a couple minutes left she went coast to coast for two, waking up the crowd.

Thomas scored the last six points of the 18-point quarter. She and Varndell had eight a piece with Madison O'Hara sprinkling in another bucket in the mix. The Tigers would've gone into the second quarter up 11 except they allowed Alliquippa's Angel Henry five seconds to make it to half-court to heave a buzzer-beater that hit nothing but net bringing the Quips to within eight.

The Tigers came out cold in the second with sloppy play and many missed field goals. Fortunately, the Quips weren't much better and only scored two to bring their deficit to six, the closest they would get.

The next Tiger to really step up was the tiny freshman Maggie Means who, despite being one of the shorter players on the court, nabbed a huge offensive rebound, tried to put it back up but got hacked. She then sank one free throw to break the two-minute scoring drought. Moments later she got the ball on the outside and drilled a three. Her efforts thwarted any Alliquippa momentum.

The Tigers then all contributed buckets at key moments, but the rest of the way it was clear, get the ball in Thomas' hands. The senior poured in 24 on the night.

Varndell wasn't done either and chipped in a few more ending with a solid 14.

It was an all-round team effort with eight players scoring.

Madison O'Hara and Maggie Means had six each and Madison Eimer pitched in seven. Rhaelynn Joelle had four and the last Tiger points were two free throws from Megan Woge.

Their 65-47 victory was a good rebound from the 73-33 loss to Kennedy Catholic in the District 10 finals last week in Farrell. The win also allows them to move on to the next round of the Class 2A bracket and play Greensburg Central Catholic Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Up the road some pretty good basketball is happening Friday

3/9/2023

Maplewood girls basketball had a rough D10 final against a very strong Kennedy Catholic team.

But the number two seed from District 10 got a home playoff game this Friday.

They take on Aliquippa at 7 p.m. at the Wood Shed.

The Tigers, who were undefeated in their region, now stand at 20-5 on the season.

Kennedy Catholic is a current dynasty in girl basketball winning their 13th district championship in a row and 29th in school history. They defeat Maplewood 73-33.

The Tigers have had a very good year and look to extend it with a win over Aliquippa Friday.

Covell's career continues to states

3/5/2023

In high school wrestling, especially in Pennsylvania, getting 100 career wins is a big deal.

Given the fact that one of the last four years was a truncated season due to COVID-19 restrictions is an even bigger deal.

Over the weekend Titusville businessman and city councilor Chad Covell posted a photo of his son on social media holding a sign reading “Congratulations Brock Covell - 100 Wins - Rocket wrestling.”

The younger Covell was at the North West AA Regional championships.

Brock’s freshman year found him really learning the craft going 17-17. His sophomore year had the makings of being a really impressive year, but the pandemic limited his chance of matches. Tournaments and dual tournaments were canceled. That was more than a dozen matches he didn't have a chance to add to his total.

He only recorded 13 wins that year.

To reach 100 career wins meant he needed two monster seasons - which he most certainly has had.

According to Titusville coach Kurt Ledebur, Brock went 34-7 as a junior and currently stands at 36-8 in his senior year which is not over just yet.

Knowing the achievement was within his grasp, the Titusville crew was prepared for the opening day of the regional tournament. On Friday he recorded two pins - Gabriel Jordan of Saegertown in 2:57 and Aiden Bliss of Port Allegany in 0:44.

Saturday was a little more of a struggle for the veteran grappler. He fell to Jaylan Wagner of Reynolds by a 3-2 decision in the semis but bounced back to defeat Josh Divins of Sharpsville with a pin in 2:43.

Covell finished the regional tournament in fourth place, losing by pin to Waylon Wehler of St. Mary’s in his final match. He was 3-2 on the weekend.

Medaling means a second swing at states for Covell. He qualified last year, also in the 172 bracket, and lost two close matches.

At the North West AA Regional, Titusville was also represented by a trio of juniors and a freshman.
Nate Stearns was even on the weekend in the 139 weight class. He went 2-2, including a pin of Anthony Ceriani of Brookville on Saturday. Stearns finished the season 28-11.

Gavin Donaldson (145) and Landen Wolfkiel (152) were both 0-2 on the weekend. Donaldson finished 29-18 on the year and Wolfkiel was 21-14. Sawyer Wolfkiel (107) was also 0-2 at regionals and 27-20 in his first season for the Rockets.

Wood to face Kennedy in D10 final

3/2/2023

Eight & 322 file photos

Maplewood girls continued their winning ways Wednesday night in Meadville. It took a bit of fortune as Cambridge missed a game winning free throw with seconds left in regulation sending the game into overtime. Wood then held Ryan McKissock's Blue Devils in check for a 36-33 victory.

The Tigers move on to face top seed Kennedy Catholic who were undefeated in their region and 20-4 overall. Neither team has lost since the beginning of January. The high scoring Golden Eagles will be a challenge for Shawn Rhoades' Tigers. Kennedy has scored more than 90 points in a game twice this season. Nine times they scored 70 or more.

The Tigers, who were also unbeaten in their region and 20-4 overall, are no scoring slouches either, but their highest score was 69 against Youngsville. The teams have not faced each other this year.

The District 10 2A championship game will be at Farrell High School on Saturday with the expected tip-off at 3:15 p.m.

Who's up for Seuss?

3/2/2023

Perhaps, there's just no better way to say "Theodor Geisel, Happy Birthday" - than to sing lots of songs in a colorful way.
And if you do it just right and give it your all, you can dance and perform until the curtain does fall.
The crowd, they will cheer as the band plays along, and you will bow proudly after singing the last song.
And that's just what Titusville students plan to do - tonight and tomorrow and Saturday night too.
So get down to the musical; buy a $7 ticket. Go on a fun adventure. You don't want to miss it.

Maybe we should leave the rhyming to the master, Theodor Geisel, who is better known as Dr. Seuss and would've turned 119 today.

Students, teachers and volunteers at Titusville High School plan to celebrate by bringing his speck of dust universes to vibrant life with their rendition of "Seussical The Musical."

They will open their performances today with shortened matinees daytime for busloads of elementary school children before this evening's full show for the general public.

"The timing of the musical was picked to coincide with Read Across America," said Andrea Fenske, the show's director.

Read Across America was established in 1998 by the National Education Association to get kids excited about reading. The day was picked for the author of over 60 books, many of which continue to be popular for young children.

The musical was written based on those books and includes famed characters like The Cat in the Hat and Horton the elephant who can hear the Whoville community in a speck of dust.

"I hope that you will see as much talent on stage as I had in mind when choosing this show," Fenske said. "This knockout cast has been exceeding my expectations from the very first music rehearsal."

Maggie Elan carries the bulk of the show as The Cat in the Hat who leads JoJo, played by Chloe Preston, and the audience from story to story referencing dozens of Seuss's classic books.

Cole Enright dons some pretty hefty elephant ears to bring Horton's heart to life.

"We have lived through some heavy times over the past few years. We have all experienced feelings of being 'Alone in the Universe.' Horton's very large heart was the feeling of hope and care I wanted to share with these wonderful young people on stage," Fenske said.

Other cast members are Elaena Enright, Maeve Wakefield, Charlotte Winger, Lance Enright, Leslie Finley, Garen Earls, Alexis Banner, Grimm Biggerstaff, Olivia Decker, Katelyn Bernard, Veronica Klementovich, Liz Staub, Briana Ives, Ayden Fullerton, Liz Watkins, Hailie Blakeslee, Tanner DeShong, Kate Payne, Sarah Smith-Gallant, Kate Wilks, Ells Bernard, Sarah Locke and Colin Wakefield.

"There is definitely a lot of talent on this stage," Fenske boasted.

"It's definitely not just me running the show," Fenske said, crediting the dozen or more community folks who have stepped up to help. Music teachers from several school districts play in the pit and longtime Titusville music staple Nathaniel Licht directs the orchestra. Taylor Nelson worked with the dance movements and many others help put the show together.

The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The doors open at 6 p.m and the curtain rises at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7.

This is Fenske's 15th show on the high school stage. "They (the shows) each get better every year," she said.

"I hope that through these silly songs and timeless Dr. Seuss characters you leave here with a smile on your face and hope in your heart," Fenske said.