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Titusville battling back in the consi's

6/29/2023

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Before the start of the third inning of Titusville's home game against New Bethlehem Wednesday, the ll-star infield of the gold clad 12 and under baseballers decided to practice their double play tosses. Like Tinkers, to Evers to Chance, the fabled hall of fame double play impresarios, Huck to Smith to Oviatt flawlessly moved the ball like lightning across the diamond.

“They just do that on their own,” said head coach Adam Huck.

This type of dedication to practice led to some pretty impressive, and important, plays in the field Wednesday in their third game of the double-elimination tournament. Though they never converted a double play on three attempts, they did manage to keep those baserunners out of scoring position while recording valuable outs and thwarting any glimmer of momentum.

And one diving stop by Miles Smith with a from his belly toss to Carter Huck at second for the force out drew gasps and applause from the crowd, including the New Bethlehem side.

“They love to play together,” coach Huck said of his son and Smith. “These kids are beginning to understand where they need to be in certain situations. That’s what you gotta do in all stars.”

It's been this level of play from the young team that has them in a position to take on a very good Butler team tonight. Huck said he only has two 12-year-olds on the team.

They lost a tight battle to Clarion 3-1 in the first game of the tournament on a soggy field in Rimersburg.“Clarion is always good, always well coached. I was pretty happy we went out there and played well,” coach Huck said.

They bounced back with a strong come from behind win against Knox 6-3. Coach Huck said that catcher Noah Smith was brilliant in that game with good at-bats and stellar work behind the plate. "I don't think he had a single passed ball the whole game."

This set up a home game against New Bethlehem where it was really no contest. Titusville's bats, aggressive base-running, speed and heads-up p[lay was just too much for their visitors.

Though New Bethlehem struck first in the top of the first, once Miles Smith drilled a rocket back off the pitcher, it was obvious who was going to prevail. His cousin Kellen Smith then sent a ball into the outfield for a double and the rabbit-like Miles flew around the bases from first to score and tie the game. On a throw home, Kellen Smith ended up on third.

Then, noting the New Bethlehem pitcher was not paying close attention as he walked back to the mound, Kellen stole home to take the lead they would never relinquish.

By the end of the inning they were up 3-1 after Bowen Wakefield decided to swing at a ball over his head and managed to put it into right field to score Huck for the RBI.

This was the kind of night they would have where everything seemed to work.

In the end they just poured it on. They scored three in the first, five in the second and another five in the third. New Bethlehem managed to score enough in the fifth to make Titusville bat, but it wasn’t long before they ended the contest 15-4.

Coach Huck complimented his three pitchers on the night. “It was a complete team effort on the mound tonight.”
Charlie Ackerman did the majority of the pitching, only giving up one run. Bowen Wakefield came in to relieve and Brennen Alberth finished the game. “Bowen had a really great game tonight, he put the bat on the ball a lot and came in to do what we needed him to do on the mound,” couch Huck said.

He also pointed out Oviatt’s play as a first time all-star. A key early hit drove in a couple runs and played a solid first base.

Huck’s son had a monster game - scoring twice and reaching base in each of his at-bats. He drove in the final two runs in the walk-off victory.

Titusville moves on to face Butler in the consolation quarter-finals tonight at home. Coach Huch said Butler and Franklin are probably the two best teams in the tournament and knows his team has their work cut out for them if they are going to stay alive.

Franklin takes on Cranberry tonight as well in the winners bracket semi-finals in Franklin. Oil City hosts southern Clarion County. All games are slated to start at 6 p.m.

Below are a few more photos from Wednesday game in Hydetown.

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"A drop of golden sun:" Titusville Summer Theater's The Sound of Music

6/27/2023

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After a global pandemic hiatus, Titusville Summer Theater returns with a production of "The Sound of Music.

Thursday night at 7 p.m. a group of nuns will sing their way to the Colestock Auditorium stage, thus putting actors and actresses in front of a live audience for the first time since 2019.

Veteran summer theater actress, Abby Preston is the, at first, precocious yet very human Maria in the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation of the Hoard Lindsay and Russel Crouse book about the Von Trapp family's escape from Nazi occupied Austria at the beginning of what would become World War II.

Her love interest counterpart is Kevin Vinson as the hard edged Baron Von Trapp who will soften as the performance goes on and he reacquaints with his children, who seem to be having real fun for the first time in their lives thanks to Maria.

The show, which had its first dress-rehearsal Monday, will be polished and ready for three shows this week beginning Thursday and running Friday and Saturday as well. All shows start at 7 p.m.

The show directors and producers are:
Stephanie Cicero-Stage Director,
Jerry Knickerbocker-Music Director, Aime Sposato-Music Director, Mariah McDaniel-Choreographer and Gloria Taylor and Kathy Adelman are producers.

Cast members are: Abby Preston, Marissa Gale, Debbie Adamchick, Abigail Vinson, Chris Sonnenberg, Kate Kovach, Jamie Fortney, Kathy Adelman, Stephanie Fullerton, Megin Scwak, Amy Bernard, Julia Brown, Samantha Shepherd, Lizzy Smedley, Maeve Wakefield, Suelahny Gaspard, Flynn Kirvan, Charlotte Winger, Olivia Decker, Elaena Baldwin, Delaney Smith, Laurel McKellop, Katelyn Bernard, Kevin Vinson, Jeremy James, Chloe Preston, Ella Lavery, Ty Witosky, Olivia Clinton, Willa Kirvan, Ella Bernard,Tyler Brown, Patricia McKellop, Shannon Vinson, James McGinnis, Chris Warner, CJ Kirvan, Dale Smith, Jeremiah Shepherd, Debbie Kirvan, Ayden Fullerton and Luke Keebler.

Colestock Auditoium is at Titusville High School.

See some earlier rehearsal photos and story here.

To see even more photos from rehearsals please click on:
https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p657391283

If you don't get your musical fill, also opening this weekend with a Sunday performance and more chances to see it the following week,

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Titusville pickles Oil City to win

6/25/2023

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Pickleball might be the fastest growing athletic activity in the nation right now, and that is good, but getting in a pickle in baseball is still a bad thing. A heads up play by Titusville's catcher Coleman Knapp caught Oil City's Casey Rybak snoozing and suddenly the cat and mouse game between third and home was on. The cat won.

Oil City's chance to take early momentum was snuffed out by an alert catcher and an infield that knew how to handle a run-down.

Coach Keith Klinger said it was one helluva a baseball game.

Tituvelle won 5-4

More photos please visit: https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p740494099

Titusville chipped away. They got one in the first when Aaron Burrows reached first on an Oil City error and then made it around the bases scoring on a Knapp base hit . They scored again in the third after Brody Sellen singled and got into scoring position for Burrows to drive him home.

Oil City finally got across home plate in the fifth when Gavin Keith scored. Titusville answered in the bottom half of the inning when Sellen and Burrows both scored again going up 4-1.

Oil City made it interesting with a three run sixth-inning to tie.

Again Titusville answered when lead-off batter Kaden Currier walked and ended up eventually making around the bases. Brett Schmidt closed down Oil City in the top of the seventh with a couple strikeouts.

More photos please visit: https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p740494099

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With solid pitching and hitting Titusville legion is cooking

6/22/2023

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The crack of a wooden bat hitting a hurled leather baseball in the warm summer breeze is like no other. Even when that sound is more like "clnnnaapthhh."

That was the sound of Hunter Thomas's bat in the second inning of Monday's Titusville American Legion game against Corry with a runner in scoring position. The sound was unquestionable, Thomas broke his bat, but what it did to the action of the ball was enough for the shortstop to bobble it allowing Thomas, who carried his bat all the way to first, to reach base and for Cameron Mong to score.

It was the first run of the game, but not the last. It was the last time the bat would make an appearance, but what a way to go out.

Last week coach Buck Obert said, when the team was 1-2, that he needed to do a better job preparing his team if they were going to win.

It seems he did just that as his legion team has now recorded two straight wins.

They beat Fort LeBoeuf 5-3 over a week ago and their wooden bats were on fire Monday when they downed Corry 9-1. Against LeBoeuf, they reached base over a dozen times drawing five walks and being beaned a couple of times. Six hits then brought in five runs.

Against Corry, Austin Shoup pitched lights out through most of the first three and a third innings only giving up one run on a wild pitch. Caden Blakeslee and Cameron Mong finished off the rest in convincing fashion only giving up one hit in the last three innings.
Obert said the boys pitched really well Monday night.

The offense was a little slow getting started despite Kasen Neely’s knocking the fourth pitch he saw for a double. He ended ending up stranded on third.
In the second, Mong walked and eventually scored on Thomas' broken bat muff by the Corry shortstop.

In the third, Neeley reached on another bobbled ball by the shortstop. He was forced out at second on a Shoup grounder but Corry failed to turn the double play. Shoup ended up at third after a steal and advancing on a Jacob Teeter infield grounder. Mason Titus singled to score Shoup. Titus scored a couple batters later when Mong drove him in. Titusville was warmed up now.

In the fourth, Neeley doubled with two outs and scored on an error from a Teeter grounder to short. Corry's shortstop was having a bad day and Titusville seemed to capitalize on that fact.

Titusville scored again in the fifth when Hank Lockhart crossed home plate on a Brett Schmidt single.

Titusville erupted for four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. They weren’t needed as Mong came in and struck out two and gave up a grounder to second that was easily converted to an out.

Obert is looking for ways his team can improve and things to go over in practice said. “We hit the ball good at the end of the game, but we need to get better starts if we want to keep winning."

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A couple of youth athletic reminders for both kinds of football

6/21/2023

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Reminder Rocket QB Clinic this Tuesday

A quarterback clinic for all ages of school kids will be held Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 at Carter Field in Titusville.

“Prepare to elevate your game to new heights with the ultimate quarterback clinic featuring the Gary Muntean of Wooster College, TJ Wiley of Thiel College and John Wiley, a Pennsylvania Football Hall of Fame member from Titusville High School,” their social media post stated. “(It is a unique opportunity) to learn from highly respected coaches, ignite your passion for the game and take your skills to the next level.”

The clinic is designed to enhance every aspect of a quarterbacks game, from honing footwork and throwing mechanics as well as how to read defenses to make quicker better decisions with the ball.

“This clinic offers the chance to connect with other aspiring quarterbacks who share your dedication and drive. The camaraderie and support of fellow athletes create an environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and lasting friendships. You'll be part of a tight-knit community that continues to support your football journey beyond the clinic,” the post continued.

The cost is $10 payable the day of the event. Pizza and snacks will be included.

Registration forms can be found on the event form posted on the Rockets Facebook page at Facebook.com/gorocketsfootball

Spots still open for fall youth soccer

Titusville Youth Soccer has an open enrollment for their fall league that runs from September 10 through October 29. Four age groups from four-year olds to 14- year-olds are eligible.

Registering before August 5 saves participant’s money and guarantee’s a spot. $25. Late registration is $30 and ends August 11. Kids will be placed on waitlist if full and register after August 11.

More information: Visit the Titusville Youth Soccer website at titusvilleyouthsoccer.com

Pee wee flag football wants you

Registration is still open for Titusville’s Pee Wee Flag Football leagues.
“You do not have to be a Titusville Area School District resident. Girls are encouraged to play.” The groups Facebook post reads.

The league is split into two groups. First and second graders play in one group and they play locally.
Third and fourth grade league sometimes travels to Corry and Erie.

Practices are Mondays and Wednesdays, games are Thursdays. Seasons starts early August and usually ends mid September.

The cost is $20 and every athlete will receive a set of flags and an NFL jersey of their favorite team.

More information: Visit the Titusville Pee Wee Flag Football page on Facebook or at gorocketsfootball.com

Flag sign up form

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Titusville is alive with the Sound of Music

6/20/2023

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Titusville Summer Theatre has been steadily at work harmonizing, getting fitted for curtain outfits and learning lines for a couple months now and they are getting geared up to go off-book for dress rehearsal and the performances next week.

Some of the players have made summer theatre a "habit" like Abby Preston, who will play the part of Maria, a precocious young woman with a headful of song and youthful optimism.

Preston has been in many shows through the years, while for some others it'll be a first.

Monday, some members of the cast performed their songs in front of the live audience at the Scheide Park during their weekly concert series.

Kevin Vinson, who will play Baron Von Trapp, said part of his role in the musical is to show he can't sing which he said is easy, but another part of the show he has to show he can sing, which he admitted was much more difficult.

Since the end of April the cast and producers have rehearsed wherever they could, most the middle school, but have been transforming the Colestock Auditorium stage for a few weeks now.

A lot of singing and choreography will culminate on Monday for the first night of dress rehearsal.

Just four nights later, they open their three-day run at 7 p.m. at Titusville High School's Colestock Auditorium.

It will also run Friday and Saturday also starting at 7 p.m.

Cast members are: Abby Preston, Marissa Gale, Debbie Adamchick, Abigail Vinson, Chris Sonnenberg, Kate Kovach, Jamie Fortney, Kathy Adelman, Stephanie Fullerton, Megin Scwak, Amy Bernard, Julia Brown, Samantha Shepherd, Lizzy Smedley, Maeve Wakefield, Suelahny Gaspard, Flynn Kirvan, Charlotte Winger, Olivia Decker, Elaena Baldwin, Delaney Smith, Laurel McKellop, Katelyn Bernard,

Kevin Vinson, Jeremy James, Chloe Preston, Ella Lavery, Ty Witosky, Olivia Clinton, Willa Kirvan, Ella Bernard,Tyler Brown, Patricia McKellop, Shannon Vinson, James McGinnis, Chris Warner, CJ Kirvan, Dale Smith, Jeremiah Shepherd, Debbie Kirvan, Ayden Fullerton and Luke Keebler.

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Titusville music festival line-up

6/20/2023

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Titusville Council on the Arts: Music Festival kicks off this Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, for a weekend full of music.

Featured musicians include:
Samantha Sears Music
Jared Cooney
Ruby - Mountain Soul Music
Ethan Foulk Music
Chris Higbee Band

The Mercantile, Fat Chad’s Tap & Steakhouse, Fat Chad’s Brewing, The Titusville Mill, and Titusville Iron Works are partnering with the arts council for this event.

For more details, follow the event page at: https://fb.me/e/10FlwW2cd.

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A chance to meet a couple former Steelers

6/19/2023

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Chad Covell said he has been friends with former Pittsburgh Steeler's Louis Lipps and RJ Bowers for years. He has asked them to come by his restaurant in Titusville this Sunday, June 25 from noon to 2 p.m. to meet up with area athletes and maybe sign some autographs.

Covell said he'd love to see kids from all the local school take advantage of meeting pro ball players. "The more local teams that can come... it's a great bonding time to help teams come together." Covell said.

The event at Fat Chads in downtown Titusville is free and open to the public.

Louis Lipps played for the Steelers in a 108 games over eight years from 1984 to 1991 where he caught 358 passes and scored 46 touchdowns (four of them running, three on punt returns). He also threw a touchdown pass. He was also the NFL Rookie of the year in 1981 with over 800 receiving yards and over 600 kick return yards. He is a two-time Pro-Bowler.

RJ Bowers at one time held the record for most rushing yards in a career with 7, 353 while playing at Grove City College. The West Middlesex grad also rushed for 93 touchdowns, 32 in his senior year. As an NFL player he was under utilized by the Steelers where he only ran the ball a dozen and a half times for 84 yards and one touchdown. in two seasons with the Browns he touched the ball only once but for a receiving touchdown.

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American Legion baseball continues a long tradition

6/12/2023

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There was a time, years ago, when the summer American Legion baseball fields had parking lots full of cars and lawn chair-sitting fans two or three rows deep.

Now games are cancelled because they can’t field a team on a given night. And long-time powerhouse like French Creek Valley, which once consisted of three separate teams in legion play, couldn’t even field a squad. The few players from their region that still wanted to play joined Meadville.

“We’re struggling now,” said Titusville American Legion coach Buck Obert. “It used to be we’d schedule our vacations in July and August because we played ball.”

Obert understands, but it does make it tough to put a team together. He also said that other sports, that at one time were more seasonal, are year round now. “Football has started already, we have three or four kids who are into football and it's their thing and it’s great, but it’s tough (to field a full team now.)

Obert isn’t lamenting. The team he has shows up and works hard.

Titusville legion is made up of mostly Titusville kids with two Oil City players and one from Cranberry. At one time those were all separate teams.

“They are good kids, they bust their butt, they all play as a team. They might ride each other a little during games, but at the end of the game they support one another.

Titusville is 1-2 so far this season with losses to Meadville 4-3 and Edinboro 2-0.
”Both games we could’ve won,” Obert said. A couple errors and too many left on base he cited as part of the reason.

Add unfortunate circumstances to the list and they have come out on the short end.

Against Edinboro and infield fly rule with the bases loaded was called late and not heard by one of Titusville’s top players. When the ball was dropped the player took off and was picked off.

Obert said it was unfortunate but he also doesn’t like to get up in the umpires grill. “It doesn’t do any good, in fact, it usually makes it worse,” he said.

Against Meadville it was a cool gray and intermittent rain filled game that was moved from Meadville’s Eldred Glen field to Allegheny’s new artificial turf.

Obert said he had to start five 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old because that’s all he had.
He put Kasen Neely on the mound, who, despite smiling most of the time, struggled. He didn't give up too many runs though.

Other than an inside the park homerun that scored two in the third inning, he got out of most every predicament unscathed. The ball was nearly caught by a diving right fielder, but it ended up at the fence.

Neeley, who the coach calls a leader who is crushing it this season so far, also scored the first run in short order in the first and had an RBI in the second. The first inning could’ve been a bigger inning for Titusville but a bases loaded rocket line drive to second culminated in a double play.

In the third inning Cameron “Camo” Mong reached first. On the bunt and run to follow, the ball popped up to the pitcher who then caught Mong off first for the double play.

“He gets that bunt down nine out ten times,” said Obert who called for the play.

“He’s walking home,"he joked because it was his son that popped out.

Titusville had one more chance to put the game out of reach. In the seventh, the score tied, Titusville had bases loaded with no outs. The batter, down in the count trying not to strike out, put the ball in play straight to the pitcher who threw home to get the force out preventing a run - the catcher then threw to first for the double play.

"A strike out would’ve been (less damaging,)” Obert said.

Then a strikeout ended the inning with no runs scored and the score still tied at 3-3.
Meadville then came up and nearly the same scenario as the previous half inning, bases loaded with no outs. A short fly to right field should have been caught, then it was likely deep enough for a sacrifice fly anyway.

They lost 4-3.

“No it was coaching that lost the game. I tell the guys coaches lose the game, players win the game. I told them if I quit coming they’ll probably win the games.”
It may not be as simple as that, but Obert’s squad knows it is an all around team effort.

“If I have them prepared, we’ll win.”

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Brown and Gold dish out annual athletic awards

6/8/2023

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Titusville High School doled out their annual athletic awards last week at a ceremony in the school’s cafeteria. Athletic director Scott Salvo led the evening filled with coaches' accolades being showered on the plain clothed and some super-fancied up athletes in the room. The brown and gold pride was evident in each coach who got up to introduce particular awards.

Coach Roy Schweitzer said “It takes many aspects of the game to be considered for (the W. Arthur Brady Baseball Award) achievement: accountability, honesty, integrity, leadership and respect.”

This same sort of sentiment was described by coach after coach as they added the names of current Titusville Rocket athletes to the lists of the honored that end up forever etched in the hallways of the school that takes pride in its heritage.

Those personal and teammate oriented attributes discussed by Schweiter, speaking about Kasen Neely, were impressive and what raised Neely to the top, but his numbers were also impressive.

Schweitzer was dumbfounded by one stat in particular. “He never struck out in 70 plate appearances this season." That is a Yogi Berra or Joe Sewell style stat.

Also praised was Brock Covell who lettered more than anyone else other than fellow senior Emma Slocum. Covell’s wrestling career ended with 103 wins and he is headed to play football in Westminster next year.

Coach Seth Come praised his young swimmers but understood the immense impact Emma Slocum has had on the program, evidenced by her signing with the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford to continue swimming.

An athlete who will have a couple more years to add to his accolades was praised by boys swimming coach Kevin Dawson.

“He is one of the hardest workers I have ever had on the team,” Dawson said in his speech about Joe Herman. “He is quiet, reserved, but very competitive. He is polite and treats everyone with respect.” Herman is also already a school record holder in the 100 butterfly as a sophomore.

Coach after coach praiseed the honorees.

Below are the list of awards and the class of 2023 recipients.

William Brady Football Backfield Award:
Jaxon Covell
Lee Coates Football Lineman Award:
Alex Latta
Buckley Crabb Leadership Award:
JJ Miller
William Blood Coaches Award:
Kameron Mong
Dale Marley Boys’ Cross Country Award:
Cole Enright
Girls’ Cross Country Award:
Isabella Ongley
Ray McNierney Golf Award:
Kasen Neely
Boys’ Soccer Award:
Lance Enright
Girls’ Soccer Award:
Paisley Crawford
Girls’ Volleyball Award:
Ava Hartshorne
Walter Thompson Boys’ Basketball Award:
Manny Perez
Gilbert Parke Girls’ Basketball Award:
Abigail Colie
Joe Dunkerley Boys’ Swimming Award:
John Herman
Jay Martin Girls’ Swimming Award:
Sophia Sampson
Herald Wrestling Award:
Brock Covell
W. Arthur Brady Baseball Award:
Kasen Neely
Marshall A. Fisher Tennis Award:
Lance Enright
Dr. C.C. Edwards Boys’ Track Award:
Landen Wolfkiel
William C. Hettrick Boys’ Field Award:
Konner Shumaker-Carpin
Larry Kirkwood Boys’ Track & Field Leadership:
Isaiah Yoder
Cecil R. Harrison, Jr. Girls’ Track Award:
Ariel Adams
Gloria Carozza Girls’ Field Award:
Sophia Sampson
Girls’ Most Improved Athlete Award:
Carly Moon
David Bush Boys’ Most Improved Athlete Award:
Kasen Neely
Phyllis J. Zurovchak Girls’ Sportsmanship Award:
Emma Slocum
E. A. Peterson Boys’ Sportsmanship Award:
Isaiah Yoder
John W. Heisman Football Award:
Brock Covell

Recognitions were also given out for varsity letters.

Those earning six varsity letters were:
Seniors; Landon Baker, Ashton Burleigh, Cole Enright, Lance Enright, Ava Hartshorne, Carly Moon, Owen Reib, Konnor Shumaker-Carpin;

Juniors: Chloe Preston, Nathaniel Stearns, Landen Wolfkiel, Emma Wright;

Sophomores:
Joe Herman, Anna Mehlenbacher, Kameron Mong.

Those who have earned nine varsity letters:
Seniors; Victoria Bodamer , Andrew Wheeling, Briana Wynn;

Juniors: Isabella Ongley, Sophia Sampson.

Titusville calls those earning 10 letters, “Shadow box” recipients and present them with a special framed award. Seniors

Brooke Anthony, Brock Covell, Kasen Neely, Emma Slocum, Andrew Wheeling and, Briana Wynn were all recipients.

Two athletes lettered in three sports all four of their years playing multiple sports at Titusville High School: Brock Covell and Emma Slocum were both awarded with these top honors.