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Rocket girls look forward to a strong season in the pool

11/25/2023

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The Titusville girls swim team was pretty darn good last year. They finished second in the region for the second year in a row and only graduated one senior. Albeit, that senior was a big deal to the team. Coach Seth Come said a few other key swimmers also chose not to come out this year but he is still optimistic the team could win the region title.

“Expectations for the girls team are very high this year,” Come said. “We hope to be a top 5 team if not better when we get to the district championship meet.” 

One team goal he sees as the carrot dangled out in front is the 43 year old 400 Freestyle Relay that the team was only 1.25 seconds off last year. “That one is also special to me,” said Come. “Because my old coach, Judy Lesko, was on that relay team in 1981.  
Come knows the competition is tough in the area and keeps his expectations in check, while pushing his team to improve. “Individually some of the girls are hoping to improve their times enough to qualify for the State Championship meet,” he said. “That might be a tall order, but I would be really excited to get girls to states for the first time in 12 years.”

In the region are perennial powerhouses Franklin, Oil City and Slippery Rock. “Slippery Rock has some strong swimmers back, but graduated 5 key pieces to their team. And Oil City’s YMCA program has been doing a tremendous job feeding into their high school program,” Come said.

He also credited Warren’s program in the district as a tough early season challenge though not a regional matchup.”I expect that one to come down to the wire and am very excited about that dual meet,” Come said.
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He said losing Emma Slocum to graduation is tough on leadership, but is hoping some of his other talented swimmers will step up.

Perhaps the biggest news coming from the pool is the school is bringing back diving for the first time in 15 years.
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“Coach Mike Allison was hired this fall to fill the position that hasn’t been filled since Gary Clark was here back in 2009(2010 season), Come explained. “Coach Alison got a chance to volunteer last year and allowed a few girls who were interested the opportunity to compete in a shortened season. This year we will be diving every home meet and each diver will have the opportunity to participate in two invitationals. We have one boy and three girls, all seniors, out for diving this season. We are hoping to generate buzz about the event so we can sustain the program for the future.”
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Rocket hoops season about tip-off

11/24/2023

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Titusville girls basketball will get underway on December 1 when they visit Rocky Grove High School in their annual Roy Sanner Tip-Off Tournament. The Rocket girls are coming off a tough season where they went 3-19 including seven straight losses to end the season.
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They then open their regular season against an expected very tough Franklin also on the road.
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Their 2023-24 schedule is:
12/4 at Franklin
12/7 home vs. Sharon
12/11 home vs.Oil City
12/14 at Iroquois
12/18 home vs.Girard
1/2 at Sharon
1/4 at Northwestern
1/8 home vs. North East
1/11 at Mercyhurst
1/15 at Oil City
1/18 home vs. Eisenhower
1/22 home vs. Seneca
1/25 home vs.Iroqois
128 at Girard
2/1 home vs. Northwestern
2/5 at North East
2/8 home vs. Mercyhurst
2/12 at Eisenhower
2/15 at Seneca
2/19 home vs.Corry
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The Titusville boys basketball team hovered around the .500 mark last year behind the shooting Isiah Colon and Manny Perez. They graduated five regular contributors and starters so it will be a matter of seeing if the underclassmen from last year really step up.
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They too open on December 1 at Rocky Grove High School in their annual Roy Sanner Tip-Off. 
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Their 2023-4 Schedule is:
12/6 home vs.Youngsville
12/8  home vs. Girard
12/12 at Sheffield
12/15 at Eisenhower
12/18 at General McLane
12/20 ay Union City
1/3 at West Middlesex
1/5  home vs. Eisenhower
1/12 at Lakeview
1/16  home vs. Oil City
1/19  home vs.Franklin
1/20 at Maplewood
1/23 at Warren
1/26  home vs. Corry
1/30 at Conneaut Area
2/2 at Oil City
2/6 at Franklin
2/9 home vs. Warren
2/13 at Corry
2/16  home vs. Conneaut
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Keep up to date on changes at www.titusvilleathletics.org
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The Mill offers community meal once again for Thanksgiving

11/15/2023

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The Titusville Mill may be off the beaten path and tucked back out of the way, but this Thanksgiving, it could be the heart of your community while it serves up its seventh annual holiday dinner.

​It is free to the public.

They will be serving meals from 2-5 p.m. on November 26 at 221 South Monroe Street.

Takeout orders can be placed by contacting Sarah Muir at samuir@live.com

Last year they served over 100 takeout meals and nearly as many in the restaurant itself. Joe Thompson, one of the owners of The Mill with Aaron Armstrong, said that people deserve to be treated with dignity and be allowed to come inside for a nice, comfortable meal. Last year he said the takeouts were great, and they are offering those again, but he wants to be sure people know there is also a place they can go to share a nice meal on Thanksgiving.

They are accepting donations from the public to help provide the meals. Money can be donated through Venmo @themillthanksgivingdonation. Checks or cash can be dropped off at the restaurant or mailed to 221 South Monroe St. Titusville, Pa. 16354.

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Wood recovers from shaky start to win opening round

11/7/2023

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Editors note:Sheila Bancroft knows volleyball through and through. She understands not every team can win a state championship.
And she knows even those teams that have what it takes to get there might not make it.
That said.
The look in her eyes and somewhat calculated answers to question tell us this team has a shot. But, obviously, they need to play their best volleyball to make it happen.

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The first set may have been a bit of 'tossed salad and scrambled eggs' for the Maplewood girls volleyball team, but by the end of the night they listened to their coach and beat Frazier High School in four sets. 

The 19-2 third seed out of District 7 came out swinging hard in the opening round of the state playoffs Tuesday night against the home standing Tigers. 
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"I watched them warm up , I knew they are athletic and they are going to pound the ball," said Maplewood's five-time state champion coach Sheila Bancroft.

And in the first set the Commodores proved Bancroft right with hard serving that made passing the ball difficult, which made setting difficult, which made hitting nearly impossible.
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Still the Tigers kept in the fight and down 24-18, they battled back to tie and even go up 25-24 before succumbing 28-26 and dropping the first set.

"I told them we needed momentum," Bancroft said. "We're not going to out power them."
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Though they didn't finish off the incredible comeback in the first set, those last few points established their momentum that they carried into the rest of the match which they won rather convincingly , winning the last three sets 25-17, 25-15 and 25-10 to finish off the visitors.

"We need to not make the errors and... let the fundamentals of the game take over," Bancroft said. "I say it over and over again - serving and passing, serving and passing... we have to eliminate the errors and put the ball in play."

Bancroft's teams are well coached and they are seldom out of position which allows them to keep balls in play longer.

"We knew they were a very good blocking team, so we put a couple drills in for that reason." As a result they were able to pick up a couple points through adjustments on defense to keep balls in play. "(The girls) trust each other and they came through."

​Bancroft said serving is a big deal for this team. Last year's state championship run relied on the big three up front creating a power offense that they don't have this year. "We're not huge at the net, so we have to score points from back at that line. They can't be afraid to be aggressive and take chances."
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Bancroft owned that she held back in the first set and that was the difference.

Senior hitter Elizabeth Hunter had a big game with a .342 kill percentage with her 16 dominating spikes.

Bancroft understands the importance of her senior's leadership. "We have to be able to put the ball in her hands," she said. Bancroft talks to her players about seeing the court and the people in front of them, "You have a big block in front of you," she tells Hunter, "you can't lay back and not swing...you have to cut it a little more and not swing straight on."

Bancroft also praised setter Maggie Means for really making some sets from nothing early on and then controlling the flow of the game in the last three sets by putting the ball where it needed to be which included three kills of her own.
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Maplewood moves on to the quarterfinals against Bishop Canevin, the District 7 second seed  at 11 a.m. Saturday at Slippery 
Rock University.


Bancroft, after last season's state championship and losing so many key players says she is just excited to be back in this position.

​"In junior high we didn't know if Elizabeth Hunter was going to be a volleyball player, but here we are and she is carrying the team on her back," Bancroft said. "It's real now and they just have to believe in that."
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Bancroft said this years team is well balanced. "Last year... you'd see our (plays) went to out our three seniors. This year that's not the case, all of (the girls) have to handle the ball."

And that seems to be the key if Maplewood wants to repeat. "We have to be able to pass and have an efficient offense."
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​District 10 rival (and friends) Cochranton lost to Serra Catholic in four sets eliminating the hope of an all D10 semi-final. "I would've loved to have seen (a Cochranton v. Maplewood semi-final)  and seen District 10 represented like that.

That would've been phenomenal," Bancroft said though she admitted meeting Cochranton again could be a huge roadblock.

"You know the old saying, hard to beat a good team three times. If they got beat by Serra Catholic, that means Serra Catholic is a pretty good team."

Maplewood's trophy case is full of volleyball trophies and this year's district 10 trophy hasn't made it in yet because there literally is no room for it. "That's a good problem to have," said Bancroft.
Below are some more photos from the match
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    Eight & 27 focuses on stories centered around Titusville, PA. With the sad end of The Titusville Herald, we're hoping to pick up the slack.

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