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Lightning in the Valley

6/11/2025

As we move away from high school sports for summer vacation, there is no break for the athletes and families of baseball and softball players. Little league all-stars will kick into gear next week.

Those remembering last summer will recall the success of the Titusville area softball squads winning three district and regional championships.

They will be looking to build on that success again this summer.

Between Rec league ball and travel ball teams the boys and girls will have a lot of talent to draw from.

We got a sneak peak this past weekend with all age groups in softball stayed home to host teams from all around the region.

The Oil Valley Lightning hosted a 45 team softball tournament at the Ed Myer complex.

Though weather wreaked havoc on the final day preventing completion, the fields were loaded and very active on Saturday.

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Rockets hand out special awards to athletes who left their mark

6/3/2025

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Titusviile High School held a ceremony last week to hand out the exceptional student athlete awards. Coaches were given the opportunity to tell those in attendance the highlights of their program and why they chose the athletes for these prestigious awards.

The following awards were given:

William Brady Football Backfield Award - Jaxon Covell
Lee Coates Football Lineman Award - Cameron Kerr
Buckley Crabb Leadership Award - JJ Miller and Kameron Mong
William Blood Coaches Award - Ian McDonald
Dale Marley Boys’ Cross Country Award - Andrew Bryan
Girls’ Cross Country Award - Madeline Johnson
Ray McNierney Golf Award - Wyatt Obert
Boys’ Soccer Award - Joe Herman
Girls’ Soccer Award - Graci Sampson
Girls’ Volleyball Award - Chloe Miller
Gilbert Parke Girls’ Basketball Award - Norah Blakeslee
Walter Thompson Boys’ Basketball Award - Cameron Kerr
Joe Dunkerley Boys’ Swimming Award - Joe Herman
Jay Martin Girls’ Swimming Award - Olivia Mucha
Herald Wrestling Award - Parker Miller
W. Arthur Brady Baseball Award - Kameron Mong
Marshall A. Fisher Tennis Award - Jax Warner
Dr. C.C. Edwards Boys’ Track Award - Aaron Burrows
William C. Hettrick Boys’ Field Award - Lane Ongley
Larry Kirkwood Boys’ Track & Field Leadership - JJ Miller
Cecil R. Harrison, Jr. Girls’ Track Award - Madeline Johnson
Gloria Carozza Girls’ Field Award - Ariel Adams
Girls’ Most Improved Athlete Award - Madeline Johnson
David Bush Boys’ Most Improved Athlete Award - Joe Herman
Phyllis J. Zurovchak Girls’ Sportsmanship Award - Anna Mehlenbacher
E. A. Peterson Boys’ Sportsmanship Award - Kameron Mong
John W. Heisman Football Award - Jaxon Covell
Resilience Award - Abigail Colie

The school also recognized the new school records set in this past year.

Joe Herman broke three of his own records more than once this year. His new marks are:

100 Yard Butterfly at 51.03.
100 Meter Butterfly at 56.84.
200 Meter Freestyle at 1:58.74.

Herman also set a new mark in the 50 Meter Freestyle with a 24.38 swim that topped a record held by current major league baseball player, JJ Bleday.

Olivia Mucha etched her name all over the record board with two individual records and she is also a part of two relay records with her teammates, Lauren Ongley, Mary Herman and Anna Mehlenbacher.

Mucha's individual records are:

100 Yard Backstroke at 1:01.77.

100 Meter Backstroke at 1:08.47.

The relay records are:

200 Yard Medley Relay at 1:54.86.

200 Meter Medley Relay at 2:07.87.

In track Ariel Adams topped the mark previously held by Carli Culver in the long jump with a leap of 17’1.

And Jaxon Covell rewrote the rushing record book for the Rockets with 3,904 total career yards, 1697 yards for a single season and he has 47 career rushing touchdowns.

They also recognized all the district and regional awardees and their state medalist.

Certificates, medals and gifts were given to the multi-year, multi-sport letter winners at the end of the program. The cafeteria at the school was standing room only for the ceremony.

Three seniors lettered in three sports every year they were in high school: Joe Herman, Anna Mehlenbacher and Kameron Mong.

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Rockets play at noon in Erie for D10 championship

5/25/2025

File photos

Titusville’s Brett Schmidt was solid on both sides of the plate Friday in the Rocket’s 5-2 win over Girard in the Class 3A District 10 playoffs at Slippery Rock University.

Schmidt had three hits and drove in a run while going six innings on the mound and only giving up five hits and striking out just as many.

His younger brother Blake Schmidt, Brody Sellen and Coleman Knapp also knocked in a run apiece.

The win puts the Rockets in the D10 championship game against Fairview. The two teams will face each other at noon on Monday at UPMC Park in Erie.

Diamond Rockets playoff bound

5/17/2025

We know what day the Rocket boys and girls are going to play, but we don't know where or what time yet.

The softball team, hot off two wins to finish their season giving them a winning record overall and .500 in Region 6, will face Fort LeBeouf on Thursday.

The winner of that game will advance to the AAAA finals on Memorial Day against either defending state champion Harbor Creek or Meadville.
Those two squads face off on Thursday at a time and location to be determined.

The baseball team, winners of Region 2 and coming off a big win at PNC Park Friday night, will await the winner of the Girard versus Franklin game on Tuesday.

Titusville drew the number 1 seed in the AAA bracket and thus a first round bye in a field of seven. Sharon will play North East on Tuesday on the other side of the bracket along with Fairview who will take on Corry.

The goal is a district title and a trip to the state tournament.

Titusville Middle School is putting finishing touches on Nemo

3/4/2025

Titusville Middle School will be putting their own spin on the musical Finding Nemo Jr. at 7 p.m. March 13, 14 and 15 with a matinee at 2 p.m. on March 15. All shows will be at the Colestock Auditorium at the high school and the tickets are only $5.at the door or online at https://cur8.com/17592/project/130191

Dress rehearsal will begin at the end of this week and beginning of next week.

Rockets at regions with states on their mind

2/27/2025

NOTE: This is the story we wrote for Titusville News-Journal this week.

A rough way to end the season for Titusville’s 107-pound wrestler Sawyer Wolfkiel who had to drop out prior to last weekend’s District 10 championships.

The AA section one champ was rolling with a solid 30-5 record this season wrestling in three different weight classes and nearing the century mark on his career. But in the week leading up to districts he only got in one workout and was down with a nasty bug.

Wolfkiel, who was considered one of the best in the region, was one of ten Rockets to advance last week to districts. He and 152-pounder, freshman Brock Middleton did not wrestle in districts.

Vying for a championship and a trip to regionals starting this week in Sharon were Isaac Roberts at 114, Andrew Donaldson at 121, Parker Miller at 139, Coleman Huck at 145, JJ Miller at 172, Kameron Mong at 189, Coy Campbell at 215 and Bryce Watkins at 285.

Four Rockets advanced out of districts last weekend with 114-pounder Roberts leading the pack with a third place finish. Roberts drew a bye in the first round before handling Cathedral Prep’s Aiden Carter with an 18-3 tech fall. He then lost 7-4 decision to former Titusville wrestler Ian Stearns who now wrestles for Grove City.

The loss dropped Roberts in the consis where he decisioned Cadyn Shetler of Maplewood 2-0 and then got a tech fall over Rever Caudill of Eisenhower to end up in third place.
Stearns won the 114 title.

Parker Miller took home fifth-place qualifying position at 139 with a first round bye followed by his only contested win over LeBoeuf’s Haiden McNamara by tech fall.

He then lost in the semifinals to Greenville’s Kaysom Materia.

The loss dropped him into the third-place round semifinals where he lost to Sharpesville’s Jonathon Bissell dropping him into the fifth place-final where he won by forfeit.

JJ Miller got an eighth-place qualifying position with a first round win over Saegertown’s Gabriel Jordan followed by a loss to Cochranton’s Chace Morrell.

JJ then got a fall over Maplewood’s Zayne Smith before losing to Greenville’s Hunter Cox. He lost the seventh place match 7-3 against Brody Beers of Fort LeBoeuf.

Mong took home a fifth-place medal with a major decision in the first round over Bryson Backstein of Greenville. Mong lost in the quarterfinals in a tough 3-1 decision against

Ian McQueary of Grove City, dropping him into the consolation rounds. Mong then won two decisions against Maplewood Chase MacQuarrie and Landon Nickerson of Corry. He dropped into the fifth-place bracket with a major decision loss against Aiden Struchen of Fort LeBoeuf. Mong avenged his loss to McCreary with a 5-2 decision to qualify in fifth-place.

The four are expected to be back at it starting tonight in Sharon with a trip to Hershey and the state championships as their goal.
Other locals of note qualifying for regions are: Van Ward of Union City, Shetler of Maplewood, Issac Huya of Saegertown, Carter Beck of Saegertown, Blaze Gigler of Cochranton, Steven Willis of Corry,
Carson Braswell of Corry, Travis Huya of Saegertown, Joshua Mitchum of Union City, William Allen of Corry, Glenn Sample of Saegertown, Andrew Proper of Maplewood, Cody Proper of Corry, Lamech Albers of Corry, Ethan Hart of Franklin, Mason Savitz of Corry who won the D10 championship,

Cash Morrell of Cochranton, Drew Kockler of Franklin, Landon Nickerson of Corry, Kael Albers of Corry, Gary Kiselka of Franklin and Owen Nickerson of Corry.

Titusville High explores love in a to-hell-and-back musical

2/18/2025

Titusville High is one of the first school’s in the country to put on a production of "Hadestown, Teen Edition."

The show is based on a book by Anais Mitchell that tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology.

According to Nathaniel Licht, one of show’s directors, the musical mirrors many contemporary issues.

“It offers, as art should, a mirror up to the social state of the world and country. It offers some perspective on some tough issues in a creative way," he said. "It really looks at where we are in the world right now. It's a timeless story. That's why Greek literature has been around for so long because it really is timeless. And at the end of the day it's about love."

The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in high school's historic Colestock Auditorium.

Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door or online at https://cur8.com/26144/project/127893.

"I'm really proud of this show. It's not typically a show that is done by high schoolers," Licht said. "And these kids deliver."

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Rocket mat men work hard, getting results

12/21/2024

Epic match with Saegertown goes down to the wire

Rockets notch second playoff win in 158 years

11/3/2024

It's not hard to imagine the Titusville football players are feeling pretty happy after accomplishing something only one other Rocket's team had done 35 years ago - they won a playoff game.

They shutout Fairview a week after the Tigers cancelled on the Rocket's senior night game.

They are hoping to parlay that into second win with an upset over Sharon this Friday night at Franklin High School. The two squads met in week nine with the state ranked 10-1 Tigers running all over the Rockets 63-22. Sharon's only loss came in an early matchup with perennial powerhouse Cathedral Prep.
Their high powered offense averages nearly 40 points per game. Titusville is also a prolific scoring machine only being held under 30 points three times this season. All three of those were their only losses.

"There were a lot of mistakes we made that we can fix," Titusville's star running back Jaxon Covell said about the first meeting with Sharon, "It's a playoff game now, anything can happen. We can reel this game in and hopefully bring home the win."

Coach Mike Reynolds knows this is going to be a mountain to climb, but repeats how this team rises together and performs beyond expectations.

"That kid... holy smokes... makes a lot of kids right," Reynolds said about his punter Kameron Mong. Yes his punter. "If I could show you just a highlight reel of his punting. Its doesn't matter if the snap is left, right or over his head he he tracks it down and still kicks it 40 yards down the field."

Mong's name is mentioned over and over again on defense, as a leading blocker, often the second leader in total yards behind Covell, he has caught many passes and even thrown for a touchdown or two.

But it was his punting, which he hasn't done a lot of this season, that really made a difference in last weeks win. Pinned deep with Mong twice punting from the endzone, Fairview was looking at good field position when Mong boomed a 76-yarder and later a 41-yarder that was closer 60 yards in the air. He also added another 36-yarder to push Fairview back.

Kickers, like lineman, don't always get the press. Besides Mong, Max Chatham has had a solid year with almost a guaranteed extra point after ever touchdown, but more importantly his kickoffs well placed often lead to no return and often pinned behind the 20.

To beat Sharon they will need all aspects of their game working, including clock management and keeping the Tigers high powered offense off the field.

The Rockets are hoping for big community turnout with the game just down the road in Franklin.

The game starts at 7 p.m. Friday at Franklin High School. The Rocket Football Facebook page also put out a message to the community for support of Stream TV (www.facebook.com/oilregionstream) that has broadcast the Rockets all season. Playoff broadcasting is more expensive making it more difficult for small businesses to do what they did all season.

If you missed last week's historic playoff win, you can read the story at the Titusville News-Journal.

See more photos from this season at www.weebly.com/editor/main.php#/

As Covell put it earlier this season when his team was cruising and he was taken out in the fourth quarter after another monster game. "Our goal is bigger (than just one game.)"

They achieved one of their goals and now this next game is huge for them to extend their goal further.

No game Friday, but the team still wants you to join them in celebration

10/20/2024

With one game left in the regular schedule, Titusville was ready to make a statement before heading into the District 10 Class 3A post season. Their opponent was to be Fairview, a team with a similar record and also headed to the playoffs.

Both are class 3A schools and have a strong potential of facing each other the first week of the playoffs. So, citing some banged up players and it not being a region game the Fairview Tigers decided not to play the game even though it is Titusville's senior night.

Rocket coach Mike Reynolds was trying to find a replacement, but as of Sunday afternoon he hadn't and plan B was already being hatched to honor their seniors. "I didn't see this coming," said Reynolds who was looking forward to coaching this senior class's last regular season game.

"Next year we won't schedule senior night in the last game," Reynolds said. "It's frustrating."

Reynolds said Sunday that they will plan to have a senior night celebration with the band and cheerleaders hoping the community will come out to support the team and give thanks to the talented senior class.
There will be more details to come, but as of now they are planning a 6 p.m. start.