A lot more than just football in this Route 8 rivalry

9/17/2023

A rivalry is fun. In 145 meeting since the late 1800s Oil City holds a slight edge over the Knights, mostly due to the last 30 years where the Oilers have won 24 times. Prior to that Franklin held a bit of the advantage.

But that's just on the field and though there is a lot of rivalry among the fans, the cheers, bands and more importantly, who can raise more money for the Kirkland Cancer Foundation.

But even more than that going on, there are families with friends on both sides and there is the care for each other as members of the same community. Other than playing against each other there is a great deal of rooting for the other.

So when number 44, Hayden Wilson could be seen walking along the sideline, it isn't a stretch that everyone who knew that the young man the young man was life-flighted from a game a week prior was happy to see him there.

Or when Franklin head coach Matt Turk wanted to take a photo with Oil City seniors like Henry Milford, it shows the community family of the rivalry. “I’ve been fighting them for four years," the coach joked. "I tried trading for (Milford), but they wouldn't have it."

Sports, if thought of as means to bring people together, can be a powerful tool of growth. Yes sometimes we let the desire to win permeate the vessel,
but, if we look objectively at how it can truly bring us face to face, we can see it is truly good.

Saturday many things were happening beyond the game, and if you look closely you can see every week it is the same.

We just need to check our ego and preconceptions at the gate.