In cooperation with our friends at the start-up Titusville News-Journal, we wrote and photographed a bit for them as we covered the tip-off tournament down in Rocky Grove.
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Last weekend the Titusville basketball program elected to tip-off its season with a trip down Route 417 to participate in the annual Roy Sanner tournament hosted by Rocky Grove High School.
This was the first look at both Rockets squads in game action.
The girls fired out hot against the host Orioles, easily taking down the inexperienced squad 46-16 behind the stellar play of Brooke Anthony and Jewel Wakefield. The win put them into the tournament championship which, unfortunately for the Rockets, turned out to be a buzzsaw in the waiting.
The Oil City girls were coming off a decisive victory over Cranberry Friday night in the other opening round game of the Sanner tourney. The Oilers punished the Berries 53-27.
 | In the championship, final the Oilers just dominated the Rockets, allowing only eight first-half points. To add insult to injury, the Oilers were even stingier in the second half completely shutting out the Rockets and ending as tournament champions with a 56-8 victory. Anthony and Wakefield were awarded all-tournament nods for their efforts, especially in the first game. |
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On the boys side, the Titusville Rockets’ aggressive offense was met by an equally aggressive Rocky Grove team. It seemed things were going right early for the Titusville with the Orioles getting into immediate foul trouble and two of their starters benched early with two fouls each.
But in stepped Freshman Landen Carter, playing like a senior, to lead the Orioles through the early foul trouble. Carter ended up with 17 points off the bench. Titusville’s Isiah Colon and Manny Perez paced the Rockets scoring 37 of the team's 50 points. The Rockets made a valiant effort at a comeback in the fourth quarter dropping a 15-point deficit down to seven but were unable to get any closer, dropping the contest 67-50 in the end.
The Rockets rebounded the following afternoon with a running clock blowout over Maplewood in the consolation game. Manny Perez was named to the all-tournament team for his two-day effort.
Both the girls and the boys finished 1-1 on the opening weekend as they get ready for the season.
The boys played hard again Tuesday taking down the Saegertown Panthers in a 86-79 shootout. They will now take their 2-1 record north to face Girard on Friday. The girls will also be away Friday against Sharon but will host Franklin Monday night.
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