1934

Notes and Stats

The Oilers clinched permanent possession of the Skillen Trophy with their win over Franklin...Johnny Toth returned a punt 85 yards for the game's only touchdown...Toth got a "beautifully timed" block from Joe Szafran to spring him loose for the first-quarter run ...Cold winds swept snow across Mitchell Avenue Field that Monday, Nov. 12, afternoon...

The Skillen Trophy was given by the Skillen Photography Co. of Meadville, and involved competition between Oil City, Franklin, Titusville and Meadville...A team kept the trophy during the year it won the title and gained permament possession if it won it three times...The Oilers also won in 1930 and 1931...Later, the Phalanx Club of the Oil City YMCA donated a cup to be awarded in subsequent years...

The Oilers (106 points) also finished fifth in the mythical northwestern Pennsylvania race behind Sharon (203 points), Strong Vincent (170), Sharpsville (152) and Erie Academy (115)...

Szafran

Eleven players scored touchdowns for the Oilers, and 13 scored points...Szafran led with 7 TDs and 43 points, Toth was next with 6 TDs and 41 points...Willard Lehnortt scored 4 TDs and 27 points...Szafran threw three of the Oilers' two TD passes; Toth threw the other...

Lehnortt scored the first TD of the season on a 5-yard run, setting it up with a 28-yard pass to Beightol...He also set up another score against Girard with a 28-yard burst...Tackle Bill Copley returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown after Ray Fox leaped high to block the pass...

Eight different players scored in the 78-0 romp over Corry, including Pepper Wydro, whose 51-yard dash was the longest of the game...The Oilers rolled up 24 first downs and 524 yards in scoring 12 touchdowns...Raymond "Skip" Slater, Beightol, Toth and Wydro each scored two TDs...The Oilers scored 31 points in the second quarter...Reported The Derrick, "Great punting from Jewel saved Corry from an even worse defeat."....The Corry punter averaged 40 yards, including a 60-yarder...The Oilers were threatening to score again as the game ended...

Szafran scored four TDs against Warren in a game played on a Friday afternoon before 800 fans at Mitchell...He caught at least 3 passes for 68 yards, including a 30-yarder from Toth for a touchdown...Toth passed for 90 yards...

Derrick sports editor Dude Moran wrote that fans were calling Toth the Oilers' best broken-field runner since Dick Cleaves...He averaged 6 yards on 18 carries in the tie with Titusville...The Oilers went into their "military shift" to start the second half and marched 60 yards for a TD to go ahead 13-7...Later, after the Rockets tied the score, a host of Oilers blocked Stan Rog's kick for the PAT...

That set up a showdown with Meadville, but Toth was in bed with an undisclosed illness the first part of the week before the game, leaving his status in doubt...Plus, Copley was hobbled with an ankle injury...Meanwhile, there were reports out of Meadville that Bill Daddio, a future All-American at Pitt who later played in the NFL with the Chicago Cardinals, wouldn't play...

Nearly every student participated in a snake dance through the North Side business district and an "impromptu show at the corner of Seneca and Center streets, tying up traffic and commandering a motor cycle policeman as an escort for the balance of the noisy march," the paper said...But only 1,000 fans turned out for the game, which was played on a rain-swept Mitchell field on a Saturday afternoon...The Oilers' winning drive covered 72 yards and was aided by a couple of interference calls...Toth threw passes to Szafran for 30 and 12 yards before scoring from the 2...Oh, and Daddio played...

But then the Oilers ran into their old nemsis, Sharon, which handed them their only loss of the season...The Oilers' lone TD came on a 36-yard pass from Szafran to blocking back Spunk Anderson after the ball deflected off the intended receiver, Vince McKain...Later, Dude Moran raved about Sharon's new stadium, which was built mostly with relief labor and funds...

Dude also wrote, "As was expected, the Oilers' loss to Sharon High last Saturday has brought howls of criticism from the lads who enjoy their football games from a counter at Chacona's. Anything from lack of material to Coach (Hud) Wells furnishes food for the chorus..."

Jerry Brown was named honorary captain after the season...Brown was a three-year starter and a backup his freshman year in 1931...

All-Sectional (Venango-Crawford)

First team -- E Ray Fox, T Bill Copley, G Jerry Brown, HB Johnny Toth, HB Joe Szafran

Second team -- T Duke Guyda, E Vince McKain, B Jim Beightol, B Spunk Anderson

Honorable mention -- T Red Krosnicki, C Steve Kowal, B Willard Lehnortt

All-Skillen

First team -- E Ray Fox, G Jerry Brown, B Johnny Toth

Honorable mention -- B Joe Szafran