2004 recap: Trials, tribulations, triumph...

By CRAIG PHILLIPS

Derrick writer

It was truly a season of trials, tribulations … and triumph for the Oil City football team.

Third-year head coach Bill Heber led the Oilers to a winning season, despite facing numerous obstacles along the way.

Though their 5-4 record left them one win short of qualifying

Heber

for this weekend's District 10 Class AAA playoffs, the Oilers played a hard-nosed and entertaining brand of football.

“The team was very unselfish,” Heber said. “Our players were very unselfish.”

Last spring's graduation took with it the team's marquee offensive players, but it didn't take long for new ones to step up.

But, first, the adversity, which didn't wait until the opening whistle of the first game.

Oil City's second scrimmage, usually used for fine-tuning and developing timing, was canceled due to an electrical storm.

The site of their season opener was changed from Erie's Veterans Memorial Stadium to the field on the campus of Mercyhurst College.

During Week 3 against eventual Region 5 champion Strong Vincent, rains that had drenched the Oil Field for the previous 18 hours continued throughout the game, making offense virtually impossible.

The following week provided the biggest blow to the Oilers' chances of success as fullback Josh Cherish, who led Region 5 in rushing at the time, injured his knee.

Week 6 will long be remembered for what a long time the team and its fans spent at General McLane High School. Due to the absence of the officiating crew, the scheduled 7 p.m. game didn't start until 10:15 p.m. and didn't conclude until Saturday morning.

The rest of October featured plenty of rain, and cold temperatures, and back-to-back-to-back games at McLane, Franklin and Titusville. It yielded only one victory in the finale against Meadville.

How did this adversity affect the Oilers.

In a number of ways:

While Cherish was invincible in the opener against Erie East, 150 yards rushing on just 15 carries, Brian Hahn was invisible with no catches, no carries and no yards. The lack of the second scrimmage and sub-par lighting at Mercyhurst could have made a difference.

Oil City's six-point, 68-yard offensive output in the mini-hurricane against Strong Vincent was the Oilers' lowest of the season.

Cherish's injury, which limited him to defensive action only, eliminated the team's most productive and punishing runner.

Heber, who wouldn't use Cherish's offensive absence as an excuse during the season, was blunt in his postseason analysis.

“Cherish's injury hurt us, that was big,” Heber said. “That was our biggest loss of the season, right there.”

The late start at General McLane - coupled with the indecisiveness of the backup officiating crew, which already had worked one game that evening - could have cost the Oilers a trip to the playoffs.

So could have the narrow losses to Franklin and Titusville.

“If we win one of those games, we're going to the playoffs,” Heber said. “The hardest thing, right now, is to sit back and know you're not in the playoffs and knowing you're as good, if not better, as some of those teams. You just didn't get a break.”

Among the D-10 leaders

When the dust settled, all four of Oil City's losses came at the hands of playoff teams.

And, other than their losses on the season, all four teams had toughest games of the regular season against the Oilers.

District 10 is comprised of 43 teams and of those Oil City was 12th in margin of victory with a plus 12.8 margin, 13th in scoring with an average of 28.6 points per game and 16th in scoring defense with an average of 15.8 points allowed per game.

“We struggled early on defensively, because it was a new defense,” Heber said. “We were without Jason McClintock early on, and then he kind of jump-started us. Adam Brozeski played well for (Jason) and had the key interception against Warren.

“Our defensive players played out of their minds,” he continued. “They made some great defensive stands.”

Seniors Kevin McIntyre, Mason Marsh, McClintock, Brett Taylor, Joey O'Brien, Hahn and Cherish led the Oilers in tackles.

Marsh and Hahn paved the way with 22 solo stops apiece while McIntyre had 79 assists. Marsh led the team with seven sacks and 12 tackles for losses while Taylor had 11 tackles for losses and classmate Andrew Kumer had 10.

Marsh caused four fumbles with Cherish and Hahn each causing two while Cherish recovered a pair.

Heber was particularly appreciative of Cherish's defensive contributions following his injury.

“Josh showed a lot of guts and heart,” Heber said. “He played the last part of the season with a torn ACL and other problems with his knee. He not only played, but played well.”

Hahn had five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

However, it was Hahn who was special on special teams … and on offense.

Hahn's heroics

Hahn's breakaway kickoff returns and touchdown receptions electrified the Oiler fans like no other player. He had a total of 14 touchdowns on the season. His five return touchdowns helped the team to nine non-offensive TDs.

The others were interception return touchdowns by Marsh, McIntyre and McClintock and a blocked punt return for a TD by Charles Zimoski.

Along the way Hahn set a number of school records, including:

Most kickoff return touchdowns game: 2.

Most kickoff return touchdowns season: 4.

Most receptions season: 35, eclipsed record of Brendan Brown (33) 1991.

Most return touchdowns season: 5, eclipsed record of Paul “The Thin Man” Magee (4).

Most return touchdowns, career: 5, eclipsed record of Paul “The Thin Man” Magee (4), and others.

Most touchdown receptions season: 8, tied record of Brendan Brown (8) 1991.

Junior Nick Stallone, a multi-talented performer who led the Oilers in total offense with 1,003 yards, also etched his name in the Oil City record book by scoring touchdowns via a rush, reception and throwing for a touchdown pass in a single game.

Seniors will be missed

Rounding out the senior members of the team were Justin Wilson, Ben Quigley, Mike Strombeline, Wes Paxton, John Hepler, Richard Fento, Andrew McElroy, Kyle Say, Anthony Sargent and Matt Craig.

“It's going to be tough to replace a lot of these kids,” Heber said of the seniors. “They're better together than they are by themselves. They play well as a group. There was not a lot of individualism. They're team players and that's what we needed.

“These kids could have rolled over and died at any time, but they didn't,” he continued. “The coaching staff is really proud of them.”