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The Wellsmen: 2935-36Rich Ahrens’ Broken Wrist HurtOilers In Playoff With SharonTig.coninretiHEditor's note: This is the sixth in a series of storiesod Oil City High School basketball teams coached hy II. L. (lluil) Wells, now retired. Today's story is on the 1935-3G learn.)A broken mist may have kept the 1038 Oil City High School basketball team from advancing in the post-season school-boy playoffs.The Oilers, after winning their fifth Section 2 cham-Ipionsbip in six years. Look to the Grove Cily College floor March 13 lo square off with a powerful Sharon High quint.Tn (he first quarter, IhingS looked very rosy for the Wellsmcn. They shut out the Tigers, 7-0, and appeared finally on the way lo shatter the jinx which followed 1he other four Oiler tiUisls.The Wellsmcn came back strong in Ihe last quarter tooulscore Sharon but those two middle periods killed Oil Cily.Hutch Lauer was Oil City's big man in that playoff. He scored 10 points. Johnny Ktescz and Ahrens each had 5 points. Morric Siegall, Don Morse and the late Jim Taylor completedthe Oiler scoring.Butchko was Sharon's star. He bad four field goals -and 7 out of 9 fouls for 15 points.Oil Cily breezed through Ihe Section 2 race, winning all but one of its 10 games and finishing out in front by three full games. Rocky Grove was second with 6-4, Meadville and Titusville tied for third' with 5-5’sr Franklin was sixth wiLh 4-6 and Coehranlon finished last with 1-9.Lauer tried hard lo pull the Oilers ahead but his 1G points werenT enough.All-M3-YHOWEVER, LATE in the second quarter Dame ‘Fortune rrowned on the Oilers. During an under-lhe-basket scramble for a rebound, Rich Ahrens, Ihe Oilers 6-foot-U center, emerged with an injured wrisf. Lalcr it was learned the wrist was broken.Coach H. L. Wells was forced lo lake Ahrens out of Ihe game and (bat's all the encouragement Sharon needed. They proceeded to get the rebounds more often, got more shots oft unhampered by the s k y -reaching Ahrens and outscored the Oilers 16-7.Besides Hie Sharon and Titusville losses, Oil City lost lo Grove City by two points in overtime, Erie Tech by five points and Sharpsville, 41-28.Oil City turned back Meadville twice, 20-16 and 40-27, and also Franklin twice, 28-19 and 24-21.Some of the liiglighLs of that season were:Lauer1's 16 points, SiegalPs 13 points and Chuck Richards1 C assists in the 44-17 romp over Coehranton,SiegalFs 16 in the 46-20 win over Tilusville.Lauer’s and Si gall's scoring and all around play in the 25-19 win over Franklin. Lauer hadjorheas193'thehe35forAllrocwliitiI'Sashel1ho'.fenfinCinThe Tigers outgunned the Oilers in (lie third quarter. Ahrens saw limited aciion but was greatly hampered by the broken mist.THE WELLSMEN had to do it Ihe hard way. After going through the first half of the league schedule without losing a game, the Oilers were badly weakened when (hey lost Harry Siegall, Ed Sihhle, Nale Selioeh and Ernie Cartwright al midterm. AH four had used up their eligibility ana finished their scholastic careers while thumping Warren, 36 19.Sicgall, rated by Coach Wells as one of his top five playees in the 28 years he coached at Oil Cily, was one of Ihe leading scorers with 73 points and was an oulstn riding pi ay maker with his speed, passing and dribbling.The lone league loss was at the hands of Titusville, 31-27.Pringle with 13 points and McDonnell with 9 were the Rocket slars.ratm?14 points. Barrelt Melvin of(hiFranklin had 11. Other Franklin players incuded Fonzo, Scam noil, McCoy, Cramer, Bryant and Alsbaugh.LAUER’S and Ahrens1 scoring in the one-sided 36-19 win over Warren.Laucr's 16 points in Ihe 31-29 win over Brook ville.Lauer’s 14, 16, 14, 14, 13 and 10 points in Lhe Grove Cily, Coehronlon, Brocikvitle, Rocky Grove, Sharpsville and Mead-clcdr*caville games, all victories forthe Oilers except (he beating hy Sharpsville.Lauer won the Section 2 scoring title wilh 97 poinls. Burns of Rocky Grove was second with 70 and Slolarczyk of Meadville Ihird with 68. Ahrens was lllh with 49.LAUER ALSO took the Oiler season scoring honors with 206mirc|gea-to;edle.hopG po 11: FI 6640KlSi-
Newspaper Details
Derrick
Oil City, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Feb 06, 1970
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Penny W.
USA 31 Jan 2021
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