Cole Train. Another 300-yard Performance from Christian Cole Has Oil City at 5-1

| September 29, 2018


WARREN, Pa. (EYT) – Oil City’s Christian Cole had a pass intercepted late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game at Warren.

(Photo: Christian Cole on one of his long runs Friday night. Photo by Andy Close of the Warren TiObserverrver)

It was the only thing he didn’t do right all night.

The senior standout and Pennsylvania’s leading rusher going into the night rushed for 302 yards and all five Oil City touchdowns, as well as intercepting a pass on defense in the Oilers (5-1 overall, 3-1 Region 7) 38-0 blanking of the Dragons.

Warren coach Mark Morelli was effusive in his praise for Cole, a senior who is drawing Division I interest.

“He’s tall, he runs with speed and he has good vision,” Morelli said. “He runs with power when he has to. He’s just a good, multi-purpose back. He has a natural knack to pick out those holes, when to turn the speed on, when to cut back. He’s got that vision you just can’t teach running backs.”

It was Cole early and often, running behind a physical Oil City offensive line.

He scored three times in the first quarter on runs of 29, 7 and then an electrifying 73-yarder, that made the score 22-0.

And Oil City’s defense completely shutdown Warren and quarterback Jake Kupchella, District 10’s leading passer going into play on Friday.

Kupchella threw for 114 yards, but was intercepted in the end zone by Cole in the second quarter, which was the closest Warren came to finding the end zone.

For the game, Oil City outgained Warren 471 to 177, with all but 12 of those yards coming on the ground for the Oilers.

“They beat us in all three phases of the game,” Morelli said. “They’re a very good football team. They were head and shoulders above us tonight.”

Cole scored once more in the second half for Oil City, a 6-yard run in the third quarter.

Warren sophomore Micah Passmore was a bright spot for the Dragons, catching 6 passes for 61 yards, rushing for 40 yards and completing a 12-yard pass.

The Oilers look to keep rolling next week when they travel to winless Meadville.

FRANKLIN SNAPS SKID WITH WIN OVER MEADVILLE

FRANKLIN, Pa. – Franklin snapped a four-game losing skid in grand fashion, as Ian Haynes threw for 457 yards and the Knights finally found a running game in a 55-34 victory over visiting Meadville.

Haynes, who entered the game as the second-leading passer in District 10, was 28 of 47 passing with six touchdowns.

The Knights (2-4) also found a ground attack rushing for 162 yards and two touchdowns on the night after entering the game with just 30 total yards on the ground all season.

Haynes had one of the rushing touchdowns on a 5-yard scamper, and Eli Stewart busted loose on a 74-yard run late in the first half during a stretch that saw the two teams combined for three touchdowns in a span of 1:13.

Stewart, who also caught three touchdown passes, had a monster night as well with 305 yards of total offense including 11 catches for 206 yards and six carries for 97 yards. Haynes added 60 yards rushing on 18 totes.

The teams combined for 41 first-quarter points with Franklin leading 21-20 after 12 minutes, but the Knights then outscored the winless Bulldogs (0-6) 27-6 in the second quarter to take a 48-26 halftime lead.

Haynes scored on a 5-yard run early in the quarter to make it 27-20, then Dorian Gordan caught a 5-yard pass from Haynes with 4:15 left in the frame to make it 34-20.

Fireworks then ensued.

With 1:55 left before the half, Stewart made it 41-20 on a 74-yard run.

But Kevaun McCray, who ran 18 times for 304 yards and four touchdowns scored his fourth touchdown on a 56-yard run nine seconds later to make it 41-26 with 1:46 to play before halftime.

But Haynes hooked up with Stewart on a 9-yard pass with 42 seconds left in the half to close out the first-half scoring.

McCrary also scored on first-quarter runs of 16, 79 and 59 yards, while Haynes threw touchdowns of 28 yards to Trey Carulli and 45 and 74 yards to Stewart to give Franklin the lead after a quarter.

Cade Adams also caught a touchdown pass for the Knights, while Chandler Edwards had a scoring run for Meadville.

The teams combined for 1,098 yards of total offense – 619 by Franklin and 479 by Meadville.

Adams added nine catches for 136 yards and Gordon five for 56 yards for the Knights.

Edwards ran 12 times for 88 yards for Meadville.


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