Oil City Rallies Past Franklin Behind Stinson and Liederbach

Youth and experience lead Oilers to region championship clinching victory

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Oil City High School's boys basketball team overcame a slow start to beat rival Franklin 78-56 and clinch the region championship. Led by seniors Nevin Stinson and Steven Heise, along with standout freshman Easton Liederbach, the Oilers stormed back from an early 14-0 deficit to take control in the second half.

Why it matters

This victory caps off an impressive season for Oil City, which has relied on a mix of veteran leadership and young talent to power their run to the region title. The win also highlights the continued rivalry between Oil City and Franklin, two of the top programs in the area.

The details

After falling behind 14-0 early, Oil City chipped away at the deficit and took a 36-34 lead into halftime. The Oilers then took over in the second half, outscoring Franklin 42-22 to pull away for the 22-point victory. Stinson led all scorers with 25 points, while Liederbach added 17 and Isaiah VanWormer chipped in 12. Franklin was paced by Ian Higley's 16 points.

  • Oil City opened the game with a 2-0 lead.
  • Franklin went on a 14-0 run over the next 4.5 minutes to take a 16-13 lead after the first quarter.
  • Oil City took a 36-34 lead into halftime.
  • Oil City outscored Franklin 42-22 in the second half to pull away for the 78-56 victory.

The players

Nevin Stinson

A senior leader for Oil City who scored a game-high 25 points in the win.

Easton Liederbach

A standout freshman for Oil City who contributed 17 points to the victory.

Steven Heise

A senior for Oil City who scored 10 points and helped lead the Oilers' comeback.

Ian Higley

The leading scorer for Franklin with 16 points in the loss.

Jameson Wofford

Scored 12 points for Franklin in the defeat.

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What they’re saying

“That's what we've been waiting to get out of him. He's a special player. He is going to be leading this team, so I'm just trying to get him prepared for that.”

— Nevin Stinson

“Freshman year, coming in having great players, great leaders, first year playing high school ball and you have people like this to lead you, it's great.”

— Easton Liederbach

What’s next

The win officially clinches the region championship for Oil City, who will now look ahead to the postseason tournament.

The takeaway

Oil City's victory showcases the team's ability to overcome adversity and lean on both its veteran leadership and young talent to secure an important win. The Oilers' mix of experience and youth has been a key factor in their success this season.