The Slippery Rock HighSchool football team has a date at the OC.

It won't be beach parties and sunbathing. It won't be surfing and sand.

Not at this OC. This OC is Oil City and what awaits them there is a football team that has suddenly found its legs.

"All I know is two weeks ago we couldn't get a yard in the first half against Franklin, and (Oil City) beat them at Franklin," said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti. "Everything I've watched on tape on them says they are athletic."

Oil City is also no longer winless in large part because of one stunning play late in the second quarter against its rival, Franklin.

The Oilers were down 13-0 and Franklin was inside their 20 when Dante Jones intercepted a pass and raced 100 yards for an Oil City touchdown.

That play spurred on a come-from-behind 19-13 win.

The interception return may have not only saved the Oilers' game against Franklin, but perhaps their season.

"Yeah, I really do think it did," said Oil City coach Bill Heber. "When you play your rival, and you do come out on top, it feels good. It was a win we really needed."

OilCity's 1-4 record is a bit deceiving.

The four teams it has lost to have a combined record of 18-2.

The Oilers have lost to Strong Vincent (68-0), Harbor Creek (35-8), Titusville (28-14) and General McLane (56-13).

"We were playing some pretty good competition," Heber said. "That's a pretty tough schedule."

Slippery Rock knows first-hand how tough McLane is, falling 62-17 to the Lancers Friday.

The Rockets led 7-0 and 10-7 before the flood gates opened.

"If McLane wanted to, they could have scored 100 points," Conti said. "We didn't tackle well.We couldn't stop them."

That's a disheartening thing for Conti.

Perhaps more disheartening is the rash of injuries that just keep coming for the Rockets.

Chase Conti injured his hip flexor in the pre-game warmup and did not play. During the game, Vince Papley went down with a shoulder injury.

The Rockets have already been without J.R. Thompson, Adam Brydon, Jesse Kniess to name a few during this season.

Kniess was injured two weeks ago during the pregame warmup.

In all, nine starters are either questionable or out against OilCity.

"We've had two backs go down before the game," Conti said. "That's mind-boggling to me. I'm getting paranoid about this. I'm wondering if we should even practice. I'm afraid to go out for the pregame warmup.

"You know you are in trouble when you have to call a timeout so your offensive lineman can change into another jersey to wear an eligible number to play receiver. To be honest, we're just trying to survive."

Conti said the toughest job in the building these days is not his, but the trainers.

Heber has had experience with a rash of injuries. His team went through much of the same thing last season.

What it did was thrust some players into action before they were ready, he said. It also made this year's team that much deeper.

OilCity has some offensive weapons.

Jones leads the team with 310 yards on 51 carries.

Quarterback Drew Reinsel, who played wide receiver last season, is completing nearly 50 percent of his passes for 496 yards and three scores.

"He can run and throw," Conti said. "He's very athletic."

Heber is trying to hammer home to his players thatSlipperyRock, despite a 0-5 record and a long injury list, is not to be taken lightly.

"I just keep telling them last week we were an 0-4 football team," Heber said. "They have a good coach and they run a lot of the same things we run. Three years ago, they were the District 10 champion. This is a team we need to beat to make the playoffs."