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1456

YSU Penguin Athletics / YSU center Mark Pratt adjusting to new level in new city

« on: March 26, 2011, 11:48:35 AM »

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Mark Pratt spent two years playing football at a junior college in Utah where, he said, “there’s more turkeys and sheep than people.”

In between, he spent two years working as a Mormon missionary to Birmingham, Ala., where he spent all day knocking on doors in Hispanic neighborhoods. He was allowed to write home on Wednesdays (handwritten letters or e-mails) and call home twice a year (Christmas and Mother’s Day).

“It’s a real strict, strict schedule,” said Pratt, who is fluent in Spanish. “The church picks where you go and you don’t really have a say. They send you to a place in Provo to teach you how to speak. After you learn the basics, they just kind of throw you out there.”

The 22-year-old Pratt is now a junior center in his first spring with the YSU football team, utilizing the toughness that comes from being the youngest of six brothers (“They’re all smaller than me now,” he said, laughing) with the discipline that comes from obeying orders from your superiors (both natural and supernatural).

It’s helped him make a smooth transition to a city heavy on Italians and light on, say, sheep and Mormons.

“It’s been great so far,” he said. “I really like the team and the O-line has accepted me and the other junior college kids really quick.

“It’s just a real tight-knit group.”

Pratt (6-foot-3, 330) is penciled in as the starter for a Penguins offensive line trying to replace four seniors, three of them starters. At Snow Junior College, he was an all-conference selection for a team that went 10-2 and finished seventh in the country.

His first YSU practice was Wednesday and, while he struggled with his shotgun snaps, he feels confident he can quickly make the transition to FCS football.

“I think the biggest thing is going to be the speed,” said Pratt, whose quarterback mostly stayed under center in junior college. “Every level you go up, the speed changes. I know high school to junior college was a big difference and I can already tell right now, just from the first practice, that the speed’s picked up quite a bit.

“I’ll adjust to it and get in the groove.”

Pratt is one of two junior college transfers on YSU’s offensive line — junior tackle Lamar Mady is the other — and is at a little bit of a disadvantage compared to the rest of YSU’s linemen, who already have a year’s worth of experience working with line coach Carmen Bricillo.

“They know the teaching methods that Coach Carm has and they pulled me aside a few times and said, ‘Hey, you need to do this a little better,’” Pratt said. “They can explain things a little better than Coach Carm does.

“He does a great job, but they kind of put it in simpler terms.”

There are other adjustments, but Pratt hasn’t had much problem with the schoolwork (he’s majoring in international business), the media (“I think I got interviewed twice in Utah, so this is a little different,” he said to a group of five reporters after Wednesday’s practice) and the weather.

“This is perfect,” he said. “When it’s 50 degrees, we wear shorts back home.”

He even looks the part of a lineman, with a full beard (that doesn’t seem to have been groomed in weeks), a quick laugh (linemen are often the best interviews on any football team) and the highest listed weight of anyone on YSU’s roster.

“I gained some weight over the break,” he said. “I have to lose a few pounds.”

YSU head coach Eric Wolford’s background is as an offensive line coach, so it’s a safe bet Pratt will hear a few words he wouldn’t use on a Mormon mission, but, so far, the city seems like a good fit for this farm boy.

“It’s a great atmosphere,” he said. “I love the intensity Coach Wolford and Coach Carm bring.

“Everyone’s attitude has been amazing. I’m really looking forward to playing.”

1457

YSU Penguin Athletics / Penguins Continue Work With High Energy Practice on Friday

« on: March 25, 2011, 11:38:50 PM »

The Youngstown State football team spent two-and-a-half hours working out in helmets and shorts on a brisk Friday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium.

The Penguins continued to work on fundamentals and on Saturday morning will put on full pads for the first time this spring. Practice is set to start at 10 a.m.

Head Coach Eric Wolford said he has been pleased with the first two practices so far, but the real work starts on Saturday morning.

"I'm excited and I think these guys are kind of antsy cause we are anxious to get the pads on tomorrow," Wolford said. "I always say a lot of guys look good in shorts, but tomorrow we'll find out whose for real and you'll hopeful hear some pads popping."

Upcoming Spring Schedule (All Practices at Stambaugh Stadium)
March 26 - Practice | 10 a.m.
March 27 - Pizza Cookoff | 4-7 p.m.
March 28 - Practice | 4 p.m.
March 30 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 1 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 2 - Scrimmage | 10 a.m.
April 4 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 6 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 8 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 9 - Scrimmage | 10 a.m.
April 10 - FCA Banquet | 6 p.m.
April 11 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 12 - Bob Dove Luncheon | Noon
April 13 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 15 - Women's Coaching Clinic | 5:30 p.m.
April 15 - Practice | 6:30 p.m.
April 16 - Spring Game | 12:05 p.m.
April 17 - No Stone Unturned Pancake Breakfast at Mt. Carmel
May 6 - Football Alumni Reunion - Youngstown Country Club

For Season Ticket or Spring Game information contact the YSU Athletics Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.

1458

YSU Penguin Athletics / Vargo: YSU working on closing games out

« on: March 24, 2011, 06:31:42 AM »

LAST year's Youngstown State University football team lost its last seven games by 10 points or less.

This season, second-year coach Eric Wolford knows his team had a problem late in games - either holding onto a lead or finishing a rally.

As the Penguins enter the 2011 spring practice, Wolford wants to remedy the crunch-time situation.

Things began so well in 2010's Missouri Valley Football Conference slate with a 14-point rally over Southern Illinois, but went quickly went south for the then 3-1 Penguins.

The 35-25 loss at Missouri State a week later was an eye opener for the youthful YSU squad as the Penguins blew a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter.

The reason for this year's sense of urgency may have stemmed from the following North Dakota State game. Down 28-20, YSU quickly scored twice on a touchdown and a field-goal - giving the Penguins a one-point edge with 51 seconds left. If the Penguins simply held, they'd improve to 4-2. Instead, YSU surrendered a 45-yard touchdown reception.

The secondary was torched throughout the 2010 season and, for that fact, the defense, as a whole, was a sore spot in the Penguins' seven-game skid.

"We'll have a fourth quarter at the end of the day, every day," Wolford said. "I've picked out certain things I want to dwell on for that day. We'll work on a lot of 2-minute situations. We'll work on a lot of 4-minute situations."

Those four-minute situations stem from the Western Illinois game where the Penguins could not hold onto a four-point cushion with more than 5 minutes remaining.

"For you guys who don't know what 4 minutes is, it is when you have an opportunity on offense and you have the ball, and there is 4 minutes left in the game and you've got to run the clock out - stay inbounds, don't turn the ball over," Wolford said. "We had that opportunity in the Western Illinois game. At the end of the day, we didn't convert. We had a chance to run the clock out there and we didn't. You guys all know what happened at the end of that game.

"Those are the kind of situations we're going to work on the end of 2 minutes, when the other team has the ball - all we've got to do is stop them. We've got the lead, 38-34. We need to do that."

In that Western Illinois game, the Leathernecks had the ball with 2:13 left at their own 20. After two incompletions, it seemed Western Illinois was in dire straits on third-and-10. Leathernecks quarterback Matt Barr, in John Elway fashion, scrambled for 20 yards - eventually leading to the game-winning score a minute later.

"We need to work on third down," Wolford said. "We'll have a winner and loser (in practice), and that group will run. There will be stakes for a winner or a loser. We'll have that at the end of practice, in the last 2 minutes, when we're working on a specific situation. You've got to embrace it. You can't shy away from it. It's the end of practice, you're tired. We're going to work them. And, I want to see who is going to step up. That last segment, the fourth quarter, I call it. Get the job done. Can you get us a couple first downs, run the clock out? Can you make a play when the ball is in the air?

"We're going to find out."

This season, YSU and Wolford will find out if this preparation leads to much different results than in 2010.

jvargo@tribtoday.com

1459

YSU Penguin Athletics / Penguins Open Spring Drills as Wolford Begins Second Season

« on: March 23, 2011, 09:40:52 PM »

Coach Eric Wolford opened his second season as the Penguins' head coach on Wednesday as the Youngstown State football started Spring Drills with a two-and-a-half hour workout in helmets and shorts at Stambaugh Stadium.

Rain and cool weather greeted the Penguins for the first hour of the workout. YSU spent the second half of the first hour working in postion groups.

The Guins capped off the session with 30 minutes of offense against defense work.

Wolford said the first practice of his second season as head coach was a lot different from his first one in 2010.

"We're a year older and everyone is understanding what we expect," Wolford said. "I think it's important to them and that's a compliment to them.

"We had a good day today and the kids are working hard," Wolford said. "It was good to see some guys step up and make some plays. It's the first day, we don't have any pads on, we weren't doing any tackling there or anything like that, but it was good to see guys flying around and playing with intensity. It's good to see we're making some progress as far as we physically look better. Hopefully we can continue to get better."

The Penguins return 45 letterwinners (22 on offense, 21 on defense and two on special teams) from last year's squad and have a total of 47 lettermen on the roster with the additions of 2010 redshirts Taylor Hill and Jelani Berassa. YSU has 71 players on the current roster.

A total of 18 seniors are on the team with just seven on the offensive side of the ball. The Penguins lost 21 seniors from the 2010 squad. YSU returns eight redshirt freshman who were with the team in the fall.

The Guins return to the gridiron on Friday afternoon for their second practice of the spring. The practice is set to start at 4 p.m.

Upcoming Spring Schedule (All Practices at Stambaugh Stadium)
March 25 - Practice | 4 p.m.
March 26 - Practice | 10 a.m.
March 27 - Pizza Cookoff | 4-7 p.m.
March 28 - Practice | 4 p.m.
March 30 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 1 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 2 - Scrimmage | 10 a.m.
April 4 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 6 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 8 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 9 - Scrimmage | 10 a.m.
April 10 - FCA Banquet | 6 p.m.
April 11 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 12 - Bob Dove Luncheon | Noon
April 13 - Practice | 4 p.m.
April 15 - Women's Coaching Clinic | 5:30 p.m.
April 15 - Practice | 6:30 p.m.
April 16 - Spring Game | 12:05 p.m.
April 17 - No Stone Unturned Pancake Breakfast at Mt. Carmel
May 6 - Football Alumni Reunion - Youngstown Country Club

For Season Ticket or Spring Game information contact the YSU Athletics Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.

1460

YSU Penguin Athletics / Road-weary team finally home

« on: March 23, 2011, 06:52:45 AM »

By Jon Moffett

jmoffett@vindy.com

NILES

Joe Iacobucci isn’t ready to give up his home-cooked meals and his own bed anytime soon.

The rock-star lifestyle is only so enticing. But when reality sets in, life on the road can be a little foreign.

That’s why the Boardman High graduate and his Youngstown State baseball teammates are ready to come back home. And it gets even longer when you’re away from the comforts of home for weeks at a time.

“It’s a great feeling, because being at home is just so much more comfortable,” the senior outfielder said. “When you’re on the road, you have to be in a hotel and eat bad food. Being at home is definitely a lot more comfortable. You have a lot more leeway with stuff, I think.”

Luckily for Iacobucci and the Penguins, the team will get a temporary fix of home to tide them over for a while. The Penguins (3-14) will play at the friendly confines of Eastwood Field today against Penn State Behrend at 3 p.m. After that is a road trip to Wright State to begin Horizon League play.

But YSU coach Rich Pasquale said it’s going to be nice to play in front of the home fans and not have to worry about so many of the formalities. Even if it is only for one game.

“It’ll be fun. It’s going to feel weird with us wearing white and to hit second,” he said.

The Penguins have struggled early into this season, but Pasquale said even the losses have taught the team about its potential. While no one is accepting the lopsided win-loss record as is, he said the team is learning to adapt from those mistakes.

“It’s part of them believing and feeling like they can do this,” he said. “Sometimes when you lose, you lose a little confidence. We’re hitting the ball, but we’re hitting it at people. These guys just need to believe that the ball is eventually going to drop.”

A lot of that, Pasquale said, has to do with the mental approach.

Spending almost every day in a new place can build up and eventually wear a player down, he said. Starting pitcher Phil Klein, who was named as the Horizon League’s pitcher of the week for March 14, said it’s the toll the road takes on a player that can put them into a funk.

“Traveling is fun and getting down into the warm weather is fun. But people don’t the see the staying in the hotels and living out of a suitcase or all that stuff,” he said. “There are certain things that you have to make do with. Like sometimes it’s hard to find ice in the hotel or find a place to run around, especially if it’s not nice outside.

“But we make do with what we can,” he said.

Klein especially is looking forward to pitching at home. There is a certain energy the crowd emits. And players like Klein can absorb it. And that leads to better production.

“Just getting ahead of guys in the count is important,” the 6-foot-7 right-hander said. “If I’m working backwards, that’s when they start getting walks, hits, runs.

“If you start off throwing balls, then they’re going to know what’s coming; probably fastballs over the middle, something they can hit,” he said. “But if you start off throwing off-speed stuff in the dirt or throwing away, then bust them inside. You can kind of fool around with them a little bit.”

And nothing helps a players’ preparation like familiarity. And familiarity with a ballpark, routine or schedule can make a world of difference.

“It will be nice to stay home and drive out to the field whenever we’re ready,” Klein said. “You don’t need to pack anything or worry about forgetting this or that. And it will be nice playing in front of our fans.”

1461

YSU Penguin Athletics / Video: Wolford Announces Addition to Staff, Coaching Assignment Adjustments

« on: March 22, 2011, 09:01:27 PM »

Youngstown State Head Football Coach Eric Wolford announced on Tuesday that Mauro Monz has joined the Penguins' staff as tight ends coach. Also, with Spring Practice set to open on Wednesday, Wolford released assignment adjustments involving his current group of assistants.

On offense, current assistant coach Andre Coleman moves from coaching the tight ends to wide receivers and assistant coach Louie Matsakis assumes the role of recruiting coordinator. Matsakis will continue as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator, Carmen Bricillo will remain as offensive line coach and Shane Montgomery remains as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

On defense, second-year coordinator Rick Kravitz will coach the safeties, Rollen Smith will coach the cornerbacks, while Frank J. Buffano and Ron Stoops Jr. will handle the linebacking corps. Assistant Head Coach Tom Sims will continue his role as the defensive line coach.

Monz brings 14 years of collegiate coaching experience to Youngstown State.

Monz, who has two years of head coaching experience, has been an assistant at Akron, Duquesne and Robert Morris. He was the head coach for two seasons (2003-04) at West Virginia Tech, an NAIA school in Montgomery, W. Va.

He was with Akron from 2006-09 moving from a director of football operations post to wide receivers coach his final three seasons.

Most recently, Monz spent the 2010 campaign as a special offensive assistant at Robert Morris under Head Coach Joe Walton. The Colonials had a stellar season wining the Northeast Conference title and advancing to the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history. RMU averaged 28.5 points per contest and 358.3 yards a game. Seven times the Colonials scored at least 30 points and the offense scored 43 touchdowns in 12 games.

Monz spent the 2005 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duquesne for Head Coach Jerry Schmitt.

The Penguins open spring drills on Wednesday at Stambaugh Stadium. Practice is set to begin around 4 p.m.

1462

YSU Penguin Athletics / Phil Klein Named Horizon League Pitcher of the Week

« on: March 22, 2011, 10:02:54 AM »

Youngstown -- Youngstown State senior Phil Klein has been named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 14, the league office announced.

Klein carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and did not allow a base-runner until the fifth in leading YSU to a 7-1 victory over Toledo on Sunday. Klein struck out a career-high 13 of the 29 batters he faced in eight innings of work. He allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk.

Klein earned the weekly honor for the first time in his career.

Over his last two starts, Klein has a 1.38 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings.

Klein and Youngstown State is scheduled to play the 2011 home opener on Wednesday at Eastwood Field. First pitch against Penn State-Behrend is set for 3 p.m.

1463

YSU Penguin Athletics / Backfield Returnees, New Opportunities Highlight Upcoming Spring Drills

« on: March 21, 2011, 04:04:12 PM »

The Youngstown State football team returns sophomore quarterback Kurt Hess and a stable of tailbacks led by junior Jamaine Cook. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Penguins to step up at many positions when spring drills start on Wednesday.

Hess had an impressive first year as the Penguins' signal caller. In 11 games, he threw for 2,117 yards and 12 touchdowns as he completed 179-of-304 attempts. He was selected as the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Freshman of the Year. He was the first freshman quarterback to start all 11 games of a season since Tom Zetts in 2004.

Also at quarterback, senior Marc Kanetsky, sophomore Najee Tyler and redshirt freshman Patrick Angle all look to get reps during the spring session.

Cook rushed for 1,276 yards on 241 attempts with 11 touchdowns on the year and had 973 yards on 199 attempts and scored eight touchdowns in eight league games. Sophomore Adaris Bellamy tied Cook for the lead in touchdowns and tied the school mark for TD rushes by a freshman with 11. Bellamy had 545 yards on 110 carries after joining the lineup last year.

Other tailbacks who can step in are sophomores Allen Jones, Torrian Pace and Jordan Thompson. Thompson had 144 yards on 36 carries and scored four touchdowns. Jones had 85 yards on eight rushes and a TD while Pace added 13 carries for 53 yards.

At tight end, senior David Rogers and sophomore Carson Sharbaugh will see the bulk of the action along with redshirt freshman Nate Adams. Sharbaugh caught 10 passes in 2010 while Rogers had seven.

YSU will have one senior on the offensive line this spring, however Andy Colegrove has not played the position since his freshman year. Leading the way are junior left tackle Andrew Radakovich, who started all 11 games in 2010, junior right tackle D.J. Main, who started the first seven of the season before being sidelined with a broken foot, and sophomore Chris Elkins, who came on to start the final four at right guard.

Brought in to help in January were linemen Lamar Mady and Mark Pratt. Mady is slated to play left guard while Pratt will take over at center. In the spring, junior Marc Stevens, sophomores Zach Larson and Andrew Sinko as well as redshirt freshmen Stephen Page and J.P. May will get their opportunity to crack the starting five. Fred Herdman transitions from defensive line to offensive line and will be given a chance to find a spot as well.

At wide receiver, the Guins lost first-team all-league performer and security-blanket Dominique Barnes. Barnes had 37 percent (67-of-180) of the team's total receptions and four of the 12 TD catches. On the flip side, that means - with the exception of all but two by Kyle Banna - 111 of the receptions and eight touchdowns from last year return. But further numbers crunching shows that 38 were receptions by tailbacks and 17 came from tight ends.

The top returning receiver entering the spring is senior Ely Ducatel. Ducatel had a breakout year with 27 catches for 336 yards and two touchdowns last season. The second most by a receiver was 12 by Juilian Harrell, followed by Kevin Watts' 11 and three each by Andre Barboza and Josh Lee.

The Guins lost Jelani Berassa early in fall camp and look to have him back as a major contributor in 2011. Senior Pat White, senior Dionte Snow and redshirt freshman Jake Dragovich will be looking for opportunities this spring as well.

On defense, senior linebacker and 2010's leading tackler John Sasson will spearhead the unit. Last year, 21 different players started at some point on defense and 13 of them are back this season.

On the defensive line, seniors Obinna Ekweremuba and Andrew Johnson return with the most experience up front combining to start 14 contests. YSU will be without 11-game starters from last year in Torrance Nicholson and Luke Matelan, but that will open opportunities for others.

Senior Daniel Stewart and sophomore D.J. Moss started a game each in 2010. Sophomore Kyle Sirl, redshirt freshman Brandon Green will push for action in the spring. Junior college newcomers Nick DeKraker (tackle) and Josh Fenderson (end) joined the team in January following strong junior-college careers.

At linebacker, Sasson started all 11 games last season finishing with 89 total tackles, including 44 solo stops. Senior Deonta Tate returns following a 52-tackle campaign while sophomore Dom Rich had 15 starting the final three games. Junior Will Shaw moves from the safety slot to linebacker after recording 48 tackles.

A hungry group of underclassmen will get their shot this spring. Sophomores Ali Cheaib, Thomas Sprague and Mark Brandenstein all were special-teams contributors in 2010 along with junior Ethan Slark. Sophomore Taylor Hill returns after redshirting in 2010. Hill was a major contributor in 2009 being named to the league's all-newcomer squad. Redshirts Kevin Johnson and Danny Fernback and transfer Chuck Lengyel also will get looks in the spring. Lengyel impressed in the fall after transferring from Mount Union.

In the secondary, YSU has five seniors with cornerback Randy Louis leading the way. Louis had 32 tackles in eight starts last year. The other seniors are Grant Mayes, Scott Sentner, Deionte Williams and Lee, who is converting from wide receiver.

Sophomores Jamarious Boatwright and Donald D'Alesio combined to start 10 games as true freshmen last year. D'Alesio ranked second on the team in tackles with 69. Sophomores Josh Garner, Matt Romeo and Gannon Hulea will also be looking for an opportunity this spring.

At punter, Nick Liste - an all-newcomer team and honorable-mention All-MVFC pick - returns after a freshman campaign in which he averaged 41.4 yards a kick and had six boots of 50 yards or more. At placekicker, junior-college transfer David Brown steps in for Stephen Blose. Brown joined the program in January and takes over after Blose made 12-of-14 FGs and 38-of-40 PAT tries.

Barnes had 11 of the team's 15 punt returns with Boatwright returning the other four. Cook and Boatwright combined for 37 kickoff returns. Kanetsky returns as holder and senior Nate Schkurko returns as the squad's holder.

Drills, which start on Wednesday, conclude on Saturday, April 16, when the Penguins will hold their annual Red-White Spring Game at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12:05 p.m.

2011 Youngstown State Spring Football Roster

No.    Name    Pos.    Cl.    Ht.    Wt.    Hometown/High School
1    Najee Tyler    Quarterback    So.    6-5    240    Queens, N.Y./Xaverian
3    Grant Mayes    Cornerback    Sr.    5-10    195    Roselle, N.J./Seton Hall Prep
4    Jamarious Boatwright    Cornerback    So.    5-11    190    Largo, Fla./Largo
5    Adaris Bellamy    Tailback    So.    5-10    215    Dunedin, Fla./Dunedin
5    Randy Louis    Cornerback    Sr.    5-9    175    Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard
6    Jelani Berassa    Wide Receiver    So.    6-3    200    Miami, Fla./Miami Killian
6    Deonta Tate    Linebacker    Sr.    6-1    225    Palmetto, Fla./Palmetto
7    Ely Ducatel    Wide Receiver    Sr.    6-1    195    Naples, Fla./Lely
8    Donald D'Alesio    Cornerback    So.    5-11    180    Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney
9    Will Shaw    Safety    Jr.    6-2    220    Baltimore, Md./Highland
10    Josh Lee    Wide Receiver    Sr.    5-9    190    Lutz, Fla./Freedom
11    Kevin Watts    Wide Receiver    So.    6-0    220    Middletown, Ohio/Middletown
12    Kurt Hess    Quarterback    So.    6-3    220    Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne
14    Patrick Angle    Quarterback    RFr.    6-2    205    Logan, Ohio/Logan
15    Juilian Harrell    Wide Receiver    Jr.    6-2    210    Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt
16    Gannon Hulea    Free Safety    So.    6-0    200    Poland, Ohio/Poland
17    Dionte Snow    Wide Receiver    Sr.    6-2    190    Toledo, Ohio/Scott
19    Marc Kanetsky    Quarterback    Sr.    6-0    185    Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard
20    Dom Rich    Linebacker    So.    6-1    215    Canfield, Ohio/Canfield
21    Josh Garner    Safety    So.    6-1    190    Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne
24    Scott Sentner    Free Safety    Sr.    6-2    200    McDonald, Ohio/McDonald
25    Torrian Pace    Tailback    So.    5-10    230    Chantilly, Va./Chantilly
27    Justin Austin    Free Safety    So.    5-11    215    Hubbard, Ohio/Ursuline
28    Allen Jones    Tailback    So.    5-10    205    Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline
31    Matt Romeo    Cornerback    So.    5-9    155    Boardman, Ohio/Boardman
32    Jordan Thompson    Tailback    So.    6-1    220    Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West
33    Deionte Williams    Free Safety    Sr.    6-2    185    Miami, Fla./Northwestern
34    Thomas Sprague    Linebacker    So.    6-1    215    Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville
35    Jamaine Cook    Tailback    Jr.    5-9    195    Cleveland, Ohio/Midpark
36    Mark Brandenstein    Linebacker    So.    5-11    210    Boardman, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney
39    Daniel Stewart    Defensive End    Sr.    6-0    240    Long Beach, Calif./Bellflower
42    Nate Adams    Tight End    So.    6-5    240    Newark, Ohio/Newark Catholic
44    Andrew Johnson    Defensive Tackle    Sr.    6-3    265    Detroit, Mich./Southeastern
48    Ethan Slark    Linebacker    Jr.    6-0    200    Springfield, Ohio/South
50    Taylor Hill    Linebacker    So.    6-2    210    Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney
51    Ali Cheaib    Linebacker    So.    6-2    215    Dunedin, Fla./Dunedin
53    John Sasson    Linebacker    Sr.    6-2    240    Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel
54    Danny Fernback    Linebacker    RFr.    6-1    205    Boardman, Ohio/Boardman
55    Lamar Mady    Offensive Line    Jr.    6-4    325    Topeka, Kan./Topeka
56    Zach Larson    Offensive Guard    So.    6-3    300    Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney
57    Andy Colegrove    Offensive Guard    Sr.    6-4    260    Ironton, Ohio/Ironton
59    Chuck Lengyel    Defensive End    Jr.    6-1    230    Columbiana, Ohio/South Range
60    Kevin Johnson    Defensive End    RFr.    6-3    210    Boardman, Ohio/Boardman
65    Stephen Page    Offensive Guard    RFr.    6-4    270    Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls
66    Chris Elkins    Offensive Guard    So.    6-5    270    Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls
69    Marc Stevens    Center    Jr.    6-5    300    Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington
72    Andrew Radakovich    Offensive Tackle    Jr.    6-6    305    Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville
74    Andrew Sinko    Offensive Tackle    So.    6-5    280    Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville
76    Mark Pratt    Center    Jr.    6-3    325    Tooele, Utah/Tooele
77    D.J. Main    Offensive Tackle    Jr.    6-6    285    Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville
78    J.P. May    Offensive Tackle    RFr.    6-6    280    Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington
80    David Rogers    Tight End    Sr.    6-3    250    Kent, Ohio/Roosevelt
81    Nick Liste    Punter    So.    5-10    180    Niles, Ohio/Niles McKinley
82    David Brown    Placekicker    Jr.    5-10    170    Ojai, Calif./Nordoff
83    Andre Barboza    Wide Receiver    Sr.    6-2    210    Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable
84    Pat White    Wide Receiver    Sr.    6-6    220    Warren, Ohio/Harding
85    Nate Schkurko    Long Snapper    Sr.    6-2    190    Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg
86    Carson Sharbaugh    Tight End    So.    6-5    250    New Wilmington, Pa./New Wilmington
87    Kyle Sirl    Defensive End    So.    6-4    250    Westfield, Ohio/Cloverleaf
88    Jake Dragovich    Wide Receiver    RFr.    6-2    195    Canfield, Ohio/Ursuline
90    Obinna Ekweremuba    Defensive End    Sr.    6-3    250    Orlu, Nigeria/A-2 International
92    Fred Herdman    Offensive Guard    So.    6-5    240    Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle
96    Brandon Green    Defensive Tackle    RFr.    6-3    250    Tampa, Fla./Tampa Catholic
98    D.J. Moss    Defensive Tackle    So.    5-11    270    Austintown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch
99    Josh Fenderson    Defensive Line    Jr.    6-2    250    Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford
   Timote Taumoepeau    Linebacker    RFr.    6-0    245    Boardman, Ohio/Boardman


Spring Football Schedule
Date    Event    Time         Links
Mar 23, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Mar 25, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Mar 26, 2011    Spring Practice    10 a.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Mar 28, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Mar 30, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 1, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 2, 2011    Spring Practice    10 a.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 4, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 6, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 8, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 9, 2011    Spring Practice    10 a.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 11, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 13, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 15, 2011    Spring Practice    4 p.m.         
   Stambaugh Stadium
Apr 15, 2011    Spring Practice    6:30 p.m.         
   DeBartolo Stadium Club
Apr 16, 2011    Red-White Spring Game    Noon         
   Stambaugh Stadium

1464

YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: Spring Scouting Report

« on: March 21, 2011, 06:12:40 AM »

Youngstown State begins spring football practice Wednesday under the guidance of second-year coach Eric Wolford, whose team finished a disappointing 3-8 but was competitive in nearly every game. Vindicator reporter Joe Scalzo breaks down the team, position-by-position. (Year in school applies to fall 2011). Analysis does not include incoming recruits unless they have already enrolled:

OFFENSE

Overview: The Penguins lose four starters, including three on the line, from a unit that averaged 31.3 points per game and set a school record by averaging 412 yards per game. There are a few question marks but it once again figures to be the team’s strength.

QUARTERBACK

Who’s back: Sophomore Kurt Hess, senior Marc Kanetsky

Who’s gone: No one.

Others to watch: Sophomore Najee Tyler, freshman Patrick Angle.

Analysis: Hess was named Missouri Valley Football Conference freshman of the year after starting every game and setting a YSU freshman record with 2,117 yards passing. He’s one of the team’s hardest workers and is a favorite of the coaches. Kanetsky is a solid backup and has the trust of the coaches. Tyler is the most physically gifted QB on the roster but needs to work on his overall grasp of the position. Angle redshirted last fall but performed well on the scout team and is a good enough athlete that the coaches considered moving him to safety last fall.

RUNNING BACK

Who’s back: Junior TB Jamaine Cook, sophomore TB Adaris Bellamy, sophomore TB Jordan Thompson, sophomore TB Allen Jones, junior TB Torrian Pace.

Who’s gone: FB Dan Banna.

Others to watch: No one.

Analysis: Easily the strength of the team. Cook was YSU’s best player last year and coach Eric Wolford has repeatedly called him his hardest worker. Bellamy was a terrific complement last fall and has improved his conditioning this winter. Thompson showed flashes of his potential but didn’t get as many carries because of the top two players’ production. Jones was a solid special teams player who was productive when he got the chance and he’s impressed the coaches with his performance in conditioning drills this winter. Pace was buried on the depth chart but is too talented to sit on the sidelines. This unit’s biggest problem is there is too much talent.

WIDE RECEIVERS and TIGHT ENDS

Who’s back: Senior WR Ely Ducatel, senior WR Andre Barboza, senior WR Pat White, junior WR Juilian Harrell, sophomore WR Kevin Watts, sophomore TE Carson Sharbaugh, senior TE David Rogers.

Who’s gone: WR Dominique Barnes.

Others to watch: Junior WR Jelani Berassa.

Analysis: Wideout is maybe the biggest question mark on the team. Barnes’ departure leaves a massive void, as a handful of players (notably Ducatel, Harrell and Watts) had their moments last fall, but no one showed the consistency to be the No. 1 guy. Sharbaugh was solid and should be better in his second season. Berassa tore his ACL in training camp and missed last season but is an intriguing prospect. Tight ends coach Andre Coleman, who played receiver in the NFL, will also coach wideouts this year after the departure of assistant coach Phil Longo. The coaches believe there’s potential here and that the team needs to shore up its pass protection to allow the receivers time to get open.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Who’s back: Junior tackles Andrew Radakovich and D.J. Main, sophomore guard Chris Elkins.

Who’s gone: Guards Bobby Coates and Eric Rodemoyer, center Justin Rechichar, tackle Chris Gammon.

Others to watch: Sophomore guard Zach Larson, sophomore tackle Andrew Sinko, freshman guard Stephen Page, sophomore Fred Herdman, junior college transfers Lamar Mady and Mark Pratt.

Analysis: Although losing three senior starters hurts, a good core returns. The Penguins’ experience is on the edges but a couple newcomers need to step up. Wolford moved Page and Herdman from defense to offense to try to create competition.

DEFENSE

Analysis: The Penguins return eight starters from a unit that struggled mightily in the fall, particularly late in the games when the team’s lack of depth became painfully obvious. Making things worse, departing seniors Torrance Nicholson (DT) and Brandian Ross (CB) were arguably the unit’s two best players. Question marks abound, although there’s potential for improvement everywhere.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Who’s back: Senior NT Andrew Johnson, senior DE Obinna Ekweremuba

Who’s gone: DT Nicholson, DE Luke Matelan, DE Stephen Meadows (left team)

Others to watch: Senior DE Daniel Stewart, sophomore DT D.J. Moss, sophomore DE Kyle Sirl, junior college transfers Josh Fenderson and Nick DeKraker, freshman DT Brandon Green.

Analysis: Losing Nicholson and Matelan hurts and Wolford is hoping a couple players will step up. No Penguin had more than two sacks last season so it’s imperative that this unit improve, particularly on passing downs. This was an emphasis in recruiting, as Wolford never again wants to be this thin in veteran linemen.

LINEBACKER

Who’s back: Seniors John Sasson and Deonta Tate, sophomore Dom Rich.

Who’s gone: David Rach.

Others to watch: Sophomores Taylor Hill, Will Shaw, Thomas Sprague, Ali Cheaib and Mark Brandenstein.

Analysis: Rach left the team to focus on academics. Sasson led the team in tackles last season and is considered one of the team’s two hardest workers. Hill led the team in tackles two years ago before sitting out last fall due to academic issues. Shaw is moving down from safety to his more natural position. This unit made plenty of tackles but not enough plays. Still, the coaches think this could be the strength of the defense.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Who’s back: Sophomore corners Donald D’Alesio and Jamarious Boatwright

Who’s gone: Ross, safety Andre Elliott

Others to watch: Senior CB Grant Mayes, senior safeties Deionte Williams and Scott Sentner, sophomore safety Josh Garner

Analysis: This unit really struggled last season and losing Ross and Elliott (who missed the last seven games with a shoulder injury) won’t help. D’Alesio and Boatwright were forced to play earlier than the coaches would have liked but that experience should help. Again, the coaches believe there’s potential in this unit but there are still a lot of question marks.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Who’s back: Sophomore punter Nick Liste

Who’s gone: PR/KR Barnes, K Stephen Blose, K Jake Smith (left team)

Others to watch: Junior college transfer kicker David Brown

Analysis: Blose was reliable on extra points — he set the school record for PATs — and could be relied on to make short field goals but YSU is hoping Brown will give the team a bigger threat on kickoffs and long field goals. YSU’s kick coverage was awful last year and the Penguins desperately need a playmaker in the return game, particularly since Barnes isn’t back. Liste was terrific and should solidify the position for years.

1465

YSU Penguin Athletics / Klein’s Masterpiece Leads Baseball to 7-1 Win Over Toledo

« on: March 20, 2011, 06:28:29 PM »

Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Youngstown State senior pitcher Phil Klein allowed one run on three hits in eight innings, and the heart of the Penguins' line-up drove in five runs in a 7-1 win over Toledo in the final game for both teams at the Petersen Sports Complex Panther Classic on Sunday.

Klein didn't allow a hit or a run until the sixth inning and struck out a career-high 13 in the game. Chris Dudics broke up the no-hit bid with a one out triple to center in the sixth, and Jacob North stopped the shutout one batter later with an RBI ground out. The senior right-hander allowed two harmless one-out singles in the eighth.

On the offensive end, clean-up batter Joe Iacobucci drove in two runs and scored twice, reaching base five times with three hits and two walks. No. 5 hitter Jonathan Crist drove in two runs, and No. 3 hitter Jeremy Banks had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.

"Phil was dominant today," YSU head coach Rich Pasquale said. "He trusted his stuff, and he pounded the zone. Coach Lipari also called a great game."

"Offensively, it was nice getting Iacobucci and Banks going in the same game. We moved the baseball to advance runners, and we played good defense. That's what we want Penguin baseball to be."

YSU gave Klein the lead early with an unearned run in the first. Drew Dosch and Banks both reached on errors to put runners at the corners, and Crist brought in Dosch with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Penguins then gave Klein a 4-0 lead when they tacked on three runs in the third. Banks singled in David Leon and later scored on another Crist sacrifice fly. Three consecutive walks forced in Iacobucci from third for the third run of the inning.

After Toledo made the score 4-1 in the sixth, YSU got the run back in the bottom of the seventh. Iacobucci hit a leadoff triple to right center, and Armani Johnson brought him in with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly. The Penguins added two more in the eighth on Iacobucci's two-run double with the bases loaded.

Freshman reliever Nic Manuppelli threw a scoreless ninth for YSU, which also beat Toledo 4-3 on Friday.

Youngstown State is scheduled to play its home opener on Wednesday at Eastwood Field. First pitch against Penn State-Behrend is set for 3 p.m. Check YSUsports.com regularly for weather-related updates.

1466

YSU Penguin Athletics / Guins and Lady Pens both win

« on: March 19, 2011, 10:05:39 AM »

Baseball:
Pittsburgh, Pa. -- David Leon went 5-for-5, and Youngstown State starter Robert Switka pitched seven strong innings to lead the Penguins to a 4-3 victory over Toledo on Friday at Pitt's Panther Classic.

Softball:
Kissimmee, Fla. -- The Youngstown State softball team rallied from 5-0 deficit and scored five in the top of the seventh inning for a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Colgate on Friday afternoon at the Rebel Games. The Guins also defeated Bucknell, 9-2, earlier in the day. The Guins, who improved to 15-7 and surpassed the 2010 win total of 14.

1467

YSU Penguin Athletics / Baseball vs Xavier

« on: March 16, 2011, 04:30:57 PM »

Well we were down 1-0.
Went up 3-1.
Tied 3-3.
Had bases loaded with 1-out and failed to score.
Down 4-3 in the 5th.

1468

YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: Chemistry comes first for Formeck, on and off the course

« on: March 16, 2011, 06:37:31 AM »

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

YSU junior Samantha Formeck is a two-time Horizon League golfer of the year, ranks first all-time on the school’s scoring average list and will likely finish her career tops on the school’s win list, despite only playing three years.

But when asked if she thinks about her legacy, she chuckles — “Not really,” she said — and instead focuses on the “we,” rather than the “me.”

“I would like people to remember me as a team player,” she said. “That I definitely helped the team both on and off the golf course.

“Ultimately, in college, it’s a team sport. That’s what it comes down to.”

Formeck finished third overall at last week’s 16-team Sunshine Spring Classic in Florida, helping the Penguins place sixth in the standings.

She was one stroke off the lead Monday after the first round of the Benbow Invitational in Jacksonville.

The Penguins played the tournament’s final two rounds Tuesday, but the results were not available at press time.

Formeck’s six career victories are second in YSU history, one fewer than Jessica Lundblad (97-98) and her 77.57 scoring average is almost two strokes better than the next-best golfer on the list (Katie Rogner, 79.18).

“It’s been a great experience ever since I got here,” she said. “I’m fortunate to have a coach like Roseann [Schwartz] and the team I’ve played on every year has just been awesome. That makes it so much more fun to be here.”

Formeck, who hails from Northern Cambria, Pa., won individual and team titles at the Horizon League meet two years ago. She finished third at last year’s meet as the Penguins place second in the team standings.

Formeck will give up her fourth year of eligibility to attend pharmacy school, so she’s hoping to go out on top in her final league tournament next month.

“We want to win it as a team and move on to regionals,” she said. “I think that’s the big goal for this year.”

Formeck, who graduated second in her high school class, said she’s always been interested in pursuing a career in a medical field. Her interest in chemistry directed her toward pharmacy and her grades (she has a 3.76 grade point average and has been on the Dean’s List every year) made that goal possible.

She has already been accepted to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and School of Pharmacy and will start attending classes next fall.

“If I hadn’t gotten accepted, I would have hung around here and got my degree and played golf,” she said. “It was definitely a tough decision to give up that year, but I’m hoping it’ll be the right one.”

Formeck doesn’t look like a standout golfer — there are probably titanium drivers taller than she is — but her ability to hit the ball consistently straight and her strong short game make up for her sometimes shaky putting.

“Putting has been my downfall from high school to college, so I’m still working on that,” she said. “Other than that, I’d say I’m pretty consistent. I usually shoot the same scores and that’s definitely something I’m proud of.”

Balancing golf and classwork can be a challenge — particularly since her classes are tougher than, say, getting a journalism degree — which is why she enjoys this week’s spring break and the summer, where she only has to focus on golf.

“Golf takes up a good deal of time,” said Formeck, who finished her freshman year ranked 379th nationally and was 323rd as of last week. “Especially if you really want to put in the hard work, it can take up and endless amount of time.

“But you do have to balance it between school and golf and that’s the challenge.”

Golf will be put on hold the next three years but Formeck said she’d like to try to qualify for some professional tournaments once she earns her pharmacy degree.

“It’s not out of the question,” she said. “I’d really like to play in a professional tournament, like the U.S. Open or something, but as far as really turning professionally, as of right now, that’s not something I’m looking to do.”

1469

YSU Penguin Athletics / Boldon, Brown Brought Optimism to Women's Basketball Program in 2010-11

« on: March 15, 2011, 02:34:47 PM »

The Youngstown State women's basketball program showed definite signs of growth during the 2010-11 season under first-year head coach Bob Boldon. The year brought many accomplishments on both the team and individual levels. Those highlights are listed below.

-- YSU went 6-24 for the year and 4-14 in Horizon League play. The six wins were double the previous two seasons combined. YSU had just one league victory over the past two years.

-- Bob Boldon led YSU to its biggest win increase ever (six) under a first-year head coach. Jeff Cohen is the only other first-year head coach to increase the win total from the previous year. He led YSU to 11 wins in 1982-83, a one-win increase from 1981-82.

-- The Penguins finished the season winning three of their final seven contests. The three wins in that four-week span matched the program's win total of the previous two seasons combined. YSU had shots in the final 20 seconds in three of those losses that would have tied the game.

-- YSU improved its scoring margin from 2009-10 from minus-25.8 to minus-10.6. That 15.2-point improvement is one of the five best in the country.

-- YSU set new school records with 205 3-pointers made and 744 3-pointers attempted.

-- The Penguins trimmed their turnovers by 3.3 per game from 2009-10 and forced 2.3 more per game. YSU's plus 2.3 turnover margin ranked second in the Horizon League.

-- YSU was outscored 507-505 off turnovers in 2010-11. That is an enormous improvement from the previous year when the Penguins were outscored 630-370 off miscues.

-- The Penguins finished with 92 more steals than their opponents, which was a big improvement from last year when YSU had 83 fewer thefts than its opponents. The last time YSU finished a season with more steals than its opponents was in 2001-02.

-- The Penguins went 2-0 against Valparaiso, earning their first sweep of a conference opponent since 2007-08. YSU also picked up conference wins against Loyola and UIC.

-- YSU continued to get better as the season progressed, demonstrated by shooting better than its season field-goal percentage in 15 of its final 18 games.

-- In the Penguins' Senior Day victory, five players scored in double figures for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

-- YSU set a school record by going 17-for-17 from the free-throw line against UIC on March 3.  The only other time that the Penguins went at least 10-for-10 from the stripe was when they made all 13 attempts at Oakland on Feb. 6, 2007.

-- Sophomore forward Brandi Brown had one of the best seasons in school history. She was named Second-Team All-Horizon League after finishing the regular season as the league's top scorer. Only two other players in school history have won a conference scoring title. Brown averaged 19.9 points overall and 22.6 points during league play. Brown was named the Horizon League Player of the Week a league-best three times.

-- Brown scored 597 points, which is the fifth-highest single-season total in school history. Brown has scored 939 points in her first two seasons on campus. That is the most ever by a Penguin through two seasons. She already ranks 18th on the Penguins' all-time scoring list.

-- Brown tied a school record by going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line against UIC on March 3. She finished the season making 35 of her final 36 attempts from the charity stripe.

-- Junior Kenya Middlebrooks made 60 3-pointers, which is the seventh-most by a Penguin in school history. She had 26 treys in her first two seasons combined. Middlebrooks also tied a school record by making seven 3-pointers in a game. In fact, she did it twice – at UIC and against Valparaiso at home. Only one other player in school history made seven treys in a game twice.

-- Tieara Jones, a junior transfer in her first season, led the conference in blocks with 1.3 per game. Her 39 blocks are the seventh-most for a season in school history and the third-most by a junior.

-- Jones and Maryum Jenkins became the first pair of Penguins to record at least 60 steals since the 1997-98 season.

-- Liz Hornberger and Monica Touvelle became the first pair of freshmen in school history to make at least 25 3-pointers.

1470

YSU Penguin Athletics / Guin Hard-ballers drop double-header

« on: March 12, 2011, 08:48:13 PM »

I do not have the wrap up as of yet, but they lost game-1 6-10, and game-2 7-13. We finally had a break-out inning on offense scoring 7 runs in the eighth inning of game-2. Don't be fooled, it was a "error-fest" inning and YSU only had 2 hits that I can see. In game-2 we had only 2 singles ...gave up 4-doubles, 2-triples, and 3 home runs. This TTU team is a power in the OVC (a better BB conference the HL), but rebuilding, so I was hoping to have a nice series win for some confidence.