By Joe Scalzo
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
YSU sophomore Adaris Bellamy first saw snow last semester and the Florida native often grabbed his roommates from Arizona and California to have impromptu snowball fights.
Then he went home from Christmas.
“When I came back I got tired of it,” he said.
He spent part of Wednesday’s practice complaining that he couldn’t run drills because his legs were frozen.
Defensive coordinator Rick Kravitz, also a Florida native, spent his whole career coaching in the south until taking a job at Western Michigan a few years ago.
“The first time I ever went in the snow, I almost fell three times,” he said.
He spent part of Wednesday’s practice complaining that his hands were frozen. Oh, and he nearly fell, too.
Finally, at 5:40 p.m., Penguins coach Eric Wolford decided he’d seen enough and ended practice about 40 minutes early. As he walked toward the tunnel near the south end zone, the WATTS — the indoor facility that was originally scheduled to open in late 2010, a date that has now been pushed back to June — stood in plain sight, mocking him.
“That thing’s looking at me right now,” Wolford said, grinning.
After getting terrific weather for his first spring at YSU, Wolford hasn’t been so lucky this year. He was greeted Wednesday with a snow blanket that covered up the yardage lines — sophomore running back Jordan Thompson used his shoe to create boundaries — and had some offensive linemen wearing (gasp!) long sleeves.
The conditions provided the extra mayonnaise for the turkeyburger Wolford’s team has been enduring, weather-wise, over the first five practices.
“Last year we had good weather, so maybe if you have bad weather in the spring, it’ll be a better outcome,” said Wolford, whose team went 3-8 last fall. “It’s part of being in northeast Ohio. You’ve got to play in the elements.”
Bellamy and Kravitz are both from the Tampa/St. Petersburg area — which had a high in the 70s with a thunderstorm warning Wednesday, in case you’re wondering — and the Penguins have 10 Florida natives on the roster. They also have two from California and one each from Arizona, Georgia and Virginia.
“I don’t think too many guys have played in anything like that,” Bellamy said. “Maybe pickup games, but not an actual game or a scrimmage.
“You can’t do what you really want to do. You can’t make the right cut and the right read. Really, it’s all footing and ball control.”
The Penguins spent a lot of time on running plays during the nearly two-hour session — the ones involving 225-pound running back Torrian Pace were particularly fun — and Wolford was disappointed that the Penguins committed so many turnovers, particularly fumbles.
“Those are things we feel like we should be able to control,” he said.
Still, Wolford said the conditions gave the Penguins a taste of December football.
“If we go where we want to go, we’re probably going to have to play in one of these games,” Wolford said. “It’s just good to get in some work in a not-perfect setting and see who responds and who doesn’t.
“We’ve got to find out who can play in weather. Who can throw in it, who can catch it and who can take care of the ball.”
