Depth will be YSU's strength
After one week of spring practice, first-year head football coach Jon Heacock knows a little more about his Youngstown State University team than he did before.
Heacock has a veteran team, and that makes it a little more comforting for the new head coach.
Youngstown State football is certainly not new to Heacock. He's spent half of his coaching career at YSU as an assistant under Jim Tressel, and he's made it clear that there won't be many changes in the program that operated so successfully for the past 15 seasons under Tressel.
New beginnings: While Tressel was beginning his spring football at The Ohio State University on Saturday, Heacock was winding up his first week of practice with a 7 a.m. session at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins would normally have practiced at 9:30, but because of a scheduled soccer tournament at the stadium, the practice session was moved up.
"It wasn't the ideal conditions for practice," said Heacock, but it was one he needed to get in. "With our new semester setup our kids are all on crazy schedules and we've had to set our team meetings for 6 a.m. so that we would be sure everyone could be there.
"I've seen where some schools have even gone to early morning practice sessions for the spring," Heacock added. "With their schedules and commitments it is difficult for everyone to be here at the same time."
The Penguins have everybody out for the spring with the exception of two, but both are regulars.
Out for spring: Senior quarterback Jeff Ryan and senior defensive back Demetrius Rich are out for the spring with injuries, but are expected to be back for the fall.
The Penguins are also practicing without sophomore wide receiver Brandon Pedraza, who will forego spring practice to concentrate on his academics. Whether he'll be eligible to play in the fall is still a question.
"He's got a way to go," said Heacock. "With the semester situation you don't have that extra quarter to make things up like you used to."
With 12 starters returning on offense and seven more, plus some talented reserves back on defense, the Penguins appear to be strong at almost every position.
The only place they don't have experience returning is on special teams, at punter and long snapper.
Kickers: Graduated senior Troy LeFever handled the kickoff and punting duties last year. Sophomore placekicker Jake Stewart of Austintown will step in to take over the kickoffs, but no experience is back at punter.
Junior Kosta Karapetsas of Warren is currently the top punting prospect. He's been doing well in spring practice, but he's only had one punt under actual game conditions and that went for just 14 yards.
Freshman redshirt Ryan Martino of Cardinal Mooney is the other prospect, but he has less experience than Karapetsas. Heacock said that there was a couple of possibilities of players who would be coming in the fall.
The Penguins recruited a punter last year in Craig Cicero of Newton Falls, who was red-shirted last year, but he chose not to come out for football this year.
"We've been pretty pleased by the way Kosta has been kicking this spring," added Heacock.
He also has to replace veteran long snapper Jason Paris, who was one of the best at that position. Senior Dave Tesnarz, the regular center, will probably handle those duties.
Senior Steve Valley returns for his second season as the holder for field goals and extra points. Freshman red-shirt quarterback Ben Bair will be the backup holder.
While Stewart, who did all of the YSU place kicking a year ago, is the returning veteran, he is still getting some competition this spring from sophomore Tony Bartholomew. Those two battled last fall for the No. 1 job, before Stewart won out.
XPete Mollica covers Youngstown State for The Vindicator.