YSU FOOTBALL Tekac, Doby and Mays earn top weekly honors

For the second straight game Jon Tekac led the team in tackles and tackles for losses.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jon Tekac has been contributing to the Youngstown State football program from the moment he stepped onto the YSU campus as a freshman.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior from New Wilmington, Pa. came to the Penguins as a two-time all-conference running back and defensive back and earned all-state honors his senior year at Wilmington Area High School.
Saturday night Tekac had his second straight outstanding performance for the YSU defense as he again led the team with 13 tackles, seven unassisted, three for losses and one sack against McNeese State in the Penguins' 28-13 loss.
In just two games the standout middle linebacker has 28 total tackles, 15 of them behind the line of scrimmage, and three quarterback sacks.
As an undersized linebacker in 1999, his freshman year, Tekac played in 12 of the team's 15 games and finished with 25 tackles and one for a loss.
He became a starter at outside linebacker his sophomore year and finished fourth on the team with 65 tackles, 28 of them solo hits and seven for losses.
Moved to the middle
Last season Tekac was moved to the middle linebacker slot and finished tied for the team lead in tackles with 69, including a career-high 16 tackles against Western Kentucky.
This past spring Tekac set the school record for linebackers in the weight room when he had a power clean lift of 319 pounds.
For his efforts last Saturday he was named the MVR Club's defensive player of the game.
The MVR Club's offensive player of the game for the second straight week was senior tailback P.J. Mays.
The 5-9, 220-pounder from Youngstown rushed for 90 yards on 21 carries, including a 48-yard scamper and scored one touchdown. He also was the Penguins' top receiver catching five passes for another 73 yards. His 163 total yards accounted for more than half of YSU's 304 total offense for the game.
Josiah Doby, the 5-9, 217-pound junior tailback from Long Beach, Calif., was named the MVR Club's special teams player of the game.
Doby, who missed all of last season with injuries, was one of the lone bright spots on the Penguins' special teams against McNeese State.
Top linemen
The Jim Zdelar Offensive Lineman of the Week was junior guard Nick Roberts of Champion High, while the Jermaine Hopkins Defensive Lineman of the Week was senior end Martin Stachowicz.
Guy Mazard, the 6-2, 295-pound senior defensive tackle who was last week's defensive lineman of the game, was selected as the Haines Family Player of the Game by the YSU radio broadcast team.
The Wash-on-Wheels Derrick Pixley Hit of the Week was produced by Roberts.
The Penguins are idle this weekend and will return to action on Sept. 21 when they make their first road trip of the season and their Gateway Conference opening game at Western Kentucky at 7:30 p.m.
That contest will be televised live by WFMJ-TV (21).