YSU FOOTBALL Some new faces won't change Penguins
The defensive unit has seven starters returning.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown State football team went through its second day of spring practice under new coach Jon Heacock, but junior defensive back Anthony Barone hasn't detected any difference in the program.
Resume Friday: The Penguins took today off, but will resume Friday with their first contact practice, including the "hoot n' holler" drill, at 3:30 p.m. in Stambaugh Stadium.
Barone, a standout at Cardinal Mooney High, is one of seven returning starters to the YSU defense. He's been excited about getting going in spring drills for the new coach.
"It really hasn't been that big of a change," said Barone, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound cornerback. "He's [Heacock] been here before, especially during the real successful years and he seems to want to keep things pretty much the same. You know the old saying: 'If it isn't broke, don't fix it.' "
Barone, who was fifth on the team in tackles last year with 57, and had two pass interceptions, said the only difference he has seen so far has been in the off-season workouts.
"Our winter conditioning changed up a little bit," he explained. "We did some different things, things that geared us toward more speed from a football aspect, but other than that it's been about the same as before."
Barone believed spring practice is an important part of the program, especially for younger players.
"This is the time to get the young players to learn their positions and to get the veterans to keep going and get better every day and also to come together as a team," he said.
Learning process: "I think we realize that we're a pretty veteran group and we expect a lot from ourselves," Barone continued. "We know what Coach Heacock is like, [but] we've got some new coaches, so there is a little uncertainty there since we don't know each other yet, but that's what spring football is all about."
Barone said the biggest hole on the defensive unit was left by All-American linebacker Tim Johnson.
"Tim is not going to be easy to replace," he said. "But if we pull together as a team, because as a team we can replace him, but you're never going to replace a player like Tim Johnson."
Heacock, who returned to YSU as defensive coordinator last season after a three-year absence, won't spend as much time with that unit as before, but Barone doesn't think he'll be too far away.
"I don't know about him just being an overseer this season," he said. "I expect him to be very involved in the defense. But Coach [Pete] Rekstis [the new defensive coordinator] knows what he's doing."
Another returning letterman, junior tailback Josiah Doby, is a strong backer of the new coach.
"Everybody on the team wanted Coach Heacock to be our new head coach," Doby said. "Right after Coach Tressel left we all got together as a team and went to our advisors and recommended that we all wanted Coach Heacock to be our coach."
Doby, who shared the position with junior P.J. Mays and finished second in rushing with 459 yards last year, said the offense has some things to prove this year.
Position goal: "We've got to improve on our running game this spring," he said. "YSU has always been known for its power running game and last year we just didn't come through like we should. This year we want to prove ourselves with our running game."
The Penguins will practice Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. The first jersey scrimmage will be next Saturday morning at Stambaugh Stadium.