YSU FOOTBALL Penguins open spring drills Wednesday

The team is strong at running back, linebacker and defensive line.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jon Heacock is ready for his second season as head coach of the Youngstown State University football team. That season begins Wednesday with the start of spring practice.
Heacock, who assumed control just over a year ago when 15-year veteran coach Jim Tressel left for The Ohio State University, expects somewhere around 80 players out for spring practice, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Penguins are allowed 15 practices in a 30-day period, one of which is the Red and White Spring Game, which will officially end drills on April 12 at Stambaugh Stadium.
This will be an important spring for the Penguins as they come off an 8-3 season and must replace 21 seniors who graduated and left some major holes to fill.
Street limited:
Without a doubt, the biggest hole is left by four-year starting quarterback Jeff Ryan. To make matters worse for the Penguins, Ryan's backup from last year, senior-to-be Colby Street, is having academic problems and will only be available part-time during the spring.
Street is the only returning quarterback with any college playing experience and has started twice over the past three seasons.
"We'll most likely practice Colby on the weekends this spring," said Heacock. "During the week he'll concentrate on his studies, since that is the most important thing right now.
"Colby is working very hard. In fact, he's busting his rear end in the classroom right now, and I have all the confidence that he'll handle the situation."
With Street on limited availability, redshirt freshman Aaron Marshall, the 6-3, 204-pounder from Detroit, will probably be taking most of the snaps this spring. The Penguins also have junior college transfer Matt Crivello, a 6-2, 195-pound junior from Cabrillo Junior College, and senior Justin Green, a transfer a year ago from Bethany College.
The Penguins lost two other quarterback prospects when Poland's Ben Bair and Salem's Lou Angelo decided not to come back this season.
Heacock said that everybody else should be back at some point. Sophomore wide receiver Phillip Larmon will miss spring drills after having shoulder surgery, while junior placekicker Jake Stewart will miss most of the spring because of class conflicts.
"We have a big crew of walk-ons coming out this spring, also," Heacock added.
Other needs:
The Penguins also have big holes in the offensive line and in the defensive secondary and need help at wide receiver, according to Heacock.
Sophomore guard Nick Roberts of Champion and junior tackle Josh Davis of Lisbon are the two offensive line starters back, but senior tackle Andy DeNiro of Cardinal Mooney and junior center Steve Durbin of McDonald both saw considerable action last year.
The secondary has to replace standouts like Bruce Hightower, LeVar Greene and Antulio Aroche, and Heacock has helped that problem by moving senior linebacker Russell Stuvaints over to a strong safety spot.
Senior Anthony Barone of Mooney is the lone returning starter, but junior Waymann Peters and sophomore Jake Godec both saw a lot of action. Heacock also has freshmen redshirts Pete Perry of Poland and Matt Estes of Niles coming back along with junior college transfer Scott Theissen of Modesto, Calif.
Besides Stuvaints, Heacock and his staff have made a couple of other position changes this spring.
They have moved sophomore defensive lineman Norris Kennedy to an offensive tackle spot, and sophomore Jim Smith has been switched back to a tight end. Former junior linebacker Chris DiMauro is now a fullback.
The Penguins are strong at running back, linebacker and defensive line.
Heacock has tailbacks returning, led by Gateway Conference offensive player of the year P.J. Mays, who led the Penguins in both rushing and scoring. He's backed by junior Mike Burns of Niles, and right behind him are juniors Darius Peterson and Josiah Doby, who is returning after missing last year with injuries.
Defensive line: The defensive line is headed by three-year starter Matt Mechling, a senior, along with two other senior starters in Guy Mazard and Martin Stachowicz. The Penguins also have senior transfer Tim Frost, a Youngstown native from West Virginia University.
Three-year starter Jon Tekac of New Wilmington, Pa., leads the list of linebackers that includes senior Ken Baun of Canfield, senior Justin Dellarose and senior Brandon Byers.
Beginning Wednesday, the Penguins will practice five straight days, including Sunday, and will have their first real contact on Saturday with a 9:30 a.m. Hoot n' Holler session. The first jersey scrimmage is March 29 at 3 p.m.
mollica@vindy.com