Penguins begin third year under Heacock

The coach is 15-7 in two seasons since succeeding Jim Tressel.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;By PETE MOLLICA & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock began his third season Monday when he welcomed the 90 players who will make up the 2003 team.
Heacock, with a 15-7 career record, put the Penguins through some early morning testing drills to determine their conditioning and fitness for the upcoming practice schedule.
Heacock also combined a short practice session after a break following the testing. The team worked out in shorts and shirts only.
"It was a different first day since we worked in a practice session with our conditioning tests," said Heacock. "We came to camp in pretty good shape overall, but we've still got some work to do there. I was impressed with the guys who worked here all summer and the shape they reported in."
Schedule
The team will work out again in shorts today with helmets, and then put on shoulder pads Wednesday and Thursday with the first full gear day scheduled Friday.
"Those will all be once-a-day sessions in the afternoon, and our first two-a-day session won't be until Saturday when we'll hold our hoot 'n holler drill in the morning session," Heacock said.
"These next few days all our young kids will be attending academic meetings in the mornings," he continued. "We'll be watching some tapes of last season and [have] some other meetings in the mornings."
Monday afternoon was the annual media and photo day, which was moved indoors to the Stambaugh Stadium gym because of the weather.
Roberts shelved
Senior offensive center Nick Roberts, a two-year starter, was in uniform, but won't be practicing for at least a month while nursing two herniated discs in his back.
"I start treatment [today] and the doctors are hoping that it will work and surgery won't be necessary," Roberts said. "I don't know how it happened. They said one of them is an old injury, but in four years of football and all the lifting I do probably had a lot to do with it."
YSU trainer Dan Wathan said Roberts will begin receiving injections this week, and he should know by the end of the month if that treatment is effective.
"But during that time he really can't do anything as far as football in concerned, so he'll have to work hard to get back into shape," Wathan said.
"If he played any other position but lineman it would be easier, but he has to bend down on every play and it's going to be difficult for him."
Godec's good news
The Penguins got some good news about junior cornerback Jake Godec.
Godec sat out spring practice with an illness and was expected to miss the season, but got clearance from doctors this week and will take part in camp.
"We'll probably play it by ear with Jake in camp and see how it goes," Heacock said. "But we're happy to have him back."
"I feel really good and it's good to be back," Godec said. "I just got the clearance to practice this morning, so I'm pretty excited about the season."
The Penguins have five quarterbacks in camp, competing for the starting job.
Marshall No. 1
Sophomore Aaron Marshall, who started the final eight games last season, is No. 1 on the depth chart. Marshall fractured his ankle in spring practice, but had a good summer and is back to full strength.
Senior Luis Gonzalez and junior Matt Rycraft have also returned, while the two newcomers are freshman Tom Zetts of Boardman and Ryan Wisecarver, who transferred from West Liberty State College a year ago.
"He came in as a quarterback and we moved him to defensive back, but we decided to bring him back to quarterback this summer," Heacock said.
The Penguins were scheduled to practice from 3:15 to 5 p.m. today through Thursday, and at 3 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's morning session will begin at 8:40 and the second session will begin at 7 p.m.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;mollica@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;