Scots looking forward to game

The Penguins face a veteran Edinboro team in the season opener Thursday.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Edinboro University is a Division II football team and a member of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
The Fighting Scots were 5-6 a year ago and have only come close one time to beating Youngstown State in four previous meetings. They meet again Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
Why would the they want to play the Penguins again?
"It's the environment up there, it is just so great," said Edinboro head coach Lou Tepper. "YSU has such great tradition and it gives our kids an opportunity to see and compete in that environment."
Tepper is in his fourth season at Edinboro with a 14-18 record, and the last time the Fighting Scots played the Penguins in 2000 he was not the coach. YSU won that meeting 33-0, and have outscored Edinboro 57-0 in the last two meetings. In 1990, YSU won a 31-27 squeaker, coming from behind in the final two minutes to win.
Team is experienced
The Scots have 13 returning starters, eight on offense and five on defense, and the expectations are high for this year.
However, Edinboro already has suffered one setback this season when starting tailback Brandon Munson was injured and will miss Thursday's contest.
Munson, a 6-0, 220 pound junior, was the backup to all-league tailback Alonzo Roebuck a year ago. Roebuck rushed for 1,177 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, while Munson gained 479 yards and scored six times.
J.D. Baker, a 5-8, 194 pound junior, who rushed for 80 yards on just 23 carries a year ago, will get the starting nod.
Edinboro does have sophomore quarterback Justin Bouch returning. The 6-3, 201-pound player started the team's final eight games a year ago and passed for 1,180 yards and four touchdowns.
"We're a little thin on the offense line this year and that is a concern," said Tepper. "This is also the first time in a long time we will be going into the season without a proven running back. So if we are going to be successful early, we are going to have the throw the football and play solid defense."
"The talent we have is good," he added. "But we also need to have some early success so that we can gain confidence in ourselves as a team."
Three receivers back
The Scots, who were ranked fifth in the PSAC preseason poll, have all three of their leading receivers returning. Leading that group is 6-4, 197-pound senior Sean Hess, who grabbed 25 passes for 385 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Justin Lipscomb, a 6-0, 191-pound performer, had 22 catches for 442 yards and two scores.
The Scots also have 6-1, 247-pound junior Matt Phillips at fullback. Phillips was an All-PSAC selection at Shippensburg and transferred to Edinboro and sat out last season.
Three starters are back on the offensive line led by guard Greg Bzorek, a 6-6, 320-pound sophomore, center Joe Valvoda, a 6-2, 290-pound senior and guard Anthony Peluso, a 6-1, 285-pound junior.
Heading up the defensive returnees is senior nose guard Eugene Grooms (6-1, 300), who had 55 tackles last year including eight for losses. He's joined by linebacker Jermaine Hughley (6-0, 202 senior), defensive end Kyle Thorne (6-7, 268, sophomore) and defensive tackle Eric Neavins (6-5, 285, junior).
Valvoda and Grooms were first team All-PSAC a year ago.
Two new kickers
The Scots also have two new kickers this season in placekicker Eli Visnick, a 5-10, 174-pound sophomore and punter Matt Barley, a 5-11, 197-pound junior. Neither kicked for the Scots last season.
Tepper said he was very impressed with the Penguins.
"Youngstown is a very talented football team," he said. "They run the football about as good as anyone, and they've shown they can throw it also. Defensively, they are very quick and just swarm to the football. We're going to have to play as good as we can to have a chance."