YSU FOOTBALL AWARDS Bracken earns honor after defensive effort

Will Sanders and Sherod Holmes also earned honors in the win over SMS.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mike Bracken knows now what a good week of preparations will do for the Youngstown State football team.
Now, Bracken and the Penguins are hoping for another big week Saturday, when they take on defending Gateway Conference champion Western Illinois at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.
Last Saturday, the Penguins (4-2) played their finest game this season, a 34-7 Gateway opening win over Southwest Missouri State.
Western Illinois, which knocked off defending I-AA national champion Western Kentucky last Saturday, 33-28, brings a 4-1 (1-0 Gateway) record to the Ice Castle.
"We had a good week of preparation last week and we were ready for everything that Southwest Missouri State had to offer," Bracken said. "We were well prepared and when the switched quarterbacks at time we were ready for that and adjusted very well.
"We still have some work to do this week, there were still too many missed tackles out there," he added.
Led team in tackles
Bracken, a defensive back from Imperial, Pa., led the Penguins with seven tackles, including two for losses and one sack.
The two-year starter also forced a fumble with his sack of SMS quarterback A.J. Porter, which was recovered by teammate Yancey Marcum.
For his efforts Bracken was named the MVR defensive player of the week.
Senior guard Will Sanders (6-foot-1, 280 pounds), from Weaver, Ala., was the offensive player of the game. Sanders helped the Penguins to gain 321 yards, with 201 of those coming on the ground. The line also protected well for sophomore quarterback Aaron Marshall, who was not sacked and rarely hurried.
The MVR's special teams player of the game was senior defensive back Sherod Holmes.
The 5-8, 150-pounder from Stockton, Calif., led the Ranger punt block team by blocking a first period punt by Bears' Robbie Kemp that was recovered by Scott Theissen and led to the Penguins second touchdown.
The Jim Zdelar offensive lineman of the game was redshirt freshman tackle Pat Walker of Bedford.
The 6-5, 277-pounder was not only playing in his first game, but made his first start for the Penguins. He had been hampered by injures for most of the season.
The Jermaine Hopkins defensive lineman award went to sophomore linebacker Joe Juby of Garfield Heights. The 6-0, 240-pounder finished with six tackles.
The Haines Family player of the game award, selected by the YSU radio broadcasters, was Ron John-Finn, a 6-4, 289-pound defensive tackle.
John-Finn was last week's Hopkins' award winner. He's is a transfer from South Carolina.