11 seniors in finale for YSU Saturday

The Penguins will take a two-game winning streak to Southwest Missouri State.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Saturday is a day that seniors Phil Larmon and Mike Bracken haven't been looking forward to all season long.
On Saturday, the Penguins will wind up the 2004 Youngstown State football season when they travel to Springfield, Mo., to meet Southwest Missouri State in a 2 p.m. kickoff at Plaster Field.
It will be the final game in a YSU uniform for both Larmon and Bracken and the 11 other seniors on the Penguins roster.
"It has been something that we [seniors] have been talking about a lot lately," said Larmon, a veteran wide receiver from Worthington.
"We know that everything we do this week will be for the final time," he said. "We've had a lot of great memories here."
Bracken, the team's captain and a three-year starter at free safety, says it all came about too quickly.
"The hardest part about this all ending is that we'll be leaving the coaches and our teammates," Bracken said.
On winning streak
The Penguins are currently on a two-game winning streak after decisive wins over Indiana State and Western Illinois.
The Penguins are now 4-6 on the year and 2-4 in the Gateway Conference.
"These last two wins really show the character of this football team," said Bracken. "Last week we had a little bit of a chip on our shoulders because of what they [Western Illinois] did to us last year."
YSU head football coach Jon Heacock also announced his players of the week for the Western Illinois game.
The Hill, Barth and King offensive player of the game was sophomore tailback Monquantae Gibson of Louisville, Ky.
Gibson, who has played sparingly the last three games, came off the bench Saturday and rushed for 167 yards on 25 carries and scored twice, one on a 28-yard pass from red-shirt freshman quarterback Tom Zetts.
The defensive player of the game was sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Wright (5-10, 200) of Orlando, Fla. Wright took over the team lead in tackles with his performance against the Leathernecks and now has 73 on the year.
The special teams player of the game was senior placekicker Nick Terracina. The Lake Charles, La., native was perfect on two field goals of 36 and 26 yards and kept alive his string of extra points with four more. He has now made 27 in a row this season and 44 straight in his two years, both rank second on the YSU record book.
The Jim Zedlar Offensive Lineman of the game was senior guard Norris Kennedy of Lake Wales, Fla., while the Jermaine Hopkins defensive lineman was junior end Justin Scholes of Mentor.
Gibson was also named the Haines Family player of the game by the YSU radio broadcast team.
Heacock also announced that junior tailback Josh Cayson, who missed last week's game because of violation of team rules, would be back with the team this week and will make the trip to Southwest Missouri State.