Football around corner

YOUNGSTOWN -- Just three weeks from today, spring football practice will begin for the Youngstown State University Penguins.
Some of the team's questions will be answered in the 15 practices the Penguins have scheduled between the opener on April 3 and the Red and White spring game on April 28.
YSU is coming off an 8-3 season, including a 5-2 mark in the Gateway Conference. That record gave the Penguins a share of the title for the first time since they joined the league in 1997.
What hurt the Penguins last season is that their two league losses were against Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois, the two teams they shared the title with.
Penguins bypassed,watched others picked
And while the Panthers and Salukis went on to compete in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, the Penguins were bypassed once again and stayed home.
But, this is the year of the Penguin. At least that's what I've been hearing ever since last season ended.
Last season's performance was a surprise to a lot of people, except the Penguins and the coaching staff, but this coming year is the one most experts have been pointing towards.
The Penguins will return 29 of the 42 players listed on the season ending two-deep depth chart and 14 of those 29 started in the final game against Western Kentucky. And most of the other 15 started at one time or another during the season.
The Penguins will be experienced. They return their entire offensive backfield, led by third-year starting quarterback Tom Zetts and a pair of talented running backs in Marcus Mason and Monquantae Gibson along with All-Gateway Conference fullback Demetrius Ison.
Five members of the offensive line with starting experience are back.
Fifteen on defensehave starting experience
Moving to the defense there are 15 players with starting experience, five on the front line, five at linebacker and five in the secondary.
And let's not forget both kickers are returning. The only real hole will be finding a replacement for three-year starter Tanner Dunlap at long snapper.
Now let's throw in another name, Louis Irizarry, who after playing one season at Ohio State and sitting out a second, walked on to the Penguins last fall and spent a year on the practice squad.
This year, including spring practice, he'll be playing and the things he can add to this team are unbelievable.
Irizarry won't be the only new face present at spring practice. Freshman redshirt transfer Brian Mellott, a defensive lineman from Austintown who transferred from Ohio University, will be on hand.
And there is a third player, Miles Williams, who also walked on last season after transferring from Michigan State. The wide receiver might not be available for spring ball, but should be ready for the fall.
I guess there are serious reasons to be excited about the upcoming season.
It is also interesting to note that YSU coach Jon Heacock's new contract has not been signed and recorded with the university.
But according to athletic director Ron Strollo, that is only a formality.
Heacock's contractexpected to be signed
"Everything has been agreed upon and we should have everything squared away and signed by early this week," Strollo said.
Strollo also indicated Heacock would begin interviews this week for the recently vacated position of defensive line coach, previously held by Dana Chambers.
Chambers, who spent the last two seasons coaching the D-line and sharing defensive-coordinator responsibilities with defensive backs coach Mike Kolakowski, was recently hired as the defensive line coach at the University of Akron.
You can expect Heacock to find another line coach, but more than likely Kolakowski will take over sole duty as defensive coordinator.
If you are planning on taking in any spring football practices, the team will work out on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Weekday sessions begin at 2:30 p.m. and Saturday's session begins at 9 a.m.
The first real contact day won't be until April 8, a Saturday morning session.
This year's jersey scrimmage also will be held on a Saturday morning (April 22).
All the sessions are set for Stambaugh Stadium.
XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.