Summer ahead for Penguins

Spring football officially ends today for the Youngstown State team, but the next few months will be an important time for the Penguins, according to coach Jon Heacock.
The Penguins held their annual Red-White spring game Friday night at Stambaugh Stadium with the Red team winning, 13-6.
The team will hold a light workout today, according to Heacock, with no one will be in pads. It's a session that makes up for the one that was canceled last Monday.
It's been a good spring, except for the weather, for the Penguins, who had a lot of holes to fill and a lot of young players to take a look at.
"The weather was difficult, but we really had no choice and we were out there in it, but the kids worked very hard all spring and we did make a lot of progress," said Heacock.
Summer importantfor Penguins
"Now over the next three months the real work behinds for them. Summer is a very important time for this football team and for the most part they will have to do it on their own," he said. "You don't win football championships in the summer months, but you can lose them."
Senior quarterback Tom Zetts knows exactly what his coach is talking about and that's why he and the other seniors will be taking charge during the summer.
"We don't have the coaches working with us in the summer so it all on our own shoulders," Zetts said. "One of the reasons that this team has been successful the past two years is because we've had 60 to 65 guys here working out every day in the summer."
Zetts said spring football is a lot of fun, without any real pressure.
"It's a fun time, no pressure, you just go out every day and try to get better," he said. "But the summer is something that you have to do on your own and you have to want to be there."
Zetts said that he's seen some of the player growth this spring, players who have been called on to fill some holes left by last year's graduation and he has been pleased with the things he's seen.
"Guys like Matt Kishman and Brian Mellott, who have some big shoes to fill, but have had great springs," Zetts said.
Rowan impressiveagain in spring
Friday's game was another showcase for sophomore quarterback Todd Rowan.
As a redshirt freshman a year ago the former LaBrae High standout threw four touchdown passes in the spring game.
Friday night he threw only one, a 63-yarder to sophomore Jabari Scott, but he completed 14-of-20 passes for 241 yards and didn't throw an interception.
Scott, who was redshirted a year ago because the Penguins had an overabundance of tailbacks and he was being groomed for this season, showed what he's capable of doing.
He took a short flare pass from Rowan and burst into the open running away from all the defenders.
"He's a very talented young man and a very powerful one," said Heacock. "We redshirted him last year with the intention that he would be our man this year."
"He's had a rough spring with injuries most of the way, but he definitely has the talent to be a big threat if we can keep him healthy," Heacock said.
Heacock also said he was pleased with the play of the team's defense Friday.
"We're still not where we need to be, but it was good to see those guys playing like they were much more comfortable with all the new things they been learning this spring," he said.
"I thought the difference in the spring game was the fact that the Red team was able to move the chains more consistently than the White team."
Palmer kickedwell in contest
Both teams scored just one touchdown, but the Red team had two Brian Palmer field goals to go with their score.
The former Mineral Ridge High standout had been struggling a little this spring, especially in the team's jersey scrimmage, but he redeemed himself Friday.
"I've been concentrating a lot on my mid-range field goal distance, trying to improve my consistency and I think I've done that," Palmer said.
He and Stephen Blose also did some punting in the spring game, but neither think they'll be doing it in the fall unless junior college recruit Ben Nowicki doesn't live up to his reputation.
Pete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.