YSU to replace 11 starters from semifinal team

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Coming off its first postseason appearance in six years and its second straight Gateway Conference Championship, the Youngstown State football team, will begin spring drills on Thursday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium.
Last season, the Penguins (11-3) advanced to the NCAA Championship Football Series semifinal round, falling to Appalachian State 49-24 to finish one game short of the championship contest.
Jon Heacock begins his seventh season as head coach of the Penguins. He has a 43-27 record in his first six seasons. Heacock also has been named Gateway Conference Coach of the Year the past two seasons.
Heacock, who has been part of the YSU football program for 14 of the past 17 seasons, goes into spring practice seeking to replace the loss of 26 seniors, 11 of which were starters a year ago.
He said he feels the Penguins are off to a great start.
"We had a great winter, we broke 10 records in the offseason weight program and the guys are anxious to get out on the field this spring," Heacock said. "After losing 26 seniors we'll have a lot of new faces out there this spring and we won't be nearly as deep as we were a year ago."
Plenty of veterans
The Penguins are expected to have 75 players out for Thursday's opening session. Twenty-three of them are seniors and 10 of those are fifth-year seniors.
"Right now what were looking for is how our senior leadership has developed over the winter," Heacock said. "It's been going on since January and we feel that we have some good ones in this group."
"We will also be taking a very good look at some of our young guys," he said. "What we want to do is to find the best 22 players we can find to put out on that field by the end of the spring."
The Penguins will have 15 practice sessions this spring including the annual Red and White Spring Game which will be on April 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Stambaugh.
"We know that guys can change a lot over the summer through their workouts and that's why the 28 practice sessions in the fall will be so crucial to this football team.
"We're sitting here right now as just an average football team going into spring practice," Heacock said. "Through the spring and summer, we want to become a good football team and then this fall we have to become a great football team."
Backfield shortage
The Penguins go into the spring without a starting tailback since they lost their top three players (Marcus Mason, Monquantae Gibson and Justin Reams) to graduation.
They also lost three of their four starters in the defensive secondary in Jason Perry, Chris Goffer and Codera Jackson.
"We only need one guy to step up at tailback, but we've got to find three in the secondary," Heacock said.
One thing the Penguins know for sure is that they are no longer a surprise to their opposition.
"Everyone will be well prepared for us," Heacock said.
Offensively, the Penguins will have fifth-year senior quarterback Tom Zetts to lead the way. The Boardman native will be in his fourth year as the team's starting quarterback.
"Watching him now as a senior is amazing," offensive coordinator Brian Wright said. "It's amazing how much he has improved when you think that he can't get that much better, but he does. It's been exciting to watch him improve."
The Penguins have also added a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Mills, who will also handle the defensive backs.
"Right now for me it is just a process of becoming familiar with this team as a group," Mills said. "I'm still trying to put names and faces together."
"But what I have seen is their work effort and that's what's important," Mills said. "It's all about discipline in the secondary.
The Penguins will work out in shorts and helmets on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and will put on full pads Saturday at a 9 a.m. session.
Thejersey scrimmage will be on April 14 at 9 a.m. at Stambaugh.
The annual Bob Dove Spring Free Coaches Clinic will be April 11 and the Annual Spring Draft Luncheon will be April 17 at noon.
mollica@vindy.com