Seniors expected to start the ball rolling for 2008

Following Saturday’s game at Indiana State, YSU will close out its season at home against W. Illinois.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — There are two games remaining for the Youngstown State football team and nobody knows that more than the YSU seniors because it will be the final two games of their careers.

The Penguins are coming off a 14-13 loss at No. 1-ranked Northern Iowa Saturday, a game that knocked them out of any hope of playing in the postseason. The Penguins are 5-4 overall and 1-3 in the Gateway Football Conference.

Saturday the Penguins will play their final away game of the season when they trek to Terre Haute, Ind., to meet Indiana State (0-9, 0-4) in a noon kickoff at Memorial Stadium.

“We’ve still got a lot to accomplish,” said senior defensive safety Dorian Chenault. “The season’s not over we still have two games to play.

Senior Louis Irizarry, who was named the Penguins’ offensive lineman of the game, said the loss was disappointing.

“To make the sacrifices that we have all year long and then to come up a point short is really disappointing,” said Irizarry.

But both seniors know that it will be up to them and the rest of the senior class to set the example over the last two games.

“We’re the seniors and the leaders of this group and it will be up to us to set the example for the rest of the team to go out and do our best to win and finish with a 7-4 record,” Chenault said.

“The seniors want to end it well,” said Irizarry. “We want to start a new home winning streak for next year’s team to follow up on.”

YSU coach Jon Heacock still has a lot of faith in his team and in his senior leadership.

“There is still a lot a character left in this group,” Heacock said. “The seniors want to end it well and the key will be just how they handle themselves over the next two weeks.

“Our seniors have hung in there well this season,” Heacock added. “It hasn’t turned out like we would have liked, but it could still turn out pretty good.”

Three other seniors earned game honors from last week, including linebacker James Terry, who was named the game’s defensive player of the week and the Haines Family Player of the Game by the YSU radio broadcast team. Terry also earned the Wachovia Leadership Award with his team-high six tackles, one for a loss.

Defensive back Bob Perez was the special teams player of the week and defensive end Blake Halverson earned the defensive lineman of the week award.

Senior safety Vince Gliatta has made a lot a big tackles for the Penguins this season and four times now he has been selected for the Wash-on-Wheels Derek Pixley Hit of the week. Last week’s honor was his second straight.

Following Saturday’s Indiana State contest, the Penguins will close out the season with a home contest against Western Illinois in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium. It will also be senior day at the stadium.

mollica@vindy.com