Barton, Perez to reunite at ’Shoe

They were teammates at
Massillon Perry.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

COLUMBUS — Youngstown State senior defensive back Bob Perez isn’t certain he’ll be playing today when the Penguins take on Ohio State in the season opener.

But when Perez, one of five YSU captains, walks out to the 50-yard line before the game for the coin toss, he’ll see a very familiar face.

Perez, one of the Penguins’ captains, will be reunited with Ohio State senior tackle Kirk Barton.

Perez and Barton were teammates at Massillon Perry High and graduated together.

Today marks the first game in which the former teammates play against each other.

Over the years, both teams have had great success in season openers, but today one streak will end.

Opener streaks

YSU has won 10 straight season openers and is 15-1-1 in openers since 1990. The Penguins’ last opening-season loss was at Kent State in 1995. That’s also the last time the Penguins opened the season on the road.

Ohio State comes into the contest having won 28 consecutive home openers. The last time the Buckeyes lost at home in the opener was in 1978 against Penn State, 19-0.

Today’s contest is the first meeting between the Buckeyes and Penguins. It is also the first time the Buckeyes have played a team from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).

Youngstown State is the 23rd Ohio school to play the Buckeyes, who own an all-time record a 171-48-15 against in-state opponents.

The last time an Ohio State team lost to an Ohio opponent was in 1921, 7-6 to Oberlin. The Buckeyes also had a 7-7 tie with Wooster in 1924.

Other Ohio opponents

The Buckeyes will play two other Ohio opponents this season, meeting Akron next Saturday and Kent State on Oct. 13, both in Columbus.

The last time that the Buckeyes played three in-state rivals was in 1926 when they defeated Wittenberg (40-0), Ohio Wesleyan (47-0) and Wilmington (13-7).

The Penguins and Buckeyes are scheduled to play again next season in the opener at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30.

YSU, ranked No. 6 in the pre-season FCS poll, has seven former Football Bowl Subdivision players on its roster.

The transfers are senior safety Vince Gliatta (Penn State), senior tight end Louis Irizarry (Ohio State), senior nose tackle Greg Jacobs (Vanderbilt), sophomore center Brian Mellott (Ohio), senior defensive end Maurice Smith (Michigan State), junior offensive tackle Nhemie Theodore (Minnesota) and junior cornerback De’Angelo Wilson (Nevada).

The Penguins’ home opener — the first of four straight games at Stambaugh Stadium — is next Saturday, against South Dakota State at 6 p.m.

mollica@vindy.com