League battle awaits YSU

The Gateway Conference schedule opens with Missouri State on Saturday.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State football team isn’t doing anything differently to prepare this week as the Penguins get set to open defense of their Gateway Football Conference championship on Saturday.

The Penguins will play host to Missouri State in the conference opener for both teams in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium.

“The preparation doesn’t change,” YSU coach Jon Heacock said. “It’s the intensity and the excitement of the Gateway that makes it different this week.”

“We’re still going to be going through the same routines that we do every other week, but we know that there is a little bit more at stake this week,” Heacock said.

Champions

A year ago, the Penguins posted a 6-1 conference record and won their first outright Gateway title. That championship also gave them the conference automatic berth into what then was called the Division I-AA playoffs.

Two years ago, the Penguins shared the conference title with a 5-2 record, but both losses came against the two teams they shared the title. Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa advanced to the playoffs while the Penguins sat home.

The Penguins (3-1) have won three straight games, while the Bears are also 3-1. Both teams’ only defeat came against Football Bowl Division opponents — Ohio State for the Penguins and Kansas State for the Bears.

“This is a very explosive football team,” Heacock said of the Bears. “They are averaging over 40 points a game and the only team that has stopped them was Kansas State.

“They have a true freshman at quarterback and he was on fire last week,” Heacock said.

Hurting

The Penguins may be just a little bit healthier than they were a week ago.

“Obviously we have some guys that are hurt, but we had a lot of players step up last week and they are probably going to have to do it again this week,” Heacock said.

The offensive line, which is minus three starters, has been the Penguins’ biggest concern.

Last week, Heacock moved starting guard Brad Samsa over to tackle because of injuries to starters Tyler Booth and Matt Kishman, and moved senior Leon Edwards into Samsa’s guard position.

He also got some great backup play from true freshman Stiles O’Brien at one tackle and a couple of redshirt freshmen in Chris Gammon, Justin Rechichar and Bobby Coates.

“It is not an easy transition from guard to tackle, but because Brad understands the concept of the offensive line he’s able to make that move,” Heacock said.

The Penguins had a couple of players banged up last week against Lock Haven.

Senior linebacker James Terry was helped off the field in the first half and didn’t return. But the veteran returned to practice Tuesday and is expected to play on Saturday.

Sophomore tailback Jabari Scott, the team’s top running back to date, had a minor hamstring pull and practiced lightly this week, but also is expected to play.

Senior wide receiver Rory Berry is just about back to 100 percent and showed some of his abilities last week catching six passes against the Bald Eagles.

Berry said this week that he hasn’t been impressed with the Penguins’ offense.

“We still haven’t played the way we are capable of playing,” Berry said. “That drive is still not there, the motivation to get the ball into the end zone.”

“But this is Gateway opener week and I’m sure you see all of those things come together on Saturday.”

mollica@vindy.com