Penguins kick it around

By Pete Mollica

Former Boardman kicker Bob Gratz made the winning field goal

The junior converted a 42-yarder on the final play of YSU’s kicking scrimmage.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State football team held its spring kicking scrimmage Wednesday, although it was probably more of a scrimmage consisting of things that fans will probably never see during the regular season.

For starters, the Penguins’ No. 1 punter, senior Ben Nowicki, was sidelined with a slightly separated shoulder, and No. 2 placekicker Stephen Blose had a class and couldn’t be at practice.

Then there was a very uncharacteristic performance by senior kicker Brian Palmer, who made just one of four field goal attempts, missing three straight from the 22-yard range.

But the bright side of the day was that YSU coach Jon Heacock got to get a good look at some of his younger kickers and was pretty pleased, especially with junior Bob Gratz, a walk-on from Boardman High who made six of seven field goal attempts, including a 42-yard attempt on the final play that gave the White team a 15-12 win over the Red team.

“It was an exciting ending and Bob came through with the game-winning kick,” said Heacock. “I was impressed.”

Heacock said Nowicki (5-foot-10, 175 pounds), who handled all the punting duties a year ago was kept out of the scrimmage as a precaution.

“He’s got a slight separation, but if this was a game day he definitely could have punted,” Heacock said.

All of Wednesday’s punting was handled by sophomore Jarrod Satmare of Lisbon and sophomore Erik Johnson of Boardman, both walk-ons.

Satmare (6-2, 180), from Beaver Local High School, punted eight times and averaged 31.1 yards with a best of 39 yards, while Johnson (6-1, 195) averaged 34.2 yards on six punts, twice getting 38 yards.

The scrimmage also included seven fakes, something the Penguins have done maybe once in the last 10 years in an actual game.

The only touchdown of Wednesday’s scrimmage came on a fake field goal attempt when junior quarterback Todd Rowan fired an 11-yard pass to redshirt freshman tight end Pat Bellish of Canfield. Rowan tried another fake on the play before from the Red 26-yard line and threw a nice pass over the middle to tight end Derek Bush, which was broken up at the last moment. The defense, though, was called for pass interference, setting up the touchdown.

Palmer, the veteran, didn’t kick well and both he and Heacock made note of it.

“It was just one of those days,” Palmer said. “I wasn’t hitting it well at all, although on the 47-yard attempt it really felt good and I couldn’t believe it when I looked up and it was moving left. It only missed by an inch. I thought it was good.

“If you are going to have a day like this one, I’m glad it came now and not during the season,” Palmer said. “We’ll go right back at it and correct what was wrong and keep working hard all summer to get ready for the season.”

Palmer plans to attend a kicking camp in Wisconsin this summer, the same one he attended last year.

“There were a lot of good kickers there from all over the country and I really learned a lot,” he said.

Added Heacock: “I know Brian and he’ll be out here at the next session working that much harder to make things right. He’s that kind of a kicker and that kind of a person.

The Penguins will practice again Friday afternoon, although Heacock said it will be toned down considerably so that everybody will be fresh for Saturday’s jersey scrimmage at 10 a.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. The Penguins will also work out Sunday around 7 p.m.

mollica@vindy.com