Penguins open spring practice

By Pete Mollica

Coach Jon Heacock has some holes to fill, including a big one at quarterback.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock says spring practice is a very important part of the Penguins’ program.

“Every year your football team is different, a new offense or a new defense, and spring practice is the time when you put your football team together,” Heacock said.

The building of the team begins today when the Penguins, with nearly 90 players, hold the first of 15 practice session over the next 30 days that will culminate April 18 with the Red-White spring game at Stambaugh Stadium.

Quarterback is one of the key positions that needs to be filled, as four-year starter Tom Zetts has graduated.

Heacock and offensive coordinator Brian Wright enter the spring with three quarterback prospects.

The one who’s been around the longest, but not necessarily the most experienced, is junior Todd Rowan (6-foot-3, 223 pounds) from LaBrae High.

“Todd probably has the most knowledge of what we do,” said Wright. “His playing time has been hampered by injuries the last two years, plus Tom’s playing time.

The other two prospects are redshirt freshman Paul Corsaro (6-3, 200) from Indianapolis and junior Brandon Summers (6-0, 205) from Southfield, Mich., who’s a transfer from Toledo.

“All three are pretty close. We don’t have to make a lot of changes for any of the three,” Heacock said.

Rowan, who’s in his fourth season with YSU, was redshirted in 2005, held for kicks in 2006 while recuperating from a stress fracture in his leg. He didn’t take any snaps.

Last season Rowan missed the early part of the season, again with a stress fracture in the other leg. He played sparingly behind Zetts and threw only two passes, both in mop-up duty.

Wright feels Rowan has a lot to offer.

“There’s his toughness and his knowledge of the system,” Wright said. “He has good arm strength and he’s bigger and still has the ability to get out and run and I think that he’s just hungry for the opportunity to get out there and play.”

Senior Ferlando Williams (6-0, 200) also returns. He has the most experience at quarterback, although most of it was from runs out of the shotgun last season.

“We’ll continue to use Ferlando as we have in the past,” Heacock said.

Heacock said other key areas that need addressed this spring are on defense — linebacker and the secondary.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Mills noted things changed quickly.

“Last year the corners were our big concern and this year they are the veterans returning to help carry the secondary,” he said.

We feel pretty comfortable about some of the younger defensive backs that we have coming up this year.

“We also have a pretty good middle linebacker in Rashon Simons, who started a lot for us, but it might be more of a problem on the outside, but we’ll be working hard to fill those spots,” Mills said.

Mills is very high on senior defensive tackle Mychal Savage, who was All-Gateway Conference for the second straight year.

“He’s had a great offseason and he appears very ready to raise his game to the next level,” said Mills.

The Penguins will work out today, Friday and Saturday in helmets and sweats and will put on full pads Sunday at 3:15 p.m. for their first contact of the spring. A special teams scrimmage will be held Apr. 9 and the lone jersey scrimmage is scheduled for Apr. 12 at 9:30 a.m.

mollica@vindy.com