YSU’s Nowicki steps forward

By Pete Mollica

The senior punter is looking for more improvements in his final season.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — If Youngstown State senior punter Ben Nowicki keeps improving this season like he has the past two years, there’s no telling how good he’s going to be.

Nowicki, who transferred to YSU after one sensational season at Mesa Community College, has been the Penguins punter for the last two years.

In 2007, he punted 47 times for an average of 37.1 yards per kick. He placed 19 of those kicks inside the opponent’s 20 yard line including a season-long punt of 57 yards. He had five punts more than 50 yards that season.

Last year, Nowicki punted 44 times and averaged 41.1 yards per boot, an increase of four yards from his previous year. The average was third-best in a season in school history.

Nowicki, who missed the season finale at Western Illinois with a shoulder injury, had 13 kicks inside the 20 and had a season-long 66-yard boot at Southern Utah.

“I just want to keep getting better and better,” said the 6-foot, 170 pounder from Gilbert, Ariz. “I worked hard all summer spending six or seven weeks here working out every day.”

Because of his shoulder problems which plagued him off an on last season, most of his work in the weight room this offseason has been with the lower body.

“But it’s made a difference, I know that I feel stronger,” he said.

Nowicki, who had a season-high seven punts in the season opener at Ohio State and averaged 42.4 yards a kick against the Buckeyes, feels he has room for a lot of improvement.

“Consistency, that’s what I strive for this year,” he said. “I can live with a high 30 yard average as long as I’m getting the punts where I want them.

Nowicki has earned honorable mention honors the past two seasons with the old Gateway in 2007 and last year with the new Missouri Valley Football Conference.

He has earned special teams honors with the Penguins in both seasons and in 2007 was the Gateway Special Teams player of the week against Southern Illinois.

“Last season was disappointing for everyone, but you just knew things were going to be different this year because as soon as that season ended the work started and everyone has just been going strong every since,” Nowicki said.

It was Nowicki’s one season at Mesa Community College that really caught the Penguins’ eyes.

That year, 2006, Nowicki led the nation in punting average with a 44.2 yard per kick mark and had a season long of 73 yards and 14 of his kicks were inside the opponents’ 20 yard line.

He was a first-team NJCAA All-American and was also named to the NJCAA All-Region I first team and the Western States Football League first-team all-conference.

The Penguins are only practicing in the afternoon this week as classes began on Monday. They will workout at 3:30 p.m. each day through Friday, take Saturday off and then begin preparations for the season opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

williams@vindy.com