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Heacock lauds staff for 2009 recruiting class
Liberty Vs. Niles
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Poland vs Canfield
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Stadelmeyer during Salem at Girard. August 22, 2008
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FISTFUL OF 4: Fitch running back Sylvestry Gibbs (4) tries to break free from the grasp of East defenders Michael Thomas (12) as Eric Taylor (59) gives chase during Friday's game at Fitch High Stadium. The Falcons won 49-12.
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FIRST-TEAM HONOREE: Defensive lineman Mychal Savage was first team all-Gateway Conference during the 2007 season.
By Pete Mollica
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock praised the work of his coaching staff for putting together one of the finest recruiting classes in the eight seasons he’s been the head of the program.
Heacock talked about the 16 recruits the Penguins signed on Wednesday, including six local signees, the most that Heacock has signed in a season since he’s been head coach.
“I thought my staff did just a tremendous job of evaluating all of the people we were looking at,” Heacock said. “We lost a couple of coaches at a crucial time in recruiting, but the rest of the staff really stepped up and did a great job.
“We filled a lot of our needs and that’s because our guys did a great job in finding just what we needed,” he added. “Overall I’m very excited about this class.”
The six local recruits are a big plus for the Penguins.
“This is something that we’ve always tried to do,” said Heacock. “This year some things fell into line for us but in the end it was the fact that these kids really wanted to be part of this program.
“Looking down this list the exciting thing is that we got some really sound football players,” Heacock added.
The locals were led by redshirt freshman Taylor Hill, a former Cardinal Mooney High standout, who started at Michigan.
Hill, a 6-foot-2, 205 pound defensive end, never played in a game at Michigan and left the program before the season began. He’s already enrolled at YSU and will have four years of eligibility with the Penguins.
“Taylor is a heck of a young guy,” Heacock said. “We tried to get him to come here last summer, but things didn’t work out. We always keep in touch with the area kids because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Hill could step right into the lineup at YSU, but Heacock isn’t sure about the others yet.
“You don’t know if they can step in or not although there are some talented guys on the list,” he said. “We probably won’t know a lot more until they’ve gone through the summer.”
Heacock said Girard standout Kyle Stadelmyer was the first recruit to fax in his paperwork Wednesday morning.
“He was always looking to play here and we’re excited to have him,” said Heacock.
When asked about Poland High’s Gannon Hulea being listed as an athlete on his recruiting position, Heacock said, “he’s that kind of a player. He can play quarterback or defensive back, but he’s playing basketball right now and has dropped some weight and I watched him run track last spring and he’s just a heck of an athlete.
“We like to give kids the opportunity to play where they would like to play,” he said.
Heacock said a lot of these kids this year stayed home because they grew up here watching the Penguins and wanted to play at home.
“A lot of local kids are playing somewhere else and that’s OK,” he said.
Niles’ Nick Liste is another player that Heacock said is an outstanding athlete.
“Right now his best spot is at punter, but he’s such a great athlete and I’ve seen him run down punt returners and made some big tackles,” he added.
Heacock said the Penguins got a good recruit in Torrian Pace, a running back from Chantilly, Va.
“He has the ability to go outside and break a long run, and he can go inside and just seems to bounce off tacklers,” he said
Pace rushed for 100 yards in 12 of 13 contests as a senior and finished his career with 4,578 yards rushing.
The Penguins also signed Fitch’s Sylvestry Gibbs, who Heacock feels could play in the secondary or at linebacker, and he has high expectations from Wilmington’s Carson Sharbaugh, a 6-5, 230 tight end.
Heacock said 16 was the right number for this recruiting class.
“We still could use a couple of veterans at cornerback, wide receiver and tight end and we’ll continue to search for some older guys,” he said. “I just don’t want to be reckless in what we do.”
Do the Penguins still have scholarships to give?
“In the back of my mind we do have some, but I just don’t know where they’re going to come from,” he laughed.
Heacock said that he expects almost everybody to return from last season’s team and he’s hopeful that seniors Mychal Savage and Jarvis Richards will receive medical redshirts and rejoin the program.
“Both of them have begun working out and we keep feeding paperwork to the NCAA, but we expect both will get another year,” he said.
Heacock also said senior tailback Kevin Smith was redshirted last season and will be back for another year.
The coach still has two coaching positions open both on defense as Jeff Mills and Antoine Smith both left for other jobs.
“I’ve got a ton of applications on my desk that we are just now getting to,” Heacock said. “I want to hire two coaches who will fit into our system and then go from there.”
He still hasn’t ruled out taking over as defensive coordinator himself.
“I miss working with the defense, but the decision is going to be based on just what’s best for our players,” he concluded.
mollica@vindy.com