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Zetts has 2 games to prove something as quarterback
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Former YSU QB Tom Zetts has signed with af2 Mahoning Valley Thunder, photographer July 7, 2009 with head coach Chris MacKeown.
YOUNGSTOWN — Do the math: 1+13 = 14.
Then, 16 minus 14 = 2.
That’s the number of games left for the Mahoning Valley Thunder, which must win both if the franchise is to equal its 2008 season record of 3-13.
Standing in the way is Manchester (7-7) with a three-game winning streak.
“They’re one of the hottest teams in the league right now,” Thunder coach Chris MacKeown said. “They’ve had solid play at the quarterback position and really haven’t turned the ball over much. They won’t make many mistakes or beat themselves. We’ll have to hold onto the football and make better decisions than we did last week if we want to come out of there with a win.”
At Peoria last Saturday, the Thunder lost three fumbles and threw five interceptions to bring its season total to a league-worst turnover ratio of minus 40.
That’s 21 takeaways (10 fumbles, 11 interceptions) and 61 giveaways (24 fumbles, 37 interceptions).
Mahoning Valley lost quarterback Brad Roach for the remainder of the season. Roach completed 4 of 7 passes for 33 yards and was intercepted twice before being injured during a tackle to end the first quarter.
MacKeown noted the significance of the loss of Roach.
“Losing Brad sets us back about four weeks because Tom [Zetts] is where Roach was a month ago,” MacKeown said of Roach’s replacement.
“That makes it tough, but I’ve got complete confidence in Tom,” MacKeown said of the af2 newcomer. “He will get it. This is our fourth starting quarterback in seven games. It’s very difficult to win that way.”
MacKeown explained that Zetts could be dangerous if he uses his mobility as a weapon instead of resorting to it on every play.
“He is special at avoiding the rush, getting outside the pocket and he has great ability to throw on the run and see the field on the run. If he uses that only when he has to instead of as his normal offense, he could be really good and that’s a dangerous part of his game.”
Zetts understands that af2 is a very offensive-minded product, so he needs to sharpen his skills — quickly.
“I didn’t have that timing and rhythm with receivers that you need in any game, whether it’s the outdoors, pros or a pickup game in the backyard,” Zetts said in describing his re-introduction to competitive football.
“You need to have timing with the receivers and I just didn’t have that last week.”
Mahoning Valley receiver C.J. Brewer is now just seven yards from 1,000 on the season and defensive end Tim Cheatwood is coming off of his best game of the season. Cheatwood had two tackles for loss, including a sack against Peoria and was constantly in the Pirates’ backfield.
Kicker Brian Palmer — another recently signed former YSU Penguin — had an impressive af2 debut in Peoria. Palmer converted four of five extra points and kicked off six times totaling 327 yards. That’s an average of 54.5 yards per kick.
One kick went out of bounds and another was a touchback.
Center Jerrick Jeffreys and guard Derrick Markray are the only Thunder offensive players to have started all 14 games.
Zetts was still in the classroom at Boardman High School as a teacher for most of the Thunder’s 2009 season.
He’s seen the team as both an outsider watching the season unfold, then in person when he was dragged into the game in Peoria.
Does he feel like there’s a black cloud over the team’s head?
“It’s almost that way. The way things went in the first quarter at Peoria was unbelievable. You couldn’t catch a break. But you can’t rely on catching breaks. But when nothing goes right, it’s really hard to win and that’s what’s happening.”
Zetts is impressed with the players’ ambition to win.
“You would think that after a long season of losing, it would be easy to ride it out, but by no means is that happening. They want to compete and they want to win and I give them all the credit in the world.”
bassetti@vindy.com