All eyes on YSU seniors

By Pete Mollica

Twelve seniors will play their final home game Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Jon Heacock has been around the Youngstown State football program for nearly 20 years, the last nine as head football coach, but over that span the last home game of the regular season has always been very special to him and his Penguins.

It will be Senior Day on Saturday afternoon when the Penguins play host to Illinois State in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium and 12 seniors will be playing their final game before the home fans.

“It’s the last game for them in their home stadium and it’s very important for me to have complete focus on them this week,” said Heacock.

“A handful of these guys have been around here for four or five years and that’s a tremendous tribute to those guys,” he added. “It’s difficult enough just to get through four or five years of college, but to combine that with a football career is even that much harder.”

“I’ve been around here a long time and it has always been an important week for me.”

Heacock would also like to send his seniors off on the right foot with a victory over the Redbirds.

The Penguins (4-5, 2-4 Missouri Valley Football Conference) come into the contest on a three-game losing streak including a 28-7 loss at Northern Iowa last Saturday, the Penguins’ ninth straight loss to the Panthers.

“I thought we competed well,” said Heacock. “It always seemed to get to a point and then something would happen to set us back. We competed, but not good enough to win.”

Heacock, who also doubles as the Penguins’ defensive coordinator, said he didn’t think the defense was as sharp as it’s been recently.

“The bottom line is that we have two games remaining and we have to do everything right that we haven’t done the last three weeks,” he added.

“Illinois State just keeps getting better and better as the season goes on,” added Heacock. “They are very good at throwing the football and have some excellent receivers.”

“We’re going to work on some different things this week, things that we’ve seen from them on film.”

Heacock will play all his seniors on Saturday, most of them are either starters or backups to starters.

“They’ve all played a lot of football this season and they will all play on Saturday,” he added.

“I’ve told them this week to live in this moment, because it will be something that you’ll never forget.”

Heacock said the Penguins will be a little thin in the offensive line Saturday, with several players sidelined with injuries.

Linemen who have started this year but probably won’t play on Saturday include junior tackle Chris Gammon, redshirt freshman tackle Bill Dugan, and redshirt freshman tackle D.J. Main.

The seniors are led by quarterback Brandon Summers and the team’s co-captains: wide receiver Donald Jones and defensive end Mychal Savage.

The senior running backs are Kevin Smith, Dana Brown and Jabari Scott, while the only senior offensive lineman is guard Brian Mellott. Senior wide receiver Aaron Pitts rounds out the offensive seniors.

The defensive seniors are tackle Crispin Fernandez, cornerback Lenny Wicks and linebacker Draye Ersery along with punter Ben Nowicki.

“This is their week and Saturday is their day,” said Heacock, “and they’ve more than earned it.

mollica@vindy.com