43
Mellott: ‘We’re looking to get better’
Photo
Youngstown State Senior Brian Mellot during an April 3 practice.
The Penguins (1-1) travel to Northeastern University on Saturday.
By Pete Mollica
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State senior Brian Mellott wasn’t too happy with last season’s 4-8 record and he doesn’t want to be any part of a repeat performance this year.
Mellott, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound starting right guard from Austintown Fitch High School, likes the way that this year’s team is shaping up and although he knows the Penguins still have a long way to go he’s excited about what lies ahead.
The Penguins are 1-1 on the season following Saturday’s 38-21 victory over Austin Peay in the home opener at Stambaugh Stadium. This Saturday the Penguins go back on the road when they travel to Boston to meet Northeastern University in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Parsons Field.
“We were 4-8 last year and you can’t look at 4-8 happily,” said Mellott, “but that’s what we were. Now we’re 1-1 and looking to get a lot better.
“We still have a long way to go,” Mellott said. “But we’ve continued to improve on offense and we’ve got guys like Brandon Summers, Kevin Smith and Donald Jones and we’ve got to keep them on their feet.”
Summers had a big game on Saturday, throwing for 232 yards and four touchdowns to be named the team’s offensive player of the week.
“He’s the leader back there and he does a whale of a job,” Mellott said of Summers.
Mellott also said he noticed a big improvement on the other side of the football this past weekend.
“That was an emotional defense on Saturday. There was some real hitting going on and we really enjoyed them setting us up with some great field position,” Mellott said.
Mellott said the difference on defense has to do with senior lineman Mychal Savage, who also happens to be one of the team’s two co-captains.
“We lost Mychal last year in the season’s first game and with him we lost the heart and soul of the defense,” Mellott said. “Having him back this year makes all the difference in the world.”
The trip to Boston this weekend will be the first real road trip of the year for the Penguins, who opened the season at Pitt, but that was a same day, 60-mile bus trip.
“The Pitt game was on the road, but it wasn’t really traveling,” said Mellott.
“We have quite a few guys who will be making their first trip and it will be a little different, but they’ve got a lot of us guys to look to for advise on what to be prepared for.”
Sophomore defensive end Stephen Meadows of Fredricksburg, Va., was the Penguins’ defensive player of the week and Sir Demarco Bledsoe earned special teams honors.
Summers was also the Haines Family Player of the Game as selected by the YSU radio broadcast team, and Savage came up with the WOW Derek Pixley hit of the week.
Linemen of the week awards went to junior guard Eric Rodemoyer of Sharon on offense and sophomore defensive end Josh Myers of Kingsland, Ga.
mollica@vindy.com