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Wanted: Home field advantage
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As part of the “United We Dine” event, YSU football coach Eric Wolford’s second “YSU Coaches Show” scored big with Penguin fans and benefited the 2010 United Way campaign Thursday at O’Charley’s restaurant in Boardman.
YSU vs Penn St.
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By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
YSU football coach Eric Wolford has an office in Stambaugh Stadium. He coaches practice every day at Stambaugh Stadium. He’s even played at Stambaugh Stadium.
“We had a big win against Mooney here,” said Wolford, who helped Ursuline beat the Cardinals 21-20 in overtime in 1988, his senior year. “This is a special place for me.”
What he hasn’t done is coach a game here. And he’s hoping everyone in town will come out to see his debut on Saturday against Butler.
“We need to have a home field advantage,” Wolford said. “This community, this Valley, we need you. We need to fill this place up.
“When we’ve got the ball on third down, we need to hear you. It needs to be loud.”
So far, the fans appear to be listening. As of noon Wednesday, the school had sold 14,000 tickets, a number that doesn’t include player comps, students and invited recruits. YSU had about 1,500 in walk-up sales for last year’s opener against Austin Peay, which had an announced attendance of 16,389.
With a Saturday forecast of 70 degrees and no rain, school officials are hoping for about 2,500 in walk-up sales. But the Penguins will have plenty of couch competition.
In addition to Ohio State’s 3:45 p.m. game against Miami, Saturday’s slate includes Florida State-Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m., a game that pits Sooners coach Bob Stoops against his brother, FSU defensive coordinator Mark Stoops. Both are Mooney High grads. (Mark was also the leading candidate to replace Jon Heacock in December. When he took the Seminoles’ job, the Penguins turned to Wolford.)
Add in that night’s Penn State-Alabama game and you can see why some fans might prefer to stay home.
But, so far, that doesn’t seem to be a big problem.
“I haven’t heard a peep about those games,” said YSU athletic director Ron Strollo on Wednesday. “And when I left my office to walk across campus today, there was a line out the door waiting to buy tickets.
“I haven’t seen that happen this early in the week in a long time.”
Although Penguin Club (i.e. booster club) memberships actually grew during Heacock’s nine years, the team has seen a dip in walk-up sales. Those are the fans YSU is targeting this season.
Thing is, those are the fans most likely to come when the team is winning, something Wolford knows all too well.
“We need to get back to what the Ice Castle is supposed to be,” Wolford said. “I know at the end of the day, our community and our Valley is gonna come out and back us.
“Our job is, we need to give them something to be excited about.”