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A work in progress
Special to the Vindicator
Photo
The Red team’s Jamaine Cook (35) looks for an opening through the White team’s defense during the Youngstown State University football team’s annual spring game Saturday at YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium. The White team won, 24-14.
YSU looked better in Wolford’s second spring, but plenty of questions remain
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Columnist George Will once said football combines the worst two things about America: violence and committee meetings.
Football practice, meanwhile, combines violence and boredom. I attended all but one of YSU’s 15 spring sessions, and I spent a lot of time watching drills and listening to Coach Eric Wolford answer questions about consistency, red-zone offense (and defense) and the weather.
His answers? It needs to improve, it needs to improve and it needs to improve.
This isn’t a complaint. As the not-so-immortal Hyman Roth once said, “This is the business we’ve chosen” and, usually, it’s a good one.
Still, spring practice lacks the drama of the fall, so I usually asked Wolford about injuries, then pulled a player aside to ask things like, “Who is the ugliest player on the team?” and “What was the last movie to make you cry?”
(Sophomore guard Zach Larson was the best. He said fellow guard Chris Elkins is the ugliest for his “trash ’stache” but gave points to linebacker Mark Brandenstein for his John Cougar Mellencamp hair. He also admitted to crying at “The Notebook.” Zach Larson is a good man.)
(I also discovered sophomore DT D.J. Moss’ old nickname was “Paul Blart, Mall Cop.” I wanted to get that into a story before spring ended.)
Anyway, one day I spent part of the practice reading Tina Fey’s new book, “Bossypants,” which features her face on a hairy man’s body. When Wolford saw it, he squinted his eyes and said, “I don’t even know who that is. It looks like [strength coach Mike] Cochran after he goes to the dog groomer. Mike’s got all kinds of hair on his hands. It’s just foul-looking.”
Over the last four weeks, Wolford also made fun of wide receiver Kevin Watts’ hair, the combover sported by 21 WFMJ-TV’s Dana Balash (although not as much as I did — and do) and CB Donald D’Alesio’s tan, biceps and long underwear.
Wolford’s second spring featured a lot less yelling, which was a good thing. It featured the same amount of joking, which was also a good thing.
Here are the highlights, the lowlights and the things to watch when the Penguins return this summer.
The good
YSU’s running backs were the strength of the team last fall, and they’ve only gotten better.
Junior Jamaine Cook is the team’s unquestioned leader — Wolford repeatedly called him both the best player and the hardest worker — and sophomore Adaris Bellamy is a terrific No. 2. Sophomore Allen Jones had a really good camp, and sophomore Torrian Pace is good enough to start. The depth prompted Wolford to move sophomore Jordan Thompson to receiver, which was a good move. Thompson is too good to sit.
The offensive line and quarterbacks are good — and young.
If the spring depth chart holds, YSU’s only starting offensive seniors will come at receiver. (More on that later.) Sophomore QB Kurt Hess drew raves from the coaches for his work ethic and his willingness to take on a bigger leadership role, and freshman Pat Angle made strides. Senior backup Marc Kanetsky was his typical solid self.
Junior college transfer Mark Pratt could have a huge impact at center, and the line should be good in the fall and even better in 2012.
The defensive line looks a lot better.
Senior DE Daniel Stewart took a huge step forward since last fall, and senior DE Obinna Ekweremuba is starting to turn his potential into production. Senior DT Andrew Johnson was good last year and should be better. YSU’s defense was not good last year, and its improvement needs to start up front. So far, so good.
There’s talent at linebacker, even if a lot of it watched from the sideline.
Senior John Sasson (the team’s leading tackler last fall), junior Will Shaw (a starting safety last fall) and sophomore Dom Rich (who started the last three games last year) sat out the spring game with injuries, as did sophomore Mark Brandenstein (a special teams standout last year). Senior Deonta Tate (who started eight games last fall) also missed time.
Despite the injuries, sophomores Ali Cheaib and Thomas Sprague looked good, and sophomore Taylor Hill (the team’s leading tackler in 2009) is back after sitting out last fall. The Penguins also signed five LBs in February, including Division I transfer Davion Rogers (Michigan) and junior college transfer Dubem “Bam Bam” Nwadiogbu.
This is a unit to watch in August.
“Bossypants.”
Funny book. (Youngstown is mentioned on pages 245 and 247.) Buy it.
The bad
There’s no No. 1 receiver.
YSU fans were spoiled the last two years with Donald Jones (now with the Bills) and Dominique Barnes, and no one stepped up in camp to fill their shoes. The coaches are hoping sophomore Jelani Berassa (who tore his ACL last summer but should be 100 percent this summer) can fill the No. 1 role, allowing junior Juilian Harrell and seniors Ely Ducatel, Andre Barboza and Pat White to serve supporting roles.
Wolford signed five receivers in February, and he’ll probably need two to contribute. This remains the biggest question mark on the team.
The secondary has some holes.
D’Alesio looked good at corner, but sophomore CB Jamarious Boatwright (a projected starter) tore his ACL and will miss the season. The coaches then shifted senior Deionte Williams (the team’s fastest player) from safety to corner, and he promptly injured his thumb.
The DBs struggled mightily last fall, and just one starter returns — D’Alesio, who moved over from safety. This is another spot where YSU might need some newcomers to contribute.
New kicker David Brown struggled.
Brown, a junior college transfer, was perfect on extra points in the spring game and made his only field-goal attempt, a 25-yarder. But he didn’t look very good for much of spring.
Wolford said he’s not worried, and the coaches think Brown will be better after working with his holder and long snapper the next few months. They’re probably right. Probably.
The honeymoon is over.
Wolford isn’t just blowing smoke when he said the Penguins were in every league game last year, but still. YSU fans aren’t going to tolerate another 3-8 season. The Penguins need to show results in the standings in Wolford’s second season.
The playoffs might be out of reach until 2012, but there’s no reason this team shouldn’t finish 6-5 or 7-4.