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Ursuline’s Conlan commits to YSU
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Zach Conlan
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Ursuline's Zach Conlan kisses the championship trophy as Corbin Adams looks on. The Ursuline Irish achieved their primary season goal: to win the state title for a record third-straight time. The Fighting Irish had an impressive end to their season with a 51-21 victory over Coldwater in the Division V State Championship game at Canton's Fawcett Stadium Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010.
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Over the past four years, Ursuline’s Zach Conlan earned just about every award possible as a high school lineman, repeatedly outplaying taller, more-heralded recruits.
Didn’t matter. You see, Conlan is 6 feet tall. And in the world of college football, being a 6-foot lineman means you have three choices: Division II, Division III or NAIA.
But YSU coach Eric Wolford ignored the tape measure in favor of the tape, offering Conlan a chance to prove the doubters wrong.
“YSU is giving me an opportunity to show people I can play at this level,” said Conlan, who verbally committed to the Penguins on Thursday. “I’m very appreciative of the offer. Not too many 6-foot tall guys get to play Division I.”
Conlan is the eighth area player to commit to the Penguins in the 2011 class.
YSU picked up two other commitments on Thursday, Huber Heights Wayne LB Teven Williams and Andrew Williams, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Bethune-Bowman High in Orangeburg, S.C.
Conlan will be the second Ursuline player at YSU, joining sophomore Allen Jones, who was a backup running back and starting special teams player last fall. Wolford is an Ursuline High graduate.
Conlan, a four-year letterman, started for three straight Division V state championship teams, earning All-Ohio honors the past two years. A fourth-generation Ursuline student, Conlan started out as an Irish ball boy when he was 5.
He’ll likely move over to the defensive line, where the YSU coaches see him as a run-stuffing nose tackle.
“I’m OK with that,” said Conlan, who weighed 305 pounds last year. “However I can get on the field is fine.”
Conlan plans to major in either special education or business. He was a part of Ursuline’s Good News program, where students spend Saturdays working with kids with special needs.
He was one of three Irish players offered scholarships by YSU. Running back Akise Teague, this year’s Mr. Football, committed to Cincinnati. Linebacker Jordan Markota, a second-team All-Ohioan, hasn’t decided on a school yet.
Conlan and Markota attended several YSU games together this fall.
“He was the first person I texted,” Conlan said of Markota. “I wrote, ‘I’m a Penguin.’”
Conlan took visits at a few smaller schools — Mount Union was his second choice — but he wasn’t ready to give up his dream of playing at the Division I level.
“When I was looking at schools, YSU was always at the top of my list,” said Conlan, who lives about five minutes from campus in Liberty. “Playing in my hometown and defending Youngstown, it’s a dream come true. This is a one-in-a-million opportunity.”
Wolford used his South Carolina connections to secure Williams, who is the second player from the Palmetto state to commit in this year’s class. The other is Calhoun County WR/DB Brandon Thomas.
Williams caught 50 passes for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns last season for the Mohawks, who earned their first playoff berth since 2006. He also played safety.
Wolford was an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina in 2009.
Williams was a first team all-conference linebacker for Wayne, which lost to Lakewood St. Edward in the Division I state final.
He was a teammate of Ohio State quarterback recruit Braxton Miller.
YSU has 21 commitments so far for the 2011 class. Signing day is Wednesday.