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YSU fans fired up in the heart of Texas for The Game
By BROOKE MEENACHAN
FRISCO, TEXAS
Temperatures in this Texas city hit a bitter low the week of the FCS National Championship, dropping to 22 degrees. Fortuity? Or coincidence?
The Youngstown State University Penguins are no strangers to competing in chilly temperatures.
The Penguins, led by head Coach Bo Pelini, have advanced to the championship game for the first time since 1999 after a dramatic 40-38 comeback win over Eastern Washington in the semifinals.
And if you watched the fourth quarter against the Eagles, it was evident the Penguins were fueled by a fire in the final few minutes. That same fire carried over to the Penguin faithful.
Despite the struggle to fill the seats of the Ice Castle during the regular season, the Penguins had no trouble selling out tickets to Toyota Stadium – more than 1,200 miles away from their own backyard. The university expects to see more familiar faces in Frisco than at home.
It’s no surprise that some of those faces are family members flying out from across the country to watch their son, grandson or brother play.
Dan Kennedy, brother of YSU kicker Zak Kennedy, is flying out of Pensacola, Fla.
“I wasn’t going to miss the chance to watch my brother play in a national championship,” Dan Kennedy said.
Those who don’t have a deeper connection with the team, don’t have to worry about the extra pressure this big stage brings, but Dan says it’s a different experience for him.
“It’s a lot more nerve-racking watching the game, knowing that my brother could make it or break it, if called upon,” he said. “Hopefully, it won’t come down to a special-teams play.”
While some are seeing the Penguins for just the first or second time this season, some fans never missed a down – even those that used to play them.
Former YSU football players Eric Meyers and Tom Sprague knew they had to journey down to Texas to watch their former teammates and coaches bring a title home.
“Being out of the area, I never knew what it was like playing for a team that had a whole city in it’s corner. It’s a bittersweet feeling not being out there, but I’m excited to watch the guys I used to go to war with every week take on James Madison,” Sprague said.
“Playing for YSU, you always understood that you weren’t just playing for a team. You were playing for a whole city that was always behind you, through thick and thin, the good and the ugly,” Meyers said. “Even now, watching the game from the stands, you realize that winning a national championship isn’t just about bringing home some hardware, it’s about putting Youngstown back on the map.”
People like Mike Rohan, a former student who’s attended every home game with a group of friends, including playoffs since 2010, are the people Meyers is talking about – dedicating each Saturday to the Penguins. No stranger to the Ice Castle – Stambaugh Stadium – Rohan has attended games since he was a boy.
“Growing up, I always went to YSU games with my dad. It was something I looked forward to,” he said.
Now, he and his buddies look forward to seeing the Penguins make history as they jumped at the chance to witness Youngstown bring home their fifth national championship.
“It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. We figured it might not come around again, and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity. We were watching the Eastern Washington game and as soon as we won, we purchased our tickets,” Rohan said.
He is not the only one that prides himself on sitting in the stands every Saturday cheering on the Red and White.
Anyone who’s walked the tailgate lot on game days would recognize the Am-“BO”-lance, a former ambulance painted red and white with the decals YSU representing the “Youngstown Special tailgating Unit,” owned my Tom Kelley, a Youngstown native and season ticket holder.
Unfortunately, the Am-“BO”-lance couldn’t make the trip to Frisco because of a trip home from Kentucky after watching another Youngstown native, Mark Stoops, coach the Kentucky Wildcats in November.
“There was a short in the electrical system, which caused the transmission to burn up,” Kelley said.
But that didn’t stop him and his family from making the journey themselves.
In fact, they found themselves on a flight out of Pittsburgh filled with other Youngstown folks also making the trip.
“About 50 percent of our flight was wearing red or YSU gear. It’s nice to see everyone come together for this,” said his daughter, Kait.
“Hopefully this will carry a significant impact for next year’s season and the Am-“BO”-lance will be back and ready to go,” Kelly said.
And although the vehicle might be on the injured reserve for now, fans hope there’s still a few tricks left in the Penguins’ playbook to bring another national championship home to the Mahoning Valley.