YSU Penguin Football News

Wolford pleased with first day of workouts

Friday, August 6 2010

Courtesy of: JOE SCALZO the Vindicator

YOUNGSTOWN

Grinning from ear to ear, new YSU football coach Eric Wolford summed up his first training camp practice on Thursday with phrases not heard much during spring practice.

“We had a good day,” he said. “Today’s one of the best days of my life, next to the day I married my wife, I can assure you of that.

“I’ll probably be able to sleep a little better tonight.”

It was a different tone from March and April when Wolford often grew frustrated with his team’s effort and energy level — and wasn’t shy about saying so.

“I think the kids came out and practiced hard,” he said Thursday. “They understand the tempo we expect.

“We have some talent here. We’ve just got to continue to coach it and develop it.”

Thursday’s practice was crisp and organized from the beginning, an encouraging sign for a team trying to integrate 36 new players.

“There’s a lot of new faces — I can’t even name 30-some guys on the team,” said senior defensive lineman Torrance Nicholson, a three-year letterman. “It was exciting [but] it’s one thing to be excited and another to come out here and work.”

Wolford said his two points of emphasis were fundamentals and special teams, believing special teams cost YSU a chance at two or three more wins last season.

“Our message is clear — we want to improve every day,” Wolford said. “No steps back.

“I can honestly say in spring ball, until practice 13, we improved every day. And I want to see if we can carry that through 29 [practices] going into Penn State.”

The first hour of practice was played in intense heat and humidity, then cooled off a bit when the sun set behind the stadium steps. The Penguins wore helmets and shorts. They won’t practice in full pads until Monday night.

“A lot of these young guys are eager to get the pads on,” said Nicholson. “I’m an old guy. I’m eager to get the season going.”

Penguins Report to Camp | First Practice on Tap for Today

Thursday, August 5 2010

Courtesy of: YSU

The Youngstown State football team reported to camp on Thursday afternoon for the first time under new Head Coach Eric Wolford. The 90 members of this year's team moved into their dorm rooms, had a team orientation meeting and underwent physicals as part of their first day.

YSU will get its first taste of fall workouts on Thursday afternoon. The first of five acclimation pratices is set to start at 4 p.m. The Penguins will be in helmets the first two days, helmets and shoulder pads the following two practices before doning pads for the first time on Monday night.

Coach Wolford has invited fans to come out for Monday Night Football that evening starting at 7 o'clock.

While their are 90 members on the roster, of those 36 are joining the program for the first time. The Guins return some experience with 35 letterwinners returning from last season's 6-5 squad.

Wide receiver Dominique Barnes, fullback Kyle Banna, tight ends Andy Colegrove and David Rogers and offensive linemen Bobby Coates, Andrew Radakovich and Eric Rodemoyer return as offensive starters. Cornerback Brandian Ross, free safety Andre Elliott, linebacker Deonta Tate, defensive end Stephen Meadows and nose tackle Luke Matelan all return, among others, on defense.

All eyes under center as YSU fall camp begins

Wednesday, August 4 2010

Courtesy of: JOE SCALZO Vindicator Sports

YOUNGSTOWN

“Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.”

— Don Shula

YSU football coach Eric Wolford entered spring camp with four quarterbacks on the roster with a combined two games of college football experience.

Since then, one quit (Meiko Locksley), one transferred in (Najee Tyler) and another enrolled after graduating from high school (Patrick Angle).

Now he has five quarterbacks ... with a combined two games of college football experience.

“I’ll sign 10 if I have to,” said Wolford, who also has a verbal commitment at the position from the Class of 2011. “We’re gonna have a quarterback. It’s the most important position on the football field.

“Your quarterback will make or break you.”

Redshirt freshman Kurt Hess finished spring camp with a slight edge over junior Marc Kanetsky, with redshirt freshman Gannon Hulea holding the No. 3 spot.

The early guess is Hess and Tyler will battle for the top spot when fall camp opens today but Wolford is in no hurry to name a starter right away. Wolford said he’d like to have a starter in place by Aug. 21 — two weeks before the season opener at Penn State.

“We’ve got competition here,” Wolford said. “We’re going to put these guys in a bunch of situations in camp and hopefully one will rise to the top and show that he’s the guy who can lead this football team.”

Here’s a breakdown of the candidates, with the early odds of earning the job:

Tyler (2-1)

After redshirting as a freshman last fall at Purdue, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Brooklyn, N.Y., native transferred to YSU in June.

A Terrelle Pryor clone, he’s the most physically gifted quarterback on the roster.

“We’re not going to deem him the savior,” Wolford said. “He’s gonna earn his way. And if you come in here and earn your way, it’s going to be that much easier for you in this transition of being a new player in this program.

“I think he’s done a good job of handling it the right way. He’s obviously a talented guy.”

Hess (5-1)

Although he shared reps almost equally with Kanetsky in the spring, Hess (6-3, 220) started with the first team in the spring game. (The two quarterbacks alternated back and forth after the first few series.)

Wolford has made it clear if two players are equal, he’ll go with the younger player since he’ll be around longer. Hess has the advantage of having learned the spread offense in the spring but he’s not as mobile as Tyler.

“He had a good spring and did some good things,” Wolford said. “He had a great summer. He’s a young kid who has a lot of talent. But he’s inexperienced.”

Kanetsky (10-1)

The only QB on the roster with any experience, the Hubbard High graduate started the final game of last season and led YSU to a touchdown. Although he’s technically played five games at QB in his career, he’s only thrown passes in two.

For his career, Kanetsky is 7 of 15 for 65 yards with a TD and is also the team’s holder on kicks. But at 6-0, 185, he’s the smallest QB on the roster.

“He’s kind of the guy who’s maybe always been the underdog his whole life but he always finds a way to get the job done,” said Wolford. “He had a great summer.”

Angle (20-1)

After a record-setting career at Logan High that saw him earn Division II offensive player of the year honors last fall, Angle (6-2, 210) has the talent to make a run for the job. But it seems unlikely a true freshman can unseat the three guys ahead of him in just a month.

“Physically, he looks as good as anybody,” Wolford said.

Hulea (50-1)

The Poland High graduate will enter camp looking to hold on to his No. 3 spot on the depth chart and is more of a developmental quarterback at this point.

“I’m excited about the competition we have,” Wolford said. “We’ve got 29 practices before Penn State and we’re going to try to get them into as many live situations as we can.

“We’re gonna hold our QB to a very high standard here. And that means being leaders, working hard, doing things right and being accountable.”

YSU to prove MVFC wrong

Wednesday, August 4 2010

Courtesy of: MARCUS BARKLEY Tribune Chronicle

YOUNGSTOWN - At a news conference following the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll and team selection, Youngstown State University football coach Eric Wolford had a lot of smiles to share.

But when he opened his mouth to express how he felt his team and players were treated in the annual preseason listings, the vernacular wasn't as sunshiny.

"It's disrespect," Wolford said when asked about the Penguins' seventh spot in the poll, their lowest rank ever in the MVFC, which they joined in 1997. "In some parts of this world we live in, you disrespect someone, you may lose your life, right or wrong. And I don't handle disrespect very well and I'm sure my players won't, either. That's why we've got a job to do."

In the preseason poll, defending MVFC champions Southern Illinois easily took the top spot with 313 points and 30 of the 36 first place votes. In the logjam following the Salukis was South Dakota State in second, Illinois State in third and Northern Iowa in fourth. Missouri State and North Dakota State rounded out the teams ahead of the Penguins, while Western Illinois and Indiana State finished out the list .

Though Wolford's not going to hunt down the voters who favored against his team, he is ready to prove the Penguins deserved more than 130 points in the poll and only two nominations onto the preseason team.

"There's disappointment in only having two players on the preseason team," Wolford said. "We're still working, but we're getting closer. We have guys that can play."

The two Penguins chosen to be on the 28-man roster were seniors Dominique Barnes and Eric Rodemoyer. Barnes is a top wide receiver for the Penguins and a three-year letter winner, while Rodemoyer anchors the YSU offensive line and is a two-year letter winner.

Even though Wolford was unimpressed with the voting process, he is ready to put it behind him and prepare for the season, which will begin with Big Ten juggernaut Penn State on September 4. But in Wolford's excitement over the upcoming season came a strong edict to his team - that the best man will play, regardless of age or experience.

"I'm excited," Wolford said. "And the kids are excited, too. Now it's time for us to come together. And I think nervousness is normal because, if you're not a little bit nervous, you probably don't care enough.

"Spring was a feeling out process and I think a lot of players weren't used to the tempo. Now they know what to expect. And we have 36 new guys that are coming for (the returning players) jobs. And if it's even - we'll play the younger guy because he will be here for longer."

And even more youth is coming for the Penguins, as was evidenced last week when Girard senior wide receiver Landon Smith committed to the Penguins.

One of the major areas where new blood should shake things up is quarterback. There is redshirt freshman Kurt Hess, who Wolford said was "inexperienced, but with a lot of talent", junior Marc Kanetsky from Hubbard, who Wolford called "an underdog who always finds a way to get the job done".

There's also Purdue transfer and redshirt Freshman Najee Tyler, who many see as the obvious choice. But Wolford said that he won't "deem him the savior" and that he'll have to "earn his way". There's also freshman Patrick Angle and redshirt freshman Gannon Hulea from Poland. Wolford refused to count any guy out, but did say the decision will be at or before the Penguins last scrimmage on Aug. 22.

Regardless of who will start behind center, the overwhelming attitude of Wolford and those close to the Penguins is optimism - that the upcoming season is the first step in what could be a resurgence for a program that spent much of the 90s as the top team in Division I-AA, now the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

"We're just hoping to be a mentally tougher team now," Wolford said. "And it's our job as coaches to take (the players) where they couldn't take themselves."

sports@tribtoday.com

Guins Tabbed 7th ...Barnes, Rodemoyer Earn Preseason All-MVFC Honors

Monday, August 2 2010

Courtesy of: YSU

St. Louis, Mo. -- Senior offensive guard Eric Rodemoyer (Sharon, Pa.) and senior wide receiver Dominique Barnes (Detroit, Mich.) were named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference's preseason all-league squad on Monday.

Rodemoyer was a second-team all-conference selection in 2009 while Barnes, who led the league in touchdown receptions, was an honorable-mention selection.

In 2009, Rodemoyer started 10 games on the offensive line, including nine at guard. Barnes and then senior Donald Jones gave the Guins one of the conference's best receiver tandems last year. While Jones caught 77 passes, Barnes finished with 60 receptions for 762 yards and eight scores. He averaged 69.3 yards per game and 12.7 yards per catch.

In the preseason team poll, YSU was tabbed to finish seventh in Coach Eric Wolford's first season. Southern Illinois, which has won the past two MVFC crowns, was selected to remain atop the league standings. SIU received 30 of a possible 36 first-place votes and tallied 313 points.

South Dakota State was second at 252 while Illinois State was third (249) and UNI was fourth (244). Rounding out the poll was Missouri State (fifth), North Dakota State (sixth), YSU, Western Illinois (eighth) and Indiana State (ninth). SDSU, Illinois State and UNI all received first-place votes and only eight votes separated the three teams.

SIU will bring a league-record 14-game conference winning streak to Stambaugh Stadium on Sept. 25 in the conference opener for both schools. The last two preseason favorites (NDSU and UNI) did not win the league, but a preseason favorite has won the league crown 13 times (in 24 previous polls).

The Penguins report to camp on Wednesday with their first practice on tap for Thursday. YSU opens the season at Penn State on Sept. 4. The contest will be carried live on the Big Ten Network and 570 WKBN.2010

Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Poll
Team (first-place votes)....................Points
1. Southern Illinois (30)..........................313
2. South Dakota State (2)......................252
3. Illinois State (3)..................................249
4. Northern Iowa (1)...............................244
5. Missouri State....................................164
6. North Dakota State............................151
7. Youngstown State..............................130
8. Western Illinois....................................70
9. Indiana State.......................................47

Penguins boast fresh faces

Sunday, August 1 2010

Courtesy of: JOE SCALZO Vindicator sports staff

YOUNGSTOWN

Say this for YSU football coach Eric Wolford: He’s not afraid of change.

When the Penguins open fall camp on Wednesday, they are expected to have 36 new faces since the end of spring practice — about 15 more than was typical under previous coach Jon Heacock.

Some are members of Wolford’s 15-member recruiting class from February, some are Division I transfers and some are incoming freshmen that have been added since the end of spring camp.

That latter group includes five area players: Mooney linebacker Mark Brandenstein, Boardman defensive linemen Dan Fernback (the cousin of YSU senior DT Rob Fernback) and Kevin Johnson, McDonald linebacker Trent Clay and McDonald wide receiver Nick Cupan.

Other incoming freshmen not from February’s class are safety Josh Garner (Dayton Chaminade-Julienne), cornerback Arnold Mitchell (Toledo Rogers), cornerback Chris Washington (Penn Hills, Pa.) and defensive tackle Brandon Green (Tampa, Fla., Catholic).

Defensive end Andrew Johnson, a Detroit native who spent the last two years at Bowling Green, is the team’s most recent Division I transfer.

That list that includes QB Najee Tyler (Purdue), WR Lynell Payne (Cincinnati) K/P Jake Smith (Syracuse), CB Grant Mayes (Syracuse) and WR Julian Harrell (Miami, Ohio).

YSU also has added four junior college players in the last few weeks, including highly-touted free safety Deionte Williams who comes from talent-rich Northwestern High out of Miami, Fla. He spent the last two years at West Hills (Calif.) Community College.

Other recent junior college transfers include DT Brandon Patterson, a Culver City (Calif.) native who spent the last two years at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., and was expected to attend South Florida this fall.

Others are DE Danie Stewart, a Long Beach, Calif., native who also attended El Camino; and WR Andre Barboza, a Hyannis, Maine, native who spent the last two years at Erie (Pa.) Community College.

In all, the Penguins are expected to have 90 players on their roster on Wednesday, although that number almost will certainly shrink by the Sept. 4 opener at Penn State.

QB battle

YSU’s biggest camp question mark will be at quarterback, where five players will vie for the starting position.

Redshirt freshman Kurt Hess and junior Marc Kanetsky left spring camp in a virtual tie for the position. Tyler, the most physically gifted of the three, will probably battle Hess for the top spot over the next few weeks.

Redshirt freshman Gannon Hulea held the No. 3 spot out of spring camp after freshman Meiko Locksley left the team during spring ball. The fifth QB in camp will be incoming freshman Patrick Angle, who was part of the February class.

Another QB, senior-to-be Dante Nania (Hempfield Area, Pa.) verbally committed to the Penguins in June.

Assistant salaries

Youngstown State recently released salary figures for its assistant coaches. They are:

Tom Sims, assistant head coach/DL: $95,025.

Shane Montgomery, offensive coordinator/QBs: $95,025.

Rick Kravitz, defensive coordinator/LBs: $97,110.

Louie Matsakis, special teams/RBs: $74,175.

Phil Longo, recruiting coordinator, WRs: $74,175.

Frank Buffano, DBs: $53,325.

Ron Stoops Jr., assistant secondary coach/director of high school relations: $35,951.

Carmen Bricillo, OL: $42,900.

Andre Coleman, TE: $26,220.

Rollen Smith, assistant DL: $26,220.

Dan Kopp, director of football operations: $48,113.

Assistant coaches will receive a $500 bonus for each YSU playoff game.

Preseason All-Americans

The Missouri Valley Football Conference placed 11 players on The Sports Network’s Football Championship Subdivision preseason All-America team. None are from YSU.

Two players made first-team offense, both offensive linemen: David Arkin (Missouri State) and Ryan McKnight (South Dakota State). Southern Illinois CB Korey Lindsey was the only first-team defensive selection.

Girard WR Landon Smith verbals to YSU

Saturday, July 31 2010

Courtesy of: JOE SCALZO Vindicator sports staff

Late Friday, Girard wide receiver Landon Smith became the third local player from the 2011 class to verbally commit to the Youngstown State football team.

Smith joins West Branch OL Brandon Ferguson and Fitch DE Steve Zaborsky, who have both committed in the last month.

The commitment is a real coup for the Penguins, as Smith (6-1, 185) had Division I offers from Toledo, Akron, Kent State, Indiana, Ohio University, Ball State and Syracuse and is ranked 64th among incoming seniors by ScoutingOhio.com.

Smith earned first team All-Ohio honors last fall after catching 44 passes for 1,102 yards and 17 TDs. He also returns kicks and plays safety.

-- Joe Scalzo The Vindicator

Strollo Tabbed 2010-11 FCS ADA Second Vice President

Sunday, July 18 2010

Courtesy of: YSU

Youngstown State Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo will serve as the second vice president for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association during 2010-11.

The FCS ADA also elected the following athletics directors to serve as officers during the upcoming year - Greg Burke, director of athletics at Northwestern State University, President, Marilyn McNeil, Monmouth University, 1st Vice President and Brian Hutchinson, Morehead State University, 3rd Vice President.

The following directors of athletics begin their four-year term on the Executive Committee in 2010-11 - Thorr Bjorn, University of Rhode Island; Paul Schlickmann, Central Connecticut State University; and Mark Wilson, Tennessee Tech University. Bjorn, Schlickmann and Wilson join the following AD's on the Executive Committee - Ken Beazer, Southern Utah University; Tom Beckett, Yale University; Charlie Cobb, Appalachian State University; Immediate Past President Peter Fields, Montana State University; Robert Hill, Stephen F. Austin State University; Charlene Johnson, South Carolina State University; Greg LaFleur, Southern University; Bruce McCutcheon, Lafayette College; Hank Small, Charleston Southern University; Jeff Tingey, Idaho State University; and Sheahon Zenger, Illinois State University. Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Beth DeBauche is the commissioners' representative on the Executive Committee.

About the FCS ADA: Now in its 18th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 46th year. For more information on NACDA and the 11 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

YSU football adds two more transfers

Tuesday, July 13 2010

Courtesy of: Joe Scalzo - The Vindicator

YOUNGSTOWN

You know your program is going in the right direction when your transfers start to recruit more transfers.

Youngstown State picked up two more players on Monday when former Cincinnati wide receiver Lynell Payne and former Syracuse kicker/punter Jake Smith signed with the Penguins.

The sophomores are the seventh and eighth players to transfer in since the end of spring practice.

“We’ve been fortunate that guys have come over here and taken a look at our facilities and our university and they like it,” said YSU coach Eric Wolford. “Anytime we can continue to keep adding players on our roster and have the chance to have more depth, that’s a good thing.”

After redshirting the 2008 season, Payne had one catch in three games with the Bearcats last spring. The New Jersey native said his biggest recruiter was former Syracuse cornerback Grant Mayes, another N.J. native who signed with YSU last month.

“I knew him from some camps and combines and he said lots of nice things about the coaches and just kind of informed me about the opportunities there and what was happening,” said Payne. “I feel like I have a chance to play right away and I really liked the city. It gets behind football and loves football.”

Payne said he was also impressed by some of the players who were coming to the team, including former Purdue QB Najee Tyler.

“I just knew I needed a new home,” he said. “I came to YSU’s campus last week and I really liked it.”

The strong-legged Smith played one year with the Orangemen, going 2 for 2 on extra points (both against Akron) and missing a 50-yard field goal attempt against Penn State — his only attempt of the season.

He’s done both punting and kicking since seventh grade. YSU returns a good kicker in senior Stephen Blose but have a lot of question marks at punter.

“I’m going there to work and I’ll do whatever the coach wants me to do, whether it’s kickoffs or punting or kicking field goals,” said Smith, who hails from just outside Philadelphia. “I just really want to win. I don’t like losing.

“It’s not part of my makeup.”

After deciding to leave Syracuse, Smith said the recruiting process went quickly.

“I really found that coaching really matters the most and these [YSU] coaches really treat you like family,” said Smith, who also liked YSU’s business school. “They actually care about your success on and off the field.

“When I took my visit, they made me feel really comfortable.”

Like Payne, Smith didn’t know much about YSU. But after doing some research, he came away impressed with the team’s tradition and fan support.

He also had good things to say about Syracuse — both the school and the football team — but said it wasn’t the right fit for him.

“I realized it wasn’t the place I wanted to spend the four years that pretty much determine my life,” he said.

The Penguins have lost at least 15 players since spring practice and only have a few weeks remain to integrate the new transfers with Wolford’s first recruiting class. Camp starts Aug. 4 with the opener at Penn State on Sept. 4.

“We’ve got one month and we have got to become a family and a team,” Wolford said. “I have some plans to do some different things, kind of different from the norm, to get us to bond and come together.

“How we come together as a team I really believe is going to have an impact on how we do this fall.”

Cafaro Family Donates $1 Million for YSU WATTS

Tuesday, July 6 2010

Courtesy of: YSU

Youngstown -- The Cafaro Family is donating $1 million for the construction of the Watson and Tressel Training Site at Youngstown State University.

"My father was always a strong, but quiet, supporter of higher learning here in his hometown," said Anthony Cafaro Sr., the recently retired president of The Cafaro Company and son of company founder William M. Cafaro. "It has been so impressive to watch the growth of the Youngstown State campus in recent years. We are thrilled to continue our ongoing commitment to YSU."

The track and the lobby of the Watson and Tressel Training Site, also known as WATTS, will be named in honor of the Cafaro family.

"On behalf of the entire YSU community, I want to thank Tony Cafaro and all of the Cafaro family for this generous gift," YSU President Cynthia E. Anderson said. "This gift represents the Cafaro's continued faith in the future of YSU, our students and in the entire Youngstown community."

WATTS is an $11.4 million indoor practice facility now under construction along Elm Street and the Madison Avenue Expressway, on the site of YSU's former outdoor track. The facility is funded through a combination of private donations and university bond financing.

The facility, scheduled for completion by the end of this calendar year, will be used primarily by YSU's intercollegiate athletic teams, including baseball, football, soccer, softball and men's and women's track. The facility will accommodate team practices, intramural sports, campus-wide activities and special events.

The Cafaro Foundation is a charitable entity established by the Cafaro family in memory of William M. Cafaro, the founder of the real estate development and management company in Youngstown that bears his name. For more than a half century, Cafaro, and his wife, Alyce, and brother John A. Cafaro, have supported churches, schools, hospitals and other charitable causes. The Cafaro Company is one of the nation's largest privately held real estate development firms, managing more than 30 million square feet of property in 11 states.

The Cafaros' support for YSU dates to the 1960s. William M. Cafaro was a key advocate for Youngstown University becoming a state public university in 1968. He also was one of the founders and one of the first board members for the YSU Foundation. William's son, Anthony Cafaro Sr., is a 1968 graduate of YSU and currently a member of the board of the YSU Foundation. Anthony's wife, Phyllis, served on the campaign cabinet for the recently completed YSU Centennial Capital Campaign. Anthony and Phyllis' sons, Anthony Jr. and William, a 1992 YSU graduate, now lead the company.

With this gift, the family has donated nearly $2.5 million to YSU. In the mid 1990s, the family made a $1 million gift to name Cafaro House residence hall on the north end of campus. In 2003, the family gave $250,000 for the construction of the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Four years later, the family made a $100,000 gift to the YSU nursing program to name the Betty Nohra Room in Cushwa Hall. The family has also annually supported the William and Alyce and the John Cafaro Scholarship at the YSU Foundation.

The WATTS is named after Jim and Ellen Tressel and Ellen's parents, Frank and Norma Watson, who donated a combined $1 million when fund-raising for the project began three years ago. Tressel was head coach of YSU's football program for 15 years, winning four NCAA Division I-AA national championships before taking the head-coaching job at Ohio State University in 2001.