Archive for November, 2012

One last gasp.  Youngstown State will celebrate the careers of the senior football players, cheerleaders, and band members this Saturday.  The last note, cartwheel, and reception can all take place within a few seconds of each other.  Then it is gone.  All that is left for the great majority of those seniors is the memories of the days when they were that person.

Indiana State comes to town ranked #7 and having a sensational year.  They are a good football team that will try to jam the ball down the throats of the eight YSU defenders in the box.  Last season, they did exactly that, racing out to a 21-0 and holding on for a 37-35 lead.  The underlying themes of that game were that Shakir Bell is really good, and Youngstown State will not quit.

Maybe a coincidence, but the Penguins are again chasing the Sycamores.  This race however covers a season, and YSU is trailing again.  The Penguins are mathematically alive for a playoff spot but will need to knock off Indiana State before any consideration will be given.  It is a must win game for both teams.

At the weekly press conference, YSU’s Jamaine Cook was asked to compare himself to Bell.

“We are very different, he [Bell] is a quicker back than me, but I think I run with a little more power”, said Cook.

Bell disagreed.

“Cook is a veteran.  I am not so sure he has more power than me.  Pound-for-pound I think I got him.  I’m quicker, but I think I am just as, if not more, powerful.”

Either way, both backs have had great years at their respective universities and the ground enthusiasts will be real happy to attend this game.  Bell, a junior, is a finalist on the Walter Payton Watch List.

Indiana State will ride a bus to Canton on Friday and have a walkthrough practice at Fawcett Stadium.  After the walkthrough, the players will get to visit the NFL Hall of Fame.

“We visited the Hall of Fame two years ago on this trip in.  I enjoy going through there and noticing how many great running back only averaged four to five yards per carry”, said Bell.

As far as last season’s meeting, Bell was quick to be quoted in the present.

“Last year was last year, it’s in the past and does nothing for us now.  They [YSU] beat Pitt and Pitt almost beat Notre Dame.  They are a good team and they like to hit.  We are going to do all we can to execute and we are not thinking about losing.”

YSU’s Aronde Stanton also talked about the weapon the Sycamores use best.

“Bell is a really good back, but we have seen some good running backs all season.  He is probably the best running back we will see though and we have to find a way to get it done.”

While Bell was quick to shun last years game, many Penguins pointed toward a regular season ending loss to Missouri State that kept them out of the postseason.

“Last year we overlooked our opponent and looked toward the playoffs”, said Cook.  “We won’t make that mistake this year.”

Penguin TE Will Shaw commented on what it will take to post a win.  “Last year at Indiana State we dug ourselves too big of a hole.  We want to have a fast start and take care of business this year.”

Coach Wolford respects the Sycamores and knows that YSU has a tough task to deal with this weekend.

“Anytime you beat North Dakota State, it is a good season.  They are a creative team with a wide-open playbook and they make you accountable.”

The playoffs are a coveted goal for all teams.  YSU can win and still be left out thanks to the month of October.  However, Wolford thinks that a win should be enough.

“If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be.  Seven of the ten teams we have played so far have been ranked in the Top-25 this season.”

Kickoff is set for 2 pm with a decent weather forecast to look forward too.  See you at the game that I predict the Penguins to win, 31-28.

The Youngstown State women’s basketball team used strong defense and got 24 points and 15 rebounds from Brandi Brown to hold off Buffalo in a 60-50 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Arena.

Freshman Shar’Rae Davis added a career-high 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Liz Hornberger (above) matched her career high with 12 points. Rachel Gregory had 17 points to lead Buffalo.

The Penguins held Buffalo scoreless for more than five minutes on three different occasions in the contest, and that helped them overcome a slugging ending to the game in which they went without a field goal for nine minutes.  Coach Bob Boldon stressed before the season started that defense was the facet of the team that the Penguins wanted to get better with.

YSU’s 10-point victory avenged a 54-point loss at Buffalo three ago. It follows YSU’s 66-point turnaround against Pittsburgh when it beat the Panthers by 14 on Friday after losing by 52 three seasons ago, and suddenly the Penguins are 2-0 for the first time since 1999-2000.

Youngstown State will play its home opener against Bryant on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. For tickets, call (330) 941-1978.

With a hot start to the Youngstown State men’s and women’s basketball seasons, now is the perfect time for those who waited to purchase season tickets. The men have road wins at Georgia and George Washington while the women defeated Pittsburgh in their opener to start the season.

Both teams make their home debuts this weekend at the Beeghly Center. On Friday night, the men’s program plays host to Saint Francis (Pa.). Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. The women are in action on Sunday against Bryant in a special noon start time.

Tickets are available at the YSU Athletic Ticket Office by calling (330) 941-1978. Ticket office hours this week are extended from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The YSU football team is also in action at home this Saturday playing host to Indiana State. Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m.

Tickets for all men’s and women’s games are available for $175 as part of the “Penguin Package”. Men’s game only ticket packages are $155 while women’s only packages are also $155. A general admission package for the entire year is $115.

The men have 14 home games this year while the women will be in action 13 times.

After Friday’s game against Saint Francis (Pa.), the men are next in action at the Beeghly Center against Kent State on Nov. 28.

Single-game tickets are $14 for reserved and $10 for general admission in advance, but increase to $16 and $12 on gameday. Youth pricing is available for children under 12. YSU students are admitted free.

By joining the Penguin Club’s Courtside Coaches group, fans get access to tickets, parking and admission to the Coaches Court Room in the Beeghly Center. For information on joining the Courtside Coaches group contact the Penguin Club at (330) 941-2351.

Expectations were higher than usual heading into the 2012-13 basketball season for Jerry Slocum‘s Youngstown State Penguins.  Reality drawn from those expectations has been over the top.  Just two nights after defeating George Washington, the Penguins went into Georgia and bit the Bulldogs, 68-56.

Kendrick Perry (above) had 23 points (17 in the second half) to lead the Penguins.  Newcomer Kamren Belin posted 17 points and Damian Eargle rattled off a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Penguins defensive effort was tremendous as YSU forced Georgia into 15 turnovers.  The YSU defense also held the Bulldogs to 17 total field goals and a 32.1 shooting percentage for the game.

After trailing by eleven at the half, Georgia was able to cut the YSU lead down to three, 32-29, but a jumper by Eargle, a free-throw by Perry and a 3-pointer by DJ Cole, the first of his career, put the Guins back up 38-29, with 11:43 left.

YSU then used a 13-4 run and led by as many as 18 after a four-point play by Perry made it 51-33 with 7:48 to go.  Georgia never got within 10 the rest of the way.

The Guins shot 38.5 percent from the field and held the Bulldogs to a 12.5 field-goal percentage in the first half.

Shawn Amiker scored the first four points for the Penguins as they jumped out to an 8-0 start.

After the Bulldogs cut the deficit to 12-6 at the 9:16 mark, the Penguins defense allowed just one more field goal the rest of the half. Georgia scored its final six points at the free-throw line.

Belin gave the Penguins a jump start hitting a jumper and a 3-pointer to push the YSU lead to 10 points,  19-6, with 4:40 to go.

Youngstown State started the 2012-13 season on the right foot with a big 80-73 road win at George Washington of the Atlantic-10.  Blake Allen paced the Penguins with 19 points, including four three-pointers, but the bench and free throw shooting to close the game out made the difference.

Damian Eargle was fouled with 40 seconds left in the game as he sank a shot to break a 71-71 tie.  Eargle hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and put YSU ahead.

Allen’s 3-pointer with 2:40 left put Youngstown State ahead 71-65, but the Colonials charged back with six straight points, the last of which was an  Isaiah Armwood dunk following a Penguins’ turnover. Armwood led George Washington with 18 points.

Youngstown State made six free throws in the final 25 seconds, and the Penguins escaped victorious after nearly blowing a late lead.  The bench played a big role in the season opening win.

Newcomer Bobby Hain played 27 minutes off of the bench and contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Penguins.  DJ Cole picked up the slack off of the bench for Kendrick Perry who did not make a basket in nine shot attempts.  Cole played 28 minutes and scored twelve points and had a pair of big steals.

With the win, his 75th at YSU, Jerry Slocum tied Mike Rice for third on the school’s all-time wins list.

Not much time to celebrate this one as the Penguins head South for a game with the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday.

Youngstown State (6-4, 3-4) kept their playoff hopes alive with a 31-7 victory at Western Illinois.  The Penguins played a very methodical game and had a big edge in the time of possession, 39:52 to WIU’s 20:08, nearly a twenty minute difference.

Jamaine Cook (above) carried the ball 32 times for 113 yards in the win.  Cook scored the first Penguins touchdown on the opening march of the game with a two-yard plunge to give the Penguins an early 7-0 lead.

Western Illinois freshman QB, Hayden Northern scored on a fourth-and-goal from the one to tie the game.  The touchdown was the first for the Leathernecks since October 6.

YSU’s defense buckled down after the Leathernecks scored.  The defense played well in the win, limiting Western Illinois to 142 yards of total offense for the afternoon.  The numbers do not lie, 52 yards on 23 carries is a damn good defensive showing.

Meanwhile, the Penguins run game was in high gear.  YSU would finish the game with 225 rushing yards on the ground.  Kurt Hess and Torrian Pace scored touchdowns on the ground.  Adaris Bellamy looked healthy as he tacked 60 rushing yards onto the total.  The offensive line blocked well and their lone blemishes were a couple of penalties for false starts.

Hess had some problems with his passing as he was picked off to give Western Illinois the starting field position of YSU’s 17 on their lone scoring drive.  Hess did make some good passes in the win, however,  and finished the game 14-22 for 152 yards.

So the stage is now set for a meaningful war with Indiana State at Stambaugh Stadium next week.  If Indiana State wins, they will get in.  If YSU wins, there is a good chance that they will get in.  The loser of this game will definitely see their season end.

The Sycamores had a bye week, giving them a couple of weeks to prepare for the Penguins.  The vanilla ball-control offense Eric Wolford used to defeat the Leathernecks with was a perfect script of simplicity that Indiana State will learn little they already didn’t know when reviewing it.

The last two games against Western Illinois and South Dakota could be called cupcake games, but it should be noted that the teams ahead of YSU in the standings played one, or both, at some point this season as well.  The timing couldn’t be better though for the Penguins, as getting on a little roll is huge going into a game that definitely puts the season on the line next week.

Youngstown State rallied to outscore Pitt, 43-17, in the second half to post a season-opening 64-50 win on the road.  The victory was the first over a Big East team since 1991 and also the first over a BCS Conference opponent since 1997.

Brandi Brown (above), playing in her last season for the Penguins, spearheaded a furious comeback after the Penguins trailed 33-21 at the half.  Brown scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.  She also collected 11 rebounds for Youngstown State.

Brown was joined by Monica Touvelle and Melissa Thompson in double figures for YSU.  Touvelle shot 4-10 from three-point land and Thompson, who finished with 13, played a well-rounded game for the Penguins.

Surprisingly, the undersized Lady Penguins held their own on the boards.  Pitt finished the game with a 34-32 edge in rebounds, but Bob Boldon‘s scrappy team is getting used to a disadvantage in size that they are able to compensate for with hustle and technique.

The opportunistic Penguins play at Buffalo on Tuesday at noon.

Youngstown State will travel to Macomb, Illinois, for their final regular season road contest to face Western Illinois.  The Penguins (5-4, 2-4) are trying to regain the swagger that had them ranked as high as third in the polls.  Then October came.  The Leathernecks (3-6, 1-5) are having a pretty tough campaign as well, but hope that the adrenaline will propel them to a victory on Senior Day.

The Penguins have preached all season long that they will not look ahead, but rather, focus on the opponent of the week.  Coach Eric Wolford also vowed that this team could not put all of its eggs in one basket, but a loss would surely eliminate the Penguins from any hopes of postseason life.  The eggs are in one basket every week.

If the Penguins can secure a win in Macomb, next week’s contest against Indiana State will have huge playoff implications that could seed the winner.  One week at a time though, as the focus is on the Leathernecks of Western Illinois.

Last season, the Penguins won a lopsided 56-11 verdict at Stambaugh Stadium.  The Penguins have owned the Leathernecks in the recent years, winning seven of the last eight games, and now hold a 16-11 edge in the series.  Even though Western Illinois has lost seven of their last eight, senior WR Charles Chestnut vows that his team is going to do all they can to win.

The Penguins have turned up the pressure, recording eleven sacks in the last three games.  Aronde Stanton and Nick DeKraker have a sack in each of the three games.

Offensively, Kurt Hess needs one more touchdown pass to take sole ownership of the most touchdowns in a career.  The junior signal caller is tied with Tom Zetts at 51 aerial tosses.  RB Jamaine Cook (above) is the reigning MVFC Offensive Player of The Week as he popped out 203 yards on 42 carries last week in the win over South Dakota.

Cook is also chasing some historical marks.  He can set the career mark at YSU for all-purpose yardage if he can accumulate 180 yards.  He also trails Adrian Brown by 163 yards for second place on the all-time rushing yardage list.

“The win last week definitely helps us get our confidence back on track”, said OL Lamar Mady.  “Everybody is level-headed and working hard to be prepared for the next game.  We want to get the whole offense running strong again.”

Kickoff from Macomb is 2 pm EST (1 pm CST) and the game will be carried on WFMJ. Don’t count YSU out yet.

Youngstown State senior tailback Jamaine Cook was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against South Dakota, the league announced on Sunday.

Cook rushed for a 203 yards on 42 carries and had a touchdown in the Penguins’ 13-10 win over South Dakota. Cook had season-high totals in both carries and yards in the contest. He scored on one-yard run in the third quarter. He moved into third in rushing yards for a career in school history and eclipsed 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season. He had 103 yards on 23 carries in the first half and 90 on 19 totes in the second half.

He moved into third place in school history in career rushing yardage. Cook now has 3,815 and trails just Adrian Brown at 3,978 and Tamron Smith at 4,866 in school history. Against South Dakota, Cook had 42 carries for 203 yards. The carries rank as the fourth most in a single game in school history. The 203 yards is the 21st time in school history a Penguin has eclipsed the 200-yard mark in a contest.

Other players honored for their performances on Saturday were S Caleb Schaffitzel of Missouri State (defense); LB T.J. Lally of South Dakota State (newcomer); and PK Justin Syrovatka of South Dakota State (special teams).

The Penguins return to action on Saturday at Western Illinois. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Central.

Youngstown State University needed to win a game in the worst way.  South Dakota, the new kid on the block in the Missouri Valley Football Conference came in with a 1-7 record.  When the two struggling teams faced off, the Penguins ended up ahead, 13-10, and halted a four-game losing streak.

The Penguins defense, for the most part, played a very solid game.  The offense did enough to win.

“It was an ugly win, but obviously we will take it”, said Eric Wolford.  “The defense played great.  It starts up front.  Going in, I had some concerns about their running game, but our front seven held them in check.”

Kurt Hess found Nate Adams (below) in the first quarter to give YSU a 6-0 lead.  The normally reliable David Brown, the teams extra point specialist, hit the right goalpost to record his first miss in 35 attempts this season.

Adams released to the right pylon as Hess scrambled around before completing the easy three yard pitch and catch.  The touchdown completed a drive that covered 84 yards in 15 plays.  The catch would be the only one Adams would have in the game.

With less than a minute to play in the first half, the Penguins tried a trick play.  Hess got the ball to Micheal Wheary who never crossed the line of scrimmage.  Wheary cranked up a pass from about 12 yards and unloaded into a crowded end zone.  The result was a red zone turnover with less than a minute to play in the half.

Youngstown State took the opening kickoff to start the second half and drove 75yards in nine plays.  The big play in the drive was a 28-yard run by Jamaine Cook that got the ball to the one yard line.  Cook would plunge in on the very next play and Brown would knock in the extra point to make it a 13-0 YSU lead.

South Dakota put together their most productive drive of the afternoon.  Eric Wolford said earlier in the week that Coyote quarterback, Josh Vander Maten, was a threat with his arm and his feet.  Vander Maten proved to be dangerous on the drive as he rushed for 39 yards on four carries and threw three completions for another twenty yards.

“The month of October was very difficult, we had to fight for 60 minutes to get a win”, said Wolford.  “I have been places where guys miss classes, talk back, and have discipline issues.  We aren’t having those issues here.”

The Penguins defense stiffened, however, and the Coyotes had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from Kevin Robb.

After the South Dakota field goal, Youngstown State mounted a drive that would kill a lot of clock.  The YSU special teams blunder of the week was up next.  Brown lined up for a 45-yard field goal.  The field goal was blocked and South Dakota ended up with possession inside the Penguins 50.

What happened next encapsulated what has gone wrong for the Penguins in the last four weeks.  The Coyotes used two plays to go 47 yards and make it a 13-10 game.  On the short possession, Dale Peterman picked up a 15-yard penalty on a flea-flicker that Vander Maten ended up keeping with all of his receivers covered, for a modest ten yard gain.  On the next play, Jasper Sanders gashed through several missed tackles for a 22-yard score.

Once YSU got the ball back with over ten minutes left in the game, they went back to the running game to grind the clock.  After a couple of first downs, the Penguins punted.  Nick Liste hit a nearly perfect punt that rolled into the right pylon for a touchback.  Football truly is a game of inches.

South Dakota got the ball back and after picking up a first down, faced a fourth-and-eleven on their own 41 yard line.  Aronde Stanton sealed the deal as he dragged Vander Maten down to force a change of possession.

“I tried to strip him, so my initial reaction was to just hold on”, said Stanton.  “We have been getting better.  This win gives us confidence to go into the next game.  If we don’t win the rest of our games, we know we don’t have a chance.”

For the Penguins, Cook carried the ball 42 times for 203 yards, a season-high in yardage, and a career-high in attempts.  The 42 carries were the fourth highest amount attempted in YSU history.  Hess finished 11-17 for  133 yards.

“Hats off to the offensive line, they did a great job up front”, said Cook.  “I feel fresher carrying the ball 42 times in a win than I would twenty times in a loss, I’m sure I will feel it tomorrow.”

“The coaches deserve all of the credit for putting a great game plan together”, said OT DJ Main.  “We definitely executed the game plan better than we have.  The offense struggled and the defense played great and kept us in the game, we executed when we had to.”

With the news that Indiana State was losing, there was a sudden renewal of hope for the Penguins.  If they can win at Western Illinois next week, they face Indiana State at home on November 17.  If they can win that game, both teams would have four losses and YSU would be selected over ISU because of the head-to-head logic.