The time has again come to say goodbye to a number of Youngstown State University football players, a couple of cheerleaders, and a few band members.  Marc Kanetsky (above) was part of a class that got caught in a transition from the Jon Heacock Era to the present day Eric Wolford regime.  These guys were recruited by Heacock, learned a new system under Wolford, and despite not racking up a whole bunch of playing time as a collective unit, stayed true to a program on the rise.

Joining Kanetsky on the field for one last game were Ely Ducatel, Pat White, Andre Barboza, David Rogers, Obinna Ekweremuba, Daniel Stewart, Andrew Johnson, Josh Lee, John Sasson, and Nate Schkurko.  Sasson and Johnson were captains, joining underclassmen Kurt Hess and Jamaine Cook.

Each of these players left a legacy of some kind with their teammates to remember them by.  Some were defensive leaders this season, some could not overcome injury to get untracked, and some did little things on special teams that will be hard to replace.  Nonetheless, they are done eating and lifting weights and striving to become bigger, faster, and stronger.

Kanetsky is an interesting loss.  His primary role on the team was to signal in plays using a variety of different arm motions and hand signals to Hess on the field.  Coach Shane Montgomery would relay a play call from the coaches box through headphones to the backup quarterback.  He was also a holder for the field goal unit. The other loss on a guy like Kanetsky would be the team GPA taking a hit, as a 3.9 student goes to the real world.

Turnover on the sidelines is also a part of a process that is often overlooked. Cheerleaders and band members work very hard all Summer to make sure their act is tight.  This year’s band was incredible, they always sounded good and they can march with any band in the nation.  The cheerleaders are a happy bunch as a whole group. To see some of their gymnastic ability, pyramid building skills, and overall spirit, is a credit to the university.

Good luck to all seniors in the future!