Posts Tagged ‘Eric Wolford’

A few tickets remain for what could be called the party of the year.  A charity event will be held at the Covelli Centre on Friday, June 1, to raise money for the No Stone Unturned Foundation.  The cost of a ticket is $85.00, but there is live entertainment and the most expensive seafood money can buy – lobster.  Melted butter will be plentiful and the cause if truly worth supporting.

No Stone Unturned is run by Dr. Melinda Wolford and her husband, YSU Head Coach Eric Wolford.  The charity was named after their son Stone  and focuses on helping people who cannot afford medical priveleges that our health care system cannot account for.  All of the money is used to help people in need and Dr. Melinda keeps very good direction on what is allocated to whom and when.

The event will start at 6 pm and run until 11 pm and will feature live music by Fins To The Left, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band that knows how to get the party going.

Get your Summer off to a great start this Friday by heading to the Covelli Centre, having a delicious lobster dinner, and supporting the cause.  I fully support the efforts of No Stone Unturned and will continue to do anything asked to make this charity a productive venture.  The Wolfords are top-notch people with very big hearts and this event will be something to behold!

For tickets and reservations, hurry and contact Tiffany Koma via e-mail: tkoma@covellicentre.com or call 330-740-1865.

A couple of weeks ago, I was strolling through Dillard’s at the Southern Park Mall.  As I was trying on a new pair of dress shoes, the sales representative, a female in her thirties, commented on my YSU apparel.  Her comments echoed disdain toward the Penguins Eric Wolford.

“He is pretty arrogant and I heard his players hate him.”

That was the exactness of her wording.  Of course, I raised the defense on behalf of Wolford and said that he was a stand-up guy who cares for his players and has a lot on his mind.  There was not much conversation beyond that, other than me telling her I didn’t like the shoes.

I didn’t purchase any shoes. The thing I took away from that experience was the idea to contact Wolford, Kelly Pavlik, and others in the area who have had to deal with adversity.  Plus, I thought the saleswoman had issues.  Dillards has joined my small list of businesses that are now ‘closed’.

During the season last year, Wolford made a comment about adversity and how everyone in the room would have to deal with an uninvited circumstance sooner or later.  I thought his addressing an issue that way was commendable and it stuck with me.

Kevin Watts, a YSU football player, recently lost his father.  Wolford commented on how he helps others when they face adversity such as the death of a parent.

“Kevin’s dad was obviously a very big part of his life.  Other kids have parents who are sick and not doing very well.  As coaches, we try to step in and provide a father-figure role to take them under our wing and encourage them to get through that part of life.  We will offer grief counseling if it is needed, anything to put their mind at ease and to know that they have someone they can turn to.”

It’s not just death and sickness, there is always something going on.

“These kids all have so many things going on at home.  Some of them send their financial aid checks home so that their parents can pay the car insurance or the rent.  It sounds crazy, but it is the reality some of these kids are faced with.”

“I live with adversity every day, and these guys know that”, added Wolford.  “When I get home every night, I have to wonder if Stone will be there.  It is something that I live with every day and the players know my relationship with Stone.  The players can reflect on that relationship and see the degree of adversity that exists.  It helps them deal with something on a smaller scale sometimes.”

Wolford, and his wife, Dr. Melinda, started a foundation called No Stone Unturned which helps families pay bills that our out-of-whack health insurance system hits people for.  Wolford has referred to it as ‘paying ahead’.

Dr. Wolford commented on Coach Wolford’s relationship with his players.

“Eric loves each and every one of those kids.  He has to handle how he coaches differently with each of them.  Some respond better to yelling, some are better with sit-down meetings.  One player was going to quit because he didn’t like being yelled at.  Eric found that kid after pursuing him for a couple of days.  They talked and worked it out, and you are always going to have that at every school.  A coach that seeks to resolve the problem, sends the message to the players that he cares.”

Wolford faced a different adversity earlier in his coaching career.  Dr. Wolford told the story of her husbands worst nightmare coming true.

“Eric was hired by Coach Stoops to be the line coach at Arizona.  He was helping with recruiting and found a lineman in Texas.  The lineman committed to come to Arizona and Eric was thrilled about the addition.  Early on during Summer workouts, the recruit died in Eric’s arms, collapsed at practice and never recovered.  Eric had to call the family and tell them that their son was dead.  He was so devastated, but he made his way to Houston for the funeral, and he even spoke there.  The next season, another recruit was shot in a separate incident and never was able to play football after that.  Eric still stays in touch with that young man and his family.”

Wolford is special, and he treats those who let him, as part of his huge football family.    I know Wolford will make mistakes, we all do, it’s just human nature.  However, the fact that he never turns down a speaking appearance to assist local charities, donates more money than you would ever know to causes he considers worthwhile, and has a unique home life where adversity is faced daily, he is a role model people could learn something from.  Far from arrogant.

Kurt Hess threw two first-half touchdowns, and fellow quarterback Patrick Angle had 158 passing yards and a touchdown as the Red Team beat the White 28-14 in the 40th Annual Red-White Spring Game on Friday evening at Stambaugh Stadium.

The Red offense and White defense were comprised of first-string players, and the Red defense and White offense were the second-stringers. The first half featured standard timing rules, and the second half had a running clock.

Hess finished 11-for-19 for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and the junior-to-be spent the second half on the sideline. Angle was 7-for-14 for 94 yards in the first half for the White team, and he was 4-for-8 for 61 yards and a touchdown in the second half for the Red.

Angle and White quarterback Dante Nania connected with wide receiver Andrew Williams nine times for 135 yards, which was a game high. Jelani Berassa led Red with 82 yards and was one of four players to catch a touchdown pass. Carson Sharbaugh and Kevin Watts added scores through the air for the Red team, and Nate Adams had a touchdown reception for the White.

Jordan Thompson rushed for a game-high 67 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and Jamaine Cook had 64 yards on 12 carries for the Red. Torrian Pace headlined the White rushing attack with 51 yards and a score on 12 carries.

Pace impressed offensive coordinator, Shane Montgomery.

“Torrian has had a really good Spring for us”, remarked Montgomery.  “He is faster than he was last year.  We know we can’t keep Jamaine [Cook] on the field as much as we have the last two seasons.  With Adaris Bellamy recovering, Jordan [Thompson] and Torrian got some good reps, I feel real good about our depth at that position and at tight end.”

Travis Williams had 10 tackles, including seven in the first quarter, for the White defense.  Josh Garner and Jeremy Edwards played pretty well for the White defense.  That trio of defenders will play a big role in the defensive turnaround efforts targeted for this season.

With the running clock, Angle put the game out of reach on the Red team’s first drive of the fourth quarter. He connected with tight end Will Shaw for a 25-yard gain on third-and-19 to get the ball down to the White 22, and he found Watts for a six-yard score on the 13th play of the drive.

Shaw and the other two tight ends combined for 114 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.

Jimmy May, Jr. intercepted Angle in the second quarter for the game’s lone turnover. The Red team fumbled twice but recovered each. Brandon Neal and Julius Childs both had pass breakups for the White defense.

Kicker David Brown missed a field goal.  We already know that Coach Wolford likes the math sounds of seven being greater than three and if the Penguins will have a weakness in the red zone, it will be the kicking game.

The Penguins will have a light workout on Monday to finish up the spring practice season.

This year, things could be different.  For starters, the 40th version of the Youngstown State football Red vs White game will be played Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. Admission is $5 and free for YSU students. The contest will be carried live on 570 WKBN.  It has a big game feel, which is exactly what Eric Wolford and his staff want.

Wolford will be in the tailgate lot visiting with fans starting at 6:15 p.m. Tailgate contest will also start at 6:15 p.m. and the judging will be held until 6:45. The winner will be presented a trophy by Coach Wolford at midfield prior to the start of the game.

“Whoever has hot garlic will probably win”, joked Wolford on the Rookery Radio interview he did with Zach Humphries and Gary Brode.  “This area is famous for all of the good food and this is when people will compete to see whose is best.  I heard we had sold 100 tailgate passes already, that’s awesome!”

Tailgate passes for the M-24 Parking Lot across the street from the Stadium are available for $15 to all Penguin fans. Fans who purchase a pass, must also buy two game tickets. The tailgating lot will open at 5 p.m. For more information, or to purchase a tailgate parking pass contact the Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978. There is no postgame tailgating. Additional parking will be available near the stadium for $5 in various university lots.

Courtesy of YSUSports.com, here is a complete schedule:

5 p.m. — Tailgate (M-24 Lot Only) and Parking Lots Open
6:15 p.m. — Judging for Best Tailgate Food Contest Begins
6:30 p.m. — Stambaugh Staium Gates Open
6:50 p.m. — Entire Team Takes Field
7:30 p.m. — Kickoff

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, these guys have worked really hard”, said Wolford.

When asked if his defense can truly be measured against an offense with so many returning weapons, Wolford said, “You know, I was an offensive guy for a long time and love when we score.  However, as a head coach, I have to pull for the defense to do well also.  There is a lot of competition and about six or seven positions are up for grabs, so I think you will see guys trying very hard, defensively, to make a good impression.”

The Youngstown State football team had a productive two-hour scrimmage on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.  Anyone not living under a rock knows that all of the pieces from last season are back on offense this season.  However, a young defense with lots of new faces will continue to thrive and improve.  The defensive unit, unfortunately, is competing against an offense that practically rewrote the record books in 2011.

The Penguins worked on moving-the-ball, red-zone, third-down, four-minute and two-minute situations during the workout, and the offense opened the scrimmage with three consecutive crisp scoring drives.

On the first sequence junior quarterback Kurt Hess engineered a 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive. On the drive, Hess was 5-for-5 while senior tailback Jamaine Cook  (above) ran for 22 yards on five carries. Cook rushed for six yards on a fourth-and-two play from the 33 to extend the drive. Three plays later, Hess connected with Christian Bryan on 17-yard scoring toss.

On the second drive, sophomore quarterback Patrick Angle and junior tailback Torrian Pace went to work. Pace carried the ball four times for 16 yards while Angle was 5-for-5, including a 36-yard strike to tight end Nate Adams. After the defense forced a third-and-goal from the eight, Angle found Jelani Berassa (below) in the back of the end zone for a score capping a 10-play 70-yard march.

Angle led the offense on a 65-yard drive on the following possession. Cook opened the drive with a 25-yard rush while Jordan Thompson followed with carries of five, 18, 13 and three yards. On 3rd-and-4 from the 11-yard line, Angle went to Berassa again for nine yards to pick up a first down. Thompson then found a crack of daylight, scoring from two yards out.

“We are going to start to solidify positions”, said Head Coach Eric Wolford.  “We are pretty deep into this thing.  I was encouraged by things that I saw on both sides of the football.  Overall, we are getting better and there are still missed tackles and things we need to improve on.  Jeremy Edwards did a very good job on Will Shaw downfield today.  Will can run and Jeremy kept him in check.  It’s just an example of the expectations and that we are getting better on that side of the ball.”

“This is a process”, echoed Defensive Line Coach, Tom Sims.  “Last season, Andrew Johnson was a leader on defense, but there really was not much leadership from the linebackers and defensive backs, partly because they are so young.  Ultimately, we want competition.  If the ones get hurt, we should not have to worry about a two going in, the one should worry about the two going in and taking the ones spot.”

The defense held on the next series and then Jimmy May intercepted a Dante Nania overthrow to quickly end the fifth drive.

The Penguins ran four-minute situations with both the top and reserve units. The scrimmage was capped off with a two-minute drill. Hess found Bryan again for a 30-yard scoring toss with 31 seconds left on the first try. The defense held the reserve offense out of the end zone when Angle’s desparation pass fell incomplete on the final play of the workout.

Here are some statistics from the first portion of the scrimmage:  PASSING – Hess 7-of-7 for 66 yards and two touchdowns, Angle 6-of-7 for 70 yards and a TD, Nania 3-of-7 for 22 yards and one interception. RUSHING – Thompson 9-81; Cook 8-53; Pace 6-21. RECEIVING – Bryan 3-54, 2 TDs; Berassa 3-23, TD; Andrew Williams 2-22.

YSU returns to the gridiron on Monday for its 12th practice of the spring. Next week the Penguins are slated to hold workouts Monday and Wednesday before Friday’s annual Red-White Spring Game. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

With Youngstown State starting Spring football, a good question heading into 2012 would be, ‘Is the “process” that the program has undertaken since Eric Wolford got hired ready?’  Time will tell, but at Saturday’s full-pads practice, Coach Wolford seemed very encouraged by what he saw.

“We told the offense that it was a first-and-ten situation and they had to get four yards, and they didn’t do it.”, said Wolford.  “I saw some improvement and some good things and as the Spring goes on I expect to see more.”

YSU, the only team to beat reigning FCS Champion, North Dakota State, last season, will feel pressure for this program to win.  For two years, Wolford has explained in depth that in a technologically driven society of ‘now’, where everything seems needed at the very moment it is desired, that this is a process.  Now that Wolford has pieces in place, the process needs to transition into the standard, which Wolford defines as winning championships.

One of the reasons YSU can win championships is the lethal team of Kurt Hess and Shane Montgomery.  Montgomery is an offensive genius, last year’s stats would back that statement.  Hess is just a good person.  We talked for 15 minutes after practice Saturday about the start of Major League Baseball, the NCAA Basketball Tournament, his schoolwork, this website, and many other things.  It is hard not to root for someone like Hess.

“We definitely feel the pressure to win now”, remarked Hess.  “Jelani [Berassa] and I walked out here on the field this Winter.  We came in at the same time under Coach Heacock, but it never felt like this.  There is electricity on this field of magic and we know we want to bottle it this season.”

The Saturday practice was more of an acclamation to full gear than all-out hitting filled session.  By next Saturday, the team’s first scrimmage, the noise will be easily heard between the whistles.

The Youngstown State football program will hold its third annual Women’s Football Coaching Clinic on Friday, March 30, at Stambaugh Stadium. The cost to attend the clinic is $25 and all proceeds will be donated to the ALS Association Fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The clinic will run from 6-9 p.m. on the YSU campus.

Registration will be from 5-6 p.m. and Hors D’oeuvres will be provided before the Coaching Clinic begins in the DeBartolo Stadium Club. The YSU Football Staff will present on the fundamentals of coaching and part of the clinic will be an up-close look at the WATTS.

The three-hour clinic is a great opportunity for female football fans to learn the concepts of every position on the field. The members of the YSU coaching staff will provide insight into what fans will see on gameday and learn about pregame preparation and game planning. The coaches will involve the participants into all drills for even more hands-on training.

All participants will receive a gift bag and raffle prizes from local merchants will be awarded throughout the event.

Contact Director of Football Operations Dan Kopp at dmkopp@ysu.edu or call the football office at (330) 941-3478 for more information.

Parking for the event will be in the F-7 Lot north of the stadium.

The Youngstown State football coaching staff will be hosting the 27th Annual YSU Bob Dove Coaching Clinic on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the DeBartolo Stadium Club in Stambaugh Stadium. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6 p.m. The clinic is open to high school and college coaches.

The cost of the clinic is $5 and coaches can sign up by emailing YSU Director of Football Operations Dan Kopp at dmkopp@ysu.edu or by contacting the football office at (330) 941-3478. Details are also available at penguinsfootballcamps.com.

Third-year Head Coach Eric Wolford and has staff will offer insight into the Penguins’ program and hold coaching chalktalk’s on offense, defense and special teams.

YSU offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will have a presentation at the clinic and all Penguins coaches will hold breakout sessions during the evening. The $5 will cover the cost of pizza, wings and refreshments for those participating in the event.

The clinic is in honor of former Penguin assistant coach and College Football Hall-of-Fame Inductee Bob Dove. Coach Dove was an assistant for YSU from 1969-91. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

For years, the Jambar has turned out a quality product featuring objective viewpoints from student writers and photographers at Youngstown State University.  Lately, technology has allowed a few of the Jambar student-writers freedom to be more imaginative and try their hand in video-journalism.  Joe Catullo Jr. has spent a whole bunch of time compiling editions of Jack Up The Rev.  Not a conventional name by any means, the video clips are entertaining and the quality is surprisingly good.  All-in-all, it is a well produced minicast of what is going on.  Congratulations to Dustin Livesay, Nick Mancini, and Catullo for taking their vision as far as they can and continued expansion and growth to who comes next.

The name can be amusing to those who have never heard it.  I have watched YSU football coach Eric Wolford make Catullo cue him on what was to be said several times before a take was completed.  I am completely honored to be the featured presenter to Volume #12 (above).  Catullo has chased down Wolford, Bob Boldon, Zach Humphries, Anthony Noreen, Jim Brown, and anyone else they have been able to get to say their catchphrase as a show lead-in.

I recently caught up with Catullo (below) to explain the concept, the purpose, the future, and the past of Jack Up The Rev.

Paneech: Where did you come up with a name like, ‘Jack Up The Rev’?

Catullo: The name Jack Up The Rev came in February.  I was sitting with reporter Patrick Donovan who was telling me about his weekend.  When he finished, I told him it seemed like he was really trying to jack up the… jack up the rev or something.  I don’t know where it came from or how it happened, but it did.  About an hour later, the entire Jambar staff was saying it.

Paneech: Does each episode have a set time limit?

Catullo: We try to keep each episode about four minutes or less.  It only goes over if we have a lot of content we need to use.

Paneech: What goals have been set for the show?

Catullo: My main goal is that this will help me in my future.  I want to show future potential employers what I can offer.  Also, short term, to give the audience a look back at what YSU has done in the past week with some comedy involved.

Paneech: Who are some of the people involved with you in the project?

Catullo: Our online editor, Chris Cotelesse, brought the idea to the table that we could try to produce a sports show.  He is also the creator of the theme song.  He played the guitar and we sang all of the lyrics.  Our editor-in-chief, Josh Stipanovich, gave his blessing to call the show Jack Up The Rev.  Sports reporter Nick Mancini and photographer Dustin Livesay help in filming games.

Paneech: Where do you come up with ideas to keep the content entertaining?

Catullo: Personally, I feel that the sports are entertaining enough.  For other people to think so, I try to present the content in my own entertaining way.  I don’t really know where I come up with the ideas.  It is mostly improvision and the ideas are created and followed through upon on the spot.  I generally don’t write a script.

Paneech: Once you graduate and leave YSU, will you take Jack Up The Rev with you, or is it something you would want future students to expand with?

Catullo: I will still be attending YSU next year, so Jack Up The Rev will definitely continue, even if I am not the sports editor.  Afterwards, I can dream that a company would decide to buy the name and keep me on it.  It would be awesome to see myself on ESPN doing the show.

Paneech: Typically, how long does it take to build a single episode?

Catullo: It takes a long time to build a complete episode.  You first have to take the time to import and export video.  In a good week, there can be three or four hours of video content that would take anywhere from seven to eight hours to import and export.  My segments on camera used to take over an hour, but we have been able to scale that back to about twenty minutes.  Putting the video together is the toughest part and usually takes about six hours to complete.  The theme is the toughest thing because there are so many clips to look at and each one can only last about five seconds to synchronize with the theme song.  A whole episode can take up to two full work days to complete.

Paneech: When you ask someone to do a show intro, how confused are they and how many times can you expect to tell them what to say?

Catullo: Every time I tell a new face the name, they are always stunned and can’t figure out the meaning.  I just tell them that it is the name of my new show and that it is a motivational saying.  They are still usually confused afterwards.  A perfect example is Episode 6 when I had Coach Wolford saying it.  That episode now has the second highest hit total next to the first.

Click the above link and check out the effort that goes into this project by Catullo and staff.  They do fantastic work for having limited resources.

The Youngstown State football team will open the 2012 season at Pittsburgh on Sept. 1, then have a three-game homestand, featuring contests against two FCS playoff squads, the Athletic Department announced on Monday. YSU also has three consecutive games against teams who reached the postseason this year.

YSU has previously traveled to Heinz Field (above) to play the Panthers in 2005 and 2009 and this will mark the eighth consecutive year that the Penguins have played a BCS-member school. Pitt will be in the second season under Head Coach Todd Graham. In 2011, the Panthers posted a 6-6 mark and were invited to the BBVA Compass Bowl against SMU. They have been accepted into the Atlantic Coast Conference, however, it has not been announced if they will join the league this fall. If they are member of the ACC in 2012, it will be the program’s first meeting against a member of that conference.

Things rev up when Youngstown State returns home to face Valparaiso (above) in the home opener on Sept. 8. It marks the second straight season the Penguins and Valpo will meet in the home opener at Stambaugh Stadium. The Crusaders were much improved in the final month of the season, snapping a nearly three-season losing streak with a win over Campbell and suffering a narrow loss at Davidson in the season finale.

The Penguins play three straight games against 2011 FCS playoff foes beginning with their first-ever meeting against Albany. The co-champions of the Northeast Conference, the Great Danes went 8-4 in 2011 dropping a 31-28 contest in the first round of the playoffs at Stony Brook. Albany led that contest 28-10 in the third quarter. The Great Danes are coached by Bob Ford who has 255 career victories in 39 seasons.

YSU opens its 16th season of Missouri Valley Football Conference action against UNI on Sept. 24 at Stambaugh. The Penguins have lost the past two games to the Panthers by four points each, while four of the last five contests have been decided by a total of 10 points.  While the Penguins get a Saturday off on Sept. 29, the schedule does not lighten up in the coming weeks.

For the second consecutive year, YSU returns to Fargo to face co-league champion North Dakota State on Oct. 6. The Penguins knocked off the then-No. 1 Bison, 27-24, on Nov. 12 at the Fargodome this past season. Of the six all-time meetings, none have been decided by more than eight points.

Youngstown State continues road MVFC play on Oct. 13 at Illinois State. The Redbirds won seven games in 2011, with their lone home defeat coming in double overtime to UNI on the season’s final regular-season Saturday. YSU defeated Illinois State 34-27 early in the conference opener for both school’s in 2011. The home team has won each of the past four meetings.

A return to Youngstown features a contest against Southern Illinois on Oct. 20. The Penguins have beaten the Salukis the past two years and will be going for their first three-game winning streak in the series since the late 1990’s. YSU’s 35-23 win in 2011 was its biggest over SIU since 2002.

The Penguins head back out on the road looking for their first win at South Dakota State since 1974 on Oct. 27. The Jackrabbits have won all four MVFC clashes with the Penguins since they joined the league in 2008. In 2011, YSU led 28-21 before SDSU scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally for the victory.

Another first-time foe for the Penguins visits the Ice Castle on Nov. 3 in South Dakota. The Coyotes will be in their inaugural season of play in the MVFC in 2012. USD was 6-5 in 2011 with a win over defending FCS Champion Eastern Washington. South Dakota spent the past four seasons in the Great West Conference while making the transition from a Division II to FCS program.

The final regular-season road showdown of the year is at Western Illinois on Nov. 10. The Penguins have won seven of the last eight meetings with the lone blemish a 40-38 defeat in Macomb in 2009. This past campaign, YSU rolled to a 56-14 win over the Leathernecks to earn its 16th win in the all-time series. It will mark the 28th meeting between the two programs making WIU the second-most played foe in school history behind Akron(35 games).

The final regular-season contest is at Stambaugh Stadium against Indiana State on Nov. 17. The much-improved Sycamores are coming off back-to-back six win seasons for the first time since 1995-96. ISU held on for a 37-35 win over the Penguins this past September after jumping out to a 21-0 lead. They feature Walter Payton Award Finalist and MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Shakir Bell. YSU still leads the all-time series 18-3.

The first-round of the FCS playoffs is set to get underway on Nov. 24. A date for the National Championship Game has yet to be announced.

In 2012 and 2013, the Penguins will not face Missouri State. YSU and the Bears had played every year since 1996.

As always, season tickets for the upcoming season are available now in the Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.

2012 Schedule

Sept. 1 at Pittsburgh

Sept. 8 vs. Valparaiso

Sept. 15 vs. Albany

Sept. 22 vs. UNI*

Sept. 29 (IDLE)

Oct. 6 at North Dakota State*

Oct. 13 at Illinois State*

Oct. 20 vs. Southern Illinois*

Oct. 27 at South Dakota State*

Nov. 3 vs. South Dakota*

Nov. 10 at Western Illinois*

Nov. 17 vs. Indiana State*

Nov. 24 FCS Playoffs

*MVFC Contest

Red = Home, Black = Away