One last time
Senior Penguins ready to walk away winners
Andrew Berry SPORTS EDITOR
Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: Sports
Sixteen seniors will suit up Saturday for the final home game of their collegiate football careers against Indiana State University.
The Youngstown State University football squad has struggled this season but is committed to sending the seniors players out on a high note against an equally struggling Sycamore team. With not much success to show for, head coach Jon Heacock said senior day has not lost any luster.
The goal for the Penguins continues to win games and senior day will provide extra motivation to give the team's senior core won last home win at Stambaugh Stadium.
Heacock said the dedication to the senior players this week is important because it marks the reality that their college careers are coming to an end. He also said it is a chance to pay tribute to their accomplishments over the last four years.
"Senior week is really a tribute to the guys that have been playing in your program," Heacock said. "To go through a program in college athletics at any level is very difficult and to say you made it through and to finish your final game and then move on and graduate is a tremendous accomplishment."
For Saturday's contest with Indiana State, Heacock is expecting a more emotional pregame as well as an intensely physical game on the field.
In order to give the seniors one last taste of victory, the Penguins must find a way to get the defense back into shape. Last week's 54-44 loss to Illinois State University was the first time since the Penguins scored more than 40 points and lost since 1992.
Redbird running back Walter Mendenhall, brother of Pittsburgh Steelers' rookie running back Rashad Mendenhall, tore up the Penguins defense on his way to a 220-yard performance. Heacock is looking for improvement in his squad and wants to revert the defense back to a feared unit once again.
"It's not the way we expect to play defense here at Youngstown," Heacock said. "I wish I could explain it, but you can't. If you could, you probably could prevent it."
The Youngstown State University football squad has struggled this season but is committed to sending the seniors players out on a high note against an equally struggling Sycamore team. With not much success to show for, head coach Jon Heacock said senior day has not lost any luster.
The goal for the Penguins continues to win games and senior day will provide extra motivation to give the team's senior core won last home win at Stambaugh Stadium.
Heacock said the dedication to the senior players this week is important because it marks the reality that their college careers are coming to an end. He also said it is a chance to pay tribute to their accomplishments over the last four years.
"Senior week is really a tribute to the guys that have been playing in your program," Heacock said. "To go through a program in college athletics at any level is very difficult and to say you made it through and to finish your final game and then move on and graduate is a tremendous accomplishment."
For Saturday's contest with Indiana State, Heacock is expecting a more emotional pregame as well as an intensely physical game on the field.
In order to give the seniors one last taste of victory, the Penguins must find a way to get the defense back into shape. Last week's 54-44 loss to Illinois State University was the first time since the Penguins scored more than 40 points and lost since 1992.
Redbird running back Walter Mendenhall, brother of Pittsburgh Steelers' rookie running back Rashad Mendenhall, tore up the Penguins defense on his way to a 220-yard performance. Heacock is looking for improvement in his squad and wants to revert the defense back to a feared unit once again.
"It's not the way we expect to play defense here at Youngstown," Heacock said. "I wish I could explain it, but you can't. If you could, you probably could prevent it."
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