Dec. 1, 2009
Blose Highlights Five Penguins on Academic All-MVFC Team
St. Louis, Mo. -- The Youngstown State football team had five players named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference's All-Academic Team, the league announced on Tuesday. Highlighting the five selections was junior placekicker Stephen Blose who was named to the first team.
Junior placekicker Stephen Blose was named first-team Academic All-Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Joining Blose on the Academic squad was senior offensive guard Brian Mellott, who was named to the second team. YSU sophomore backup quarterback Marc Kanetsky, senior punter Ben Nowicki and senior wide receiver Aaron Pitts were each named honorable-mention.
Blose and Mellott flip flopped places from their positions on the 2008 squad. Last season, Mellott was a first-team selection while Blose was a second-team all-league pick. Both Blose and Mellott were named first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District IV in November. Nowicki was a second-team selection a year ago while Kanetsky and Pitts received honors for the first time in their YSU careers.
PK Stephen Blose, 5-10, 190, Jr., 4.00, Middle Childhood
Education
2009 First-Team Academic All-District IV selection…made nine of 16 field-goal
attempts, including longs of 48 yards against Pitt and South Dakota
State…drilled career-best three field goals versus Illinois State…made field
goals in seven games…a perfect 27-of-27 on extra-point kicks (first perfect
season by YSU kicker since 2002)…as kickoff specialist had 46 for an average of
62.6 yards…had two successful onside kicks…second-team Academic All-MVFC
selection in 2008.
OG Brian Mellott, 6-3, 280, Sr., 3.90, Accounting
2009 First-Team Academic All-District IV selection…started all 11 games at right
guard…only offensive lineman to start every game…played 762 snaps for the
year…played at least 60 plays in every game with high of 80 against Illinois
State…had second-highest grade among YSU offensive linemen…best overall
performance was against Missouri State…named team offensive lineman of the game
against Illinois State…YSU averaged 216.2 yards passing per game, the most since
1985...2008 first-team Academic All-MVFC.
P Ben Nowicki, 6-0, 170, Sr., 3.72, Mathematics
Punted 38 times for an average of 40.6 yards…average ranks fifth in school
history…had a long of 67 yards at Indiana State…also had a 62 yard boot vs.
Missouri State…placed eight kicks inside the 20-yard line…for his career had 129
punts for an average of 39.5 per kick…named to 2008 MVFC Academic second team.
WR Aaron Pitts, 6-3, 195, Sr., 3.41, Accounting
Posted best season of his career with 33 receptions for 397 yards and three
touchdowns…all touchdowns came in league action (North Dakota State, Southern
Illinois, Indiana State…26 receptions came in MVFC play, including 20 in his
final five games…had a career-high 102 yards on seven grabs at SIU…2009 YSU
Nominee for AFCA Good Works Team.
QB Marc Kanetsky, 6-0, 195, So., 4.00, Biology
Holder on all placement kicks…served as backup quarterback, and started against
North Dakota State in season finale…played in all 11 games…against NDSU
completed 3-of-4 passes for 30 yards and a touchdown.