Nov. 29, 2005
Football: Heacock Takes Coach Honor, 12 Individuals Named All-Gateway
     St. Louis, Mo. -- Youngstown State Head Coach Jon Heacock was named the Gateway Football Conference's Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year while the Penguins had a school-record 12 individuals selected All-Gateway, the league announced on Tuesday. YSU had five players on the first team, four on the second and three tabbed honorable-mention.
    Heacock, who is one of 16 finalists for the 2005 Eddie Robinson Division I-AA Coach-of-the-Year Award, helped guide a four-win turnaround as the Penguins went from 4-7 in 2004 to 8-3 in 2005. In Gateway play, YSU had a three-win turnaround going 5-2 in 2005 and tying Southern Illinois and UNI for the conference crown after finishing 2-5 in 2004. The Penguins were picked sixth in the preseason poll, but proved pundits wrong placing a three-way tie for the league crown.
    Youngstown State had five first-team All-Gateway selections, the most for the school since having five in 2001. The individuals named first-team all-conference were junior center Ryan Jewell (Warren, Ohio), junior fullback Demetrius Ison (Jackson Center, Pa.), junior cornerback Codera Jackson (Rochester, N.Y.), senior defensive end Justin Scholes (Mentor, Ohio) and sophomore linebacker James Terry (Stafford, Va.).
    The Penguins had four individuals selected second-team All-Gateway. Being named to the team were junior tailback Marcus Mason (Potomac, Md.), senior defensive end Brandon Brown (Youngstown, Ohio), junior punter Joe Bishop (Canton, Ohio) and junior cornerback Jason Perry (Warrensville Heights, Ohio).
    YSU also had three members named honorable-mention all-league. Being tabbed honorable-mention All-Gateway were senior offensive tackle John Bartos (Youngstown, Ohio), senior wide receiver Kyle Smith (San Diego, Calif.) and senior linebacker Mike Andrews (Oldsmar, Fla.).
    The total of 12 selections ranked second behind Southern Illinois' 16 all-league picks. UNI and Western Kentucky were third with 11 while Illinois State garnered nine. ISU's Laurent Robinson was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year while the Redbirds' Brent Hawkins was the Defensive Player of the Year. It marked the first time since Western Illinois in 2000, that one school had both the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year on their roster.

Bio Sketches on 2005 All-Gateway Selections

First-Team
FB Demetrius Ison, 6-0, 235, Jr., Jackson Center, Pa.
Started nine of 11 games played as a fullback… had 13 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown…scored a touchdown in season finale against Western Kentucky…caught 23 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown…ranks third on the team in receptions…first-team All-Gateway in 2004 and preseason All-Gateway in 2005…caught a touchdown pass at Indiana State…had six receptions for 45 yards against Missouri State…caught five passes against Northeastern.

C Ryan Jewell, 6-4, 290, Jr., Warren, Ohio
Started 10 games at center…missed season finale against WKU because of an injury…named 2005 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-District  IV…named YSU Offensive Lineman of the Game a team-high three times (Slippery Rock, Illinois State, Western Illinois)…named team’s  offensive player of the game at Pittsburgh…led offensive line with four winning performances…YSU averaged 191.6 yards rushing and 190.6 yards passing along with 27.8 points per game.

DE Justin Scholes, 6-1, 240, Sr., Mentor, Ohio
Credited with 403 plays by the coaching staff…team leader with 5.5 sacks and tied for the team lead with 10.5 tackles for losses…recorded 41 total tackles, including 24 solo stops…had a team-high four forced fumbles…had two sacks at Southern Illinois…had season-high six tackles against Missouri State and Illinois State…of his 41 tackles, 30 came in Gateway play…named 2004 and 2005 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-District IV…named second-team academic All-Gateway in 2004…started all 11 games at defensive end…team captain.

LB James Terry, 6-2, 220, So., Stafford, Va.
Credited with 629 plays by the coaching staff, most by a linebacker…started 10 games and played in all 11…led the team with 71 total tackles…had a team-best 44 solo stops…tied for the team lead with 10.5 tackles for losses…second on the team with 4.5 sacks for 33 yards in losses…had one interception, a forced fumble and a pass breakup…also was a key special teams stopper on punts and kickoffs…had a season-high 13 tackles against Illinois State, including eight solo stops…had eight tackles against Western Kentucky and Indiana State…recorded six-or-more tackles in six of seven Gateway games.

CB Codera Jackson, 5-10, 170, Jr., Rochester, N.Y.
Credited with 642 plays by the coaching staff, second most on the unit…leads the conference with six interceptions…ranks seventh in Division I-AA in interceptions per game…returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown against Liberty…intercepted a pass in his first four Gateway games…had four pass breakups…had a season-high 11 tackles against Illinois State, including seven solo stops…had an interception and a forced fumble against the Redbirds…had six tackles against Western Illinois and Western Kentucky…finished with 50 tackles, including 32 solo stops…joined the team in fall camp and started all 11 games…interception against WIU set up game-winning touchdown drive at the 30-yard line.