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CJ grad Hess helping to revive Youngstown State football

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer Updated 12:48 AM Saturday, November 19, 2011

There are signs of life in downtrodden Youngstown, and it’s thanks in part to sophomore quarterback Kurt Hess (Chaminade Julienne), who is rewriting the Youngstown State record book.

Hoping to guide the Penguins into the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) playoffs with a win today over Missouri State, Hess last week tied the school mark for touchdown passes in a season (21) as YSU upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten North Dakota State.

Hess is the first YSU quarterback with at least one TD pass in 10 straight games, and if he maintains his 64.5 completion percentage today, that single-season record will be his as well.

It’s thought that YSU needs to beat 1-9 Missouri State impressively to solidify its playoff case. But MSU beat the Penguins last season and, as Hess told The (Youngstown) Vindicator this week, “Just because they’ve only won one game doesn’t mean they’re awful.”

Hess enters as offensive player of the week in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the second time after completing 20-of-24 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another in last week’s win.

YSU (6-4, 4-3 MVFC) is ranked just outside the FCS Top 25. The Penguins haven’t been to the playoffs since 2006.

McKee honored: Fitting that Wittenberg senior Josh McKee (Tecumseh) should end his career by being named North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week. McKee, who caught 10 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 42-21 win over Wooster, finished his career as the NCAC’s career leader in touchdowns (46), receptions (234) and yards (4,022). He’s the 15th player in Division III history to eclipse 4,000 yards.

More football: Pitt freshman linebacker Freezer Grigsby (Trotwood-Madison) has been granted a medical redshirt after injuring a knee early in the season. Grigsby is the brother of Trotwood senior George “Bam” Bradley, who is considering Pitt.

Part of history

Michigan State freshman guard Travis Trice (Wayne) had an eventful two-game start to his college basketball career.

Trice, averaging 5.5 points and 20 minutes, was part of the first game played on the deck of an aircraft carrier when the Spartans lost to North Carolina. Then, on Tuesday, MSU lost at Madison Square Garden as Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski passed Bob Knight in all-time wins.

Campus tour

• Indiana University East volleyballer Breezy Strete (Troy) was named first team All-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the third year in a row. She led the conference in kills per set (3.4).

• Eastern Kentucky women’s soccer player Deja Tennon (Centerville) was named second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference for the second straight year.

• Memphis senior golfer Kathleen Glavin (Alter) was named Conference USA Player of the Week after winning the fall season-ending Beach Blast Tournament at Alabama-Birmingham.

If you have information about an area athlete in college, please send an email to smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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