Posts Tagged ‘Tom Zetts’

The Mahoning Valley Thunder traveled West in hopes of ending their losing streak to take on the Peoria Pirates.  The team was optimistic about their chances in Illinois, but the way this year has gone, optimism is a tough sell.  Mahoning Valley trailed 49-7 at halftime and ended up losing 76-34.  Two offensive mistakes in the first quarter, a fumble in the end zone recovered for a touchdown, and a 31-yard interception return created a hole too big for the Thunder to pull out of.

The Thunder played a much more respectable second half, as each team scored 27 points.  For Peoria, Brando scored three defensive touchdowns in the game on interception returns of 31 and 45 yards and recovered the fumble in the end zone for another.

For Mahoning Valley, Brad Roach started the game and went 4-7 with 2 INT’s.  Tom Zetts was inserted for the Thunder and went 19-36 for 256 yards and two TD’s.  Zetts also was picked off three times. 

I am sure the abscence of Quorey Payne in this game hurt Mahoning Valley’s chances.  CJ Brewer did his absolute best to pick up the slack finishing the game with 10 catches for 187 yards and a TD.  Brewer also added three rushing touchdowns for the Thunder.

New kicker, YSU’s Brian Palmer, was 5-6 in PAT’s, a glaring improvement over the shoddy kicking the Thunder had become accustomed to in games past. 

For the Thunder it is the 13th consecutive loss this season.

Mahoning Valley Thunder Coach Chris MacKeown insists that Tom Zetts is now with the team because he is a player, not because he is a local guy to promote as a ticket selling scheme.  Zetts enjoyed a very successful career at Boardman High School and later with Youngstown State University.

As a member of the Penguins, Zetts recorded school bests for pass attempts (1,094), completions (654), touchdowns (51), yardage (7,643), 200-yard games (13) and completion percentage (59.8). His 8,277 total offensive yards are also tops in Penguins history.

Zetts spent the 2008 season with the Parma Panthers of the Italian-American Football League.  In his only season at the controls he guided his Italian Panthers team to the EFAF Cup Championship.  At season’s end, Zetts returned to the area and coached at Duquesne.

The Thunder contacted Zetts in the Spring to be a part of the team, but Zetts is very devoted to his job at Boardman High where he teaches a couple of levels of algebra.  His involvement in Spartans extra-curricular activities limited his time.  With three weeks left in the Thunder season, he wanted to take the time to see what he could do while still young and in good physical condition. 

Zetts told me he is thrilled to be a part of the Thunder and maybe getting the chance to play in front of family and friends.  Because of his familiarity with the area, a few of Zetts’ new co-workers have tried to make him tour guide for Youngstown nightlife and places to meet a pretty girl.  A chuckling Zetts replied that he is happy and that with a great girlfriend he doesn’t do too much solo nightlife activity.

Zetts said he didn’t hear much about the Steve McNair tragedy other than the fact that he was dead.  He was in San Diego enjoying a visit with his brother. 

Tom likes to watch Two And A Half Men and Sportscenter.  He is a Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers fan, but credits the emergence of cable television and TBS for his liking of the Atlanta Braves.

Zetts told me all of the places he has been, nobody has the selection of good pizza like Youngstown.  His favorite place is Belleria, but said he enjoys pizza from many places in the area.

Tom is a country music fan.  His favorite artist is Pat Green.

Zetts, like every other Thunder player likes video games.  He has a PS3 and is currently playing Call of Duty 4.  He also enjoys tinkering with some sports games.

Tom Zetts is a welcome addition to this team.  He knows his role and says he is not here to take Brad Roach’s job.  Coack MacKeown says that the person who plays will be the person who puts the team in the best position to win.  I like both Zetts and Roach and would not want to make that decision. 

Mahoning Valley Thunder Coach Chris MacKeown knows that when players have a bye week, that the first day back can be sluggish and that the lazy relaxed feelings need to go away.  With just two road games and a home finale against Green Bay on July 25, the moves come late in the season.

The Thunder added Youngstown State’s Tom Zetts to the roster.  Coach MacKeown likes what Zetts brings to the team and says that Zetts and YSU’s former kicker, Brian Palmer, were not brought in just because they are from the area.  “I don’t care where guys come from, I have had guys from Japan on my teams.  As long as they help us win, I don’t care where a player comes from.  Are people gonna come because there are local guys?  Do you sacrifice wins?  He [Zetts] would have been here sooner, but he is so commited to his school.  Tom Zetts and Brian Palmer were not signed because they are local guys, they were signed because they can play.”

I asked Coach MacKeown what he would do with both Zetts and Brad Roach at quarterback.  “We will play the guy that gives this team the best chance to win.  The best guy is gonna play.  Brad has an advantage because he has some game experience.  Tom’s first day was better than Brad’s first day, Tom will tell you, he has a lot of learning.  I’m excited because I think we have two quarterbacks that can get it done.  With Brad we scored 53 points, and if we kick half of the PAT’s against Wilkes-Barre, we score 50 points again.”

MacKeown also stressed that there are two ways to put people in the seats, by winning or by loading up a roster with local talent.  “When I was at Louisville, there were local guys up and down the roster and they would draw 14,000 a game but lose.  When I was brought in to win, there were hardly any locals left, and the attendance dropped a bit, but we won and went deep into the playoffs.  Unfortunately, here we didn’t have the winning or the locals, so the formula to put bodies in seats is still untested.”

WR Quorey Payne who leads the team in almost every offensive and special teams category was not in practice.  He is dealing with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated by Thursday.