Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. Youngstown State senior Ethan Wright stays upright in the midst of a 19-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the third quarter of the Penguins win over Southern Illinois last week at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Whether they’ve been with the program for five years or just one or two years, Youngstown State’s seniors have seen their fair share of highs and lows.

Players like Preston Zandier, Max Tomczak, Mike Voitus, Luke Hensley and Brendon Kilpatrick all joined the program in 2021 and were there when YSU went 3-7 in 2021 and 4-8 in 2024. But they were also part of teams that put together back-to-back winning seasons starting in 2022, which included an FCS playoff appearance in 2023.

Then there’s players like DJ Harris, Ethan Wright and Dathan Hickey, who joined the program in 2024, and despite the Penguins’ struggles last season, decided to stick around at YSU for their final year. Obviously, they were rewarded by what the Penguins have done this year, as they have themselves in contention for a playoff bid once again.

“They stuck it out, and for that, you will be emotional a little bit because those guys believed,” head coach Doug Phillips said. “We haven’t done anything yet, but we have a chance to. We’re relevant in the month of November, and that’s all you can ask. Our guys earned that. They earned the opportunity that it’s relevant on Nov. 15.

“Having belief in who we could become, whether it was guys at certain positions or a unit as a team, the guys that stayed believed with us. It’s priceless, and that’s why you prepare and work and challenge them, because you want them to see that success, you want them to continue to see that success.”

In order to keep those playoff hopes alive, however, the Penguins will have to continue their success on Saturday at noon (ESPN+/570 WKBN), as YSU’s seniors look to get a win in their final regular-season home game against Indiana State on Senior Day at Stambaugh Stadium.

“Hopefully we can get another one after this,” Kilpatrick said. “But being here five years, all the home games we’ve had and the success we’ve had at home — this one means a lot, especially on Senior Day for me.”

The coaches and players have mentioned it several times throughout the season, but one of the things that has set this group apart from past teams is how close it is.

Through trials and tribulations, they’ve battled through plenty of adversity together, and they’re better for it.

With two games left in the regular season, the Penguins still have their goals in front of them, and they want to achieve them together and end their careers on a high note.

“These five years have been awesome,” Zandier said. “Just seeing what we go through — like the last game, one bad thing happens, muffed punt, and we don’t even flinch anymore. We’re just used to digging deep through adversity and trying to win the response battle in everything that we do. Just to see the program and where we’ve come in my five years, it’s incredible. The brotherhood we’ve built, the standard, and I’m excited to see what we do in the playoffs.”

The Penguins are vying for a limited number of playoff spots with five other Missouri Valley Football Conference teams, including South Dakota, North Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois and Illinois State.

But, YSU firmly believes it’s a playoff-caliber team, especially since its play on the field has been steadily trending upwards since the team’s lackluster defeat at North Dakota.

Should they win their final two games and finish the season at 8-4, the Penguins feel their playoff resume would speak for itself, especially playing in the toughest conference in the FCS.

“I think this is probably one of our best teams we’ve had here, just the way that we fight and handle adversity like we have,” Zandier said. “We just gotta fix a little bit of stuff on defense, offense and especially special teams, because special teams wins championships. … We’ve just been emphasizing on pursuit and consistency, because we know that if we get into the playoffs, like we’re going to, we’re going to make a huge run.”

Sitting at 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the MVFC, Indiana State may not look like much on paper. However, the Penguins know not to take anyone lightly, especially since the Sycamores knocked off South Dakota State two weeks ago.

“Indiana State — great coaching staff,” Phillips said. “They got great players, players that are physical, fundamentally sound. They devise a plan to attack, and if you don’t come ready to play, you’re going to be looking up and you could be down 24-7 in the second quarter. So (growth’s) gotta be the emphasis each and every week — us correcting and growing and trying to be better defensively, offensively and on special teams.”