Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week: Hawks’ Pierce Mason
Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week
Hamburg coach Matt Hoffert says running back Pierce Mason is still not 100 percent recovered from a midseason ankle injury but admits, “He’s pretty close.”
That assessment was made minutes after Mason ran for 268 yards and and four touchdowns in a District 3 Class 3A playoff win over Upper Dauphin.
Hard to imagine Mason could be much better . . . then again, he has. At least a little. He matched the school rushing record with 292 yards and scored four touchdowns in a Week 3 win over Eastern York and went for 277 yards and the school record with five TDs the following week.
His yards and scores — TD runs of 22, 11, 56 and 8 yards — were even more vital in the Hawks’ 49-35 win Friday night and more than enough to earn Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week.
It is Mason’s second selection this season.
When the Hawks fell behind 14-0 they needed everything Mason could give them. He tied the game with his first score and clinched the win with an 8-yard TD with little more than a minute to go. He also had another TD, from 48 yards out, nullified by penalty.
His best play of the night might’ve been a 45-yard run late in the first half when he broke at least four tackles and seemed to be carry half the Upper Dauphin defense with him as he powered forward.
“I was so proud of him (on that run),” said Hawks lineman Charles Sheppard. “I went up to him and said, ‘That’s how you run, man!’ That’s how he always run.
“Pierce is a monster when he runs,” said Sheppard. “Last week I saw him pick it up a lot. I knew today he was gonna pop off, and he did.”
Mason injured his ankle in Week 5, missed a couple games and was limited in a couple others over the next month. He returned in Week 9 and ran for 104 yards and two scores in little more than two quarters. He showed signs then that he was ready to return to form.
“I think the confidence level went up a bit (with that),” Hoffert said.
Mason broke the Hawks single-season touchdowns record Friday, scoring his 25th to top Iggy Reynoso’s 2015 record of 24. He also set the record for single-season scoring with 150 points and rushing TDs in a season (23) and tied Vreeland Wood’s record for career rushing TDs (35).
He became the first player in program history to score four or more TDs four times in a season. He also did it against Warrior Run when he returned both a kickoff and a punt for scores.
Mason has three of the top four single-season rushing performances in program history.
With 1,304 rushing yards he’s just 9 yards away from the single-season program record Diohnny Ruiz set last season. He’ll take a crack at that Saturday in a district semifinal at Wyomissing. He’s fifth in program career rushing with 2,358 yards.
Mason is fifth in the Lancaster-Lebanon League in rushing yards, fourth in rushing TDs and second in yards-per-carry average (11.2).
Mason’s been a critical part of a Hamburg team that’s won nine games, one shy of the program record.
“(He brings) confidence to this team,” Hoffert said. “They know (when) he has the ball he’s going to do something with it.”
Mason is the third Hamburg player selected Offensive Player of the Week this season. Sophomore Leland Moore, playing in Mason’s absence, was selected in Week 9.
Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also considered for Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week:
- Will Hess, QB, Berks Catholic
- Josiah Jordan, RB, Berks Catholic.
- Xander Menapace, Hamburg
- Ty Werley, Hamburg
- Logan Nawrocki, Schuylkill Valley
Players selected earlier this season:
- Week 1: Gio Cavanna, RB, Muhlenberg
- Week 2: Cam Jones, RB, Wilson
- Week 3: Pierce Mason, RB, Hamburg
- Week 4: Gio Cavanna, RB, Muhlenberg
- Week 5: Josiah Jordan, RB, Berks Catholic
- Week 6: Ruben Rodriguez, WR, Reading High
- Week 7: Cam Jones, RB/KR, Wilson
- Week 8: Dominic Giuffre, RB, Schuylkill Valley
- Week 9: Leland Moore, RB, Hamburg
- Week 10: Cam Jones, RB/KR Wilson
Players selected last season:
- Week 1: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 2: DeShawn Wilson, WR, Reading High
- Week 3: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 4: Logan Klitsch, QB, Conrad Weiser
- Week 5: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 6: Diohnny Ruiz, RB, Hamburg
- Week 7: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 8: Cameron Jones, KR, Wilson
- Week 9: Trey Freeman, WR, Twin Valley
- Week 10: Jadyn Jones, RB, Wilson
- Week 11: Logan Klitsch, QB, Conrad Weiser
- Week 12: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 13: Eric Nangle, RB, Exeter
- Week 14: Colin Payne, Exeter
