NCAA DIVISION III FOOTBALL Mount's Mason ready to sub

The Girard product plays a key role as the backup to quarterback Mike Jorris.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
ALLIANCE -- Although Randy Mason is not the starting quarterback for the Mount Union College football team, the senior from Girard High is a valuable member of the team as a backup to Mike Jorris, and an outstanding student with a promising academic career in front of him.
Mason has to prepare just as much as Jorris for today's NCAA Division III semifinal, which pits the Purple Raiders against Rowan University of Glassboro, N.J., at noon in Mount Union Stadium.
Mason has a 3.68 grade-point average in biochemistry and earned honorable mention on the Ohio Athletic Conference's all-academic team.
He plans to graduate in May and is applying to several schools that offer masters degrees in forensic science or forensic chemistry, with an eye out for joining the FBI after completing graduate school.
"There are only 18 schools in America with forensics in a masters program," said Mason, the son of Cindy and Randy Mason who played quarterback at Girard High under coach Bud McSuley. "I kind of like crime investigation but at the same time I'd like to join the FBI in crime investigation."
Must be prepared for game
Mason, who has played in eight games and has completed 35 of 45 (.778 percent) passes for 421 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, said that he has to be ready to go into the game if needed and maintain the same standard of excellence that Jorris gives the team.
Jorris, also a senior, has completed 216 of 321 passes for 3,312 yards and 32 TDs with nine interceptions, to lead Mount Union to its 11th straight appearance in the national semifinal under coach Larry Kehres, a native of Diamond. The Purple Raiders have won seven national championships under Kehres.
"I have to be prepared at all times," said Mason, who shared backup duties last season as a junior with Jorris, both under starter Zac Bruney, who now is the team's quarterbacks coach. "Every Saturday, I treat it as if I would be playing. Through the week, we watch hours and hours of film so that we know what other teams are doing, to see what their tendencies are, and the second-team quarterback gets the same number of snaps as the first-team quarterback."
For example, like this week, "We each [got] the same amount of work against the Rowan defense. In practice, we [got] the same number of snaps for passes downfield and [for other plays] going against the Rowan defense, which is our scout defense."
High expectations for him
Mason said preparation is the key and that he has to be ready to meet the expectations that the team has for him.
"I know I have to be prepared and I wouldn't want to let my teammates down," he said. "We have high expectations as a team and I still want to maintain the same standards as when the other quarterback was in there.
"I would want everyone to know that they could depend on me and that I wouldn't want to let anyone down. That's why I prepare so much in practice."
Mason said that while on the sidelines he observes what Jorris is doing, and gives him input and suggestions for improvement or changing tactics, and that his opinion is valued and respected by both Jorris and Bruney.
Mason said he also serves as a friend, advisor and somewhat of a coach to Jorris.
"[We] have become pretty close," he said. "It just really helps us out [to collaborate]. Our quarterback last year [Bruney] is an assistant on this year's team, and we used to do the same thing [with him last year]."
Boosts teammates
Mason said he also likes to boost his teammates on the sidelines.
"I guess that just being around everyone, keeping people calm on the sidelines, picking up the players when they get down, giving them encouragement [like] when Mike messes up giving him input," said Mason, who knows his role.
"I'm not as important a player as I would like to be. I would like to be the man but I realize I am not."
The winner of the Mount Union (12-1)-Rowan (11-1) game will advance to the national championship game Dec. 17 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Va., at 1 p.m.
kovach@vindy.com