Westmoreland County high school football Q&A with Belle Vernon’s Mason Pascoe

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | 6:06 PM

Mason Pascoe anticipated he would be the featured running back at Belle Vernon this season, and he couldn’t wait to cradle the football and go.

“I knew in the offseason I would have to step up and be a leader,” he said.

The 5-foot-8, 170-pound senior quietly has put together one of the most productive seasons in the WPIAL for the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Leopards (6-1), who have clinched a playoff berth in the Big Eight Conference.

With 1,581 yards and 20 touchdowns, he is the third-leading rusher in the league and ranks second in Westmoreland County behind Yough senior Dustin Shoaf, who also holds the WPIAL lead.

Pascoe has yet to rush for less than 100 yards in a game and has four games of 200 or more yards, including 275 against rival and No. 1 Thomas Jefferson.

He ran for 200 yards against Indiana, 262 vs. Greensburg Salem and 204 on a career-high 31 carries last week against West Mifflin in a game that saw junior quarterback Jared Hartman leave in the second quarter with a season-ending knee injury.

“He has great speed in the open field and has very good vision,” Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert said.

Pascoe, who has 2,430 yards in his career, is this week’s Westmoreland high school football Q&A.

How tough was it to see Jared get injured last week?

It’s hard to lose a guy like that who is so much of a leader for us. We’ll need some guys to step up, and we may need to try some new things. I brought him a milkshake in the hospital.

Word is you could end up seeing time under center in the wildcat?

Yes. We have used that (formation) here in the past. It will be fun to line up back there.

Have you ever played QB?

Just one game when I was a sophomore, in JV. Jared actually broke his finger and I came in.

You threw a touchdown in a varsity game?

Yeah, but it was called back. We were playing Greensburg Salem, and I threw a (halfback option) pass to Hunter Ruokonen.

Who was your favorite Belle Vernon player when you were growing up?

Ian Dobbins. He was a running back, and I remember him always scoring touchdowns.

Do you do anything out of the ordinary in pregame?

I have to come out before warmups and run 100 yards and back, goal line to goal line. I need to get my legs warmed up. We always throw up a prayer as a team. And I always have to get taped up on the green table — not the black table. If I changed to the black table, who knows what might happen.

Who is the vocal leader of the team, the prankster and the bookworm?

Anthony Bertram is the vocal leader; all of us are jokesters — well, Jared maybe is the main guy; bookworm maybe me or Jake Fine. We watch a lot of film.

What was your best Halloween costume growing up?

Spider-Man.

Your favorite Halloween candy?

Skittles.

How much fun is it to play on the golden-colored turf at James Weir Stadium?

I love that they call it “The Beach.”

Did you go to the actual beach on vacation over the summer?

Yes, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.).

Any interesting hobbies?

I like to ski. Oh, and I started playing the piano this year in school. My pap used to play. I know some generic songs, one I think is about snow.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Belle Vernon