Boyer’s Bulletin: Father-son Mason duo strengthening strong bond at Nativity
Nativity head coach Pat Mason, left, and quarterback Colt Mason pose before a recent practice atop Lawton's Hill (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
POTTSVILLE — It had become an annual ritual, one that always put smiles on the faces of those in attendance.
As Pat Mason introduced his players at the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Media Day, he’d finish by introducing his two young boys, Coy and Colt, who were tagging along with dad for the day and sitting at the team table just like the rest of the players.
They’d revel in the attention, soaking up the atmosphere of the preseason football kickoff event.
Flash forward to today.
Colt Mason is no longer the bright-eyed elementary school student just happy to be there. He’s the senior quarterback and captain of a 2-0 Nativity squad who is quickly introducing himself to the rest of the Schuylkill League.
A first-year starter, Colt Mason is among the area leaders in rushing and second in scoring through two weeks, reaching the end zone five times as the Green Wave notched victories over Holy Redeemer and Pine Grove.
While Pat Mason has always had a close relationship with his quarterbacks, from the Melusky and Weachock days at Minersville to Cody Miller and Ben Kreitzer during his current tenure at Nativity, the bond he has with this year’s quarterback is becoming a special one.
“Having Colt there, obviously, it’s special. He’s my son,” said Pat Mason, 53, who is in his ninth season as the Nativity head coach and 22nd season overall after 13 seasons at Minersville (2003-15).
“He’s a really hard worker. He really is,” he continued. “We have a gym in our basement and he’s in there all the time. If you look at him now compared to where he was in ninth grade, he’s come a long way physically. He’s grown into being an athlete and that’s through hard work.
“I don’t play him because he’s my kid. I play him because he’s earned it and he deserves the chance. He deserves this shot and I’m happy it’s been working out for him so far.”
Nativity graduated 16 seniors from last year’s squad that went 6-5 and lost to Lackawanna Trail in the District 2/11 Class A subregional semifinals.
Entering the 2025 season, Colt Mason was one of only two returning starters from last year’s squad, two-way lineman George Shimko being the other.
After playing quarterback in junior high, Colt Mason played wide receiver and defensive back the past three years with Kreitzer as the starting quarterback. Now 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, the 18-year-old said he talked with dad at the end of last season about being the Green Wave’s starting quarterback this season and worked hard all offseason to get ready to take the reins.
“End of last season, I knew Ben was a senior. I knew I had to step up and fill the role,” Colt Mason said. “Me and my dad had a lot of chats about it, just talked about stepping up and being the leader for the group. This year we have a lot of young guys and I knew I had to step up and be there for them.”
So far, Colt Mason has answered the challenge.
In Nativity’s two wins, Colt Mason has rushed 31 times for 185 yards and four touchdowns and scored another TD on an interception return.
He’s struggled as a passer, completing just 2-of-16 passes for 14 yards, both to Bentley Werez. That’s OK, says the head coach, because Nativity has never really been a passing offense.
“If you look at my career … I’ve always had athletes as my quarterbacks,” Pat Mason said. “I’ve been a firm believer in that.
“We don’t throw the ball much, never did. We’re going to throw the ball maybe 5-10 times a game, if we have to. But we’re going to run the football. I want the ball in an athlete’s hands all the time and have him make plays.
“When (Colt) came up here, we had Ben. Colt sat behind him, starting two games as a freshman. We didn’t play him at quarterback because we had Ben. He’s a pretty good running back. If you had to classify him, he’s a running back playing quarterback.”
Pat and Colt Mason aren’t the first-ever coach/quarterback father/son duo in Schuylkill County … in fact, Shenandoah Valley head coach Dave Bench’s son Ethan is the starting quarterback for the second straight season with the Blue Devils.
But as they talked about the father/son bond they’ve enhanced through Colt’s new role as the Nativity quarterback, you could see how special this experience was to both of them.
Pat Mason told a story about when Colt, then in sixth or seventh grade, served as Nativity’s official center at a 7-on-7 summer camp at Steel-High and ended up getting a turf burn on his knee. He added that Colt has been the only player he’s ever coached to never have missed a practice from seventh grade through 12th grade … because Pat made sure he was there.
Colt Mason countered with a story how Pat always is yelling at him to “throw the damn ball” when he’s doing passing drills and can hear his voice inside his head when he’s dropping back to pass.
More importantly, they both talked about the importance of family when it comes to high school sports and how great it is when the whole family shares in the moments scholastic sports provide to teen-age youths.
No matter how many games Nativity wins this year, the moments that Pat and Colt Mason get to experience as head coach and quarterback on the field this year will not only strength the strong bond between them but create memories that will last a lifetime.
Colt is the youngest of Pat and Angela Mason’s three children, joining older sister Cassidy (26) and 2025 graduate Coy. The Minersville native said he’d like to play football in college and study business and/or sports management.
“My family is very supportive of me. I’m really blessed to have them,” Colt Mason said. “Whenever I’m feeling like maybe I don’t belong, I always talk to them and be like, ‘Hey, help me out.’ And they’re always there for me, which I’m blessed to have.
“My dad has always been supportive of me. He’s always given me tough love in the sport, which I couldn’t ask for anything more. It ain’t easy being the coach’s kid, that’s for sure. But I appreciate the extra work he gives me all the time. He’s always been there by my side, which is good.
“Overall, he’s a great father and a great coach. I love that I can have every moment on the field with him. It’s really great having him there.
“Some people think it’s easier having your dad as a coach, but he gives me a lot of tough times. In the end, it’s just going to help me. I appreciate everything he’s done.”
Offensive Defenses
If you thought there seemed to be an abundance of defensive and special teams touchdowns so far this season, you’re not mistaken.
Through the first two weeks there have been five pick-6 touchdowns scored by area teams and one fumble return for a touchdown. There has also been seven special teams touchdowns — three kickoff returns, two punt returns, a blocked field goal return and a blocked punt return.
Tri-Valley and Marian have each scored a pair of defensive TDs — including one on each other in last Friday’s 17-14 nail-biter — while the Dawgs and Nativity have also recorded safeties.
Here’s a look.
Defensive touchdowns include:
** Minersville’s Brandon Adams — 27-yard interception return vs. Halifax
** Tri-Valley’s Cooper Carl — 23-yard interception return vs. York Catholic
** Marian’s Dominick Rodino — 85-yard interception return vs. Hanover Area
** Nativity’s Colt Mason — 27-yard interception return vs. Holy Redeemer
** Tri-Valley’s Lucas Schwartz — 75-yard interception return vs. Marian
** Marian’s Damian Rodino — 55-yard fumble return vs. Tri-Valley
The special teams TDs:
** Williams Valley’s Evan Achenbach — opening kickoff return for TD vs. Upper Dauphin
** North Schuylkill’s Luke Miller — punt return vs. Mount Carmel
** Blue Mountain’s Reese Miller — blocked field goal return vs. Schuylkill Haven
** Blue Mountain’s Chase Guers — kickoff return vs. Schuylkill Haven
** North Schuylkill’s Brock Holmes — blocked punt return vs. Tamaqua
** Minersville’s Paiten LaPoint — kickoff return and punt return score vs. Shenandoah Valley
Adding to those numbers is this weird stat: Opposing teams have scored four defensive touchdowns on area teams through two weeks: interception returns by Shamokin’s Logan Steele, Northern Lebanon’s Bryan Mitzel and Pen Argyl’s Jakob Pietraskiewicz and a fumble return by Hanover Area vs. Marian.
Maybe the best offense is a good defense after all.
Spartans’ Hall of Fame class an impressive bunch
The North Schuylkill Football Hall of Fame will induct five new members as part of its 49th class during a halftime ceremony at the Spartans’ Sept. 12 home game against Southern Lehigh at Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium.
There have been some great Hall of Fame classes that have been inducted over the years. This year’s bunch ranks right up there.
The 2025 Hall of Fame class includes five 2020 North Schuylkill graduates: Zachary Chowansky, Tyler Elsdon, Jake Green, Jaden Leiby and Jesse White.
During their four-year careers, the Spartans went 36-12, winning the 2018 District 11 Class 3A championship and reaching the D-11 3A final in 2019. Elsdon (Penn State) and Green (Villanova) played NCAA Division I college football while White played three years at East Stroudsburg and Chowansky played baseball at Millersville.
Leiby had his senior season cut short by injury but remains one of the most inspirational people in our area through his role as a motivational speaker.
Congratulations to a great group. Looking forward to seeing that ceremony next week.
Week 2 Honor Roll
A quick look at some of the area’s top performers from Week 2:
The Marian defense — Held Tri-Valley to 30 yards rushing, 72 yards of total offense and four total first downs while forcing three turnovers and scoring on a fumble return. The play of Dominick Rodino, Damian Rodino and Jah Bushati was impressive.
Paiten LaPoint, Minersville — The Fanelli, Evans & Patel T102 Sports Now Athlete of the Week, the speedy senior scored four touchdowns three different ways, two receiving, one on a punt return and another on a kick return, in the Miners’ win over Shenandoah Valley.
Luke Miller, North Schuylkill — Tallied three more rushing touchdowns in win over Tamaqua, giving him seven for the season. Miller leads the area in rushing (26-403), touchdowns (7) and scoring (54 points).
SCORING LEADERS: For a look at the area high school football statistical leaders through Week 2, visit here: www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/09/04/hs-football-area-statistical-leaders-through-week-2/
