Freshman Masterson shines in debut

Published 12:05 pm Monday, August 23, 2010

Ever since he was a fifth-grade quarterback shredding peewee defenses with sharp, accurate passes, Jonah Masterson was touted by Porters Chapel fans as the school’s next great player.

After years of waiting, Masterson finally made his debut in the varsity ranks on Friday night and showed the hype was justified.

Masterson, a freshman, completed 11 of 20 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, leading PCA to a 38-0 win over archrival Tallulah Academy. His passing ability and command of the huddle won praise from teammates and coaches alike.

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“That was the best game I ever saw a true freshman play,” said senior receiver Chris Marshall, who caught one of Masterson’s touchdown passes and made three receptions total for 70 yards. “Jonah definitely has a lot more composure than he should for his age. I’m honored to play with him.”

Masterson’s night went well, but didn’t start on the right foot. Facing a third-and-5 from his own 32-yard line midway through the first quarter, Masterson lobbed his first pass attempt into coverage. It was intercepted by Tallulah’s Todd Harrell, who returned it to the PCA 40 before fumbling it back to the Eagles.

Given new life, Masterson atoned for the mistake. He completed a pass to Marshall along the left sideline for a 26-yard gain, then followed it up with a 9-yard toss to Montana McDaniel. Masterson eventually capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown to McDaniel on a swing pass out of the backfield that gave PCA a 7-0 lead.

“The line blocked well. As a freshman, you have butterflies, but they got worked out,” Masterson said, adding that the touchdown and some words of encouragement from offensive coordinator Jerry Bourne helped him shake off the early interception. “Coach Bourne told me to settle down and came back to a pass play. That’s what settled me down.”

As Tallulah imploded with a series of mistakes in the second quarter, Masterson settled in even more. With 9:37 left in the first half, he lobbed a pass to Marshall that floated just over the outstretched arm of a Tallulah defender. Marshall caught it around the 10 and ran into the end zone for a touchdown that made it 20-0.

Masterson led another last-minute drive in the first half that didn’t result in any points, but did show he could do more than throw. Starting at the PCA 20, he completed a 21-yard pass to McDaniel and then ran for 10 yards on a quarterback sweep to move the Eagles into Tallulah territory. Discounting sack yardage, Masterson ran for 20 yards on four designed attempts in the game.

Masterson finished the first half 8-of-12 passing for 122 yards, with two touchdowns. He added another TD pass to Jake Boyd in the third quarter and scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the fourth to cap his memorable night.

“If you told me he was a freshman I’d have told you you’re lying,” PCA head coach John Weaver said. “I’m glad to know he’s here for four years. He answered the call.”