Lassiter High School Standout Named 2009-2010 Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year

CHICAGO (December 3, 2009) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Hutson Mason of Lassiter High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year. Mason is the first Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Lassiter High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Mason as Georgia’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award, to be announced in mid-December, Mason joins an elite alumni association of past state football award winners, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich).

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior quarterback had completed 312-of-432 passes for state records of 4,560 yards and 54 touchdowns this season, leading the Trojans (12-1) to the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals, where they eventually fell to Colquitt County, 46-17. The returning Class AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year as named by the Associated Press, Mason also produced 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 73 carries. He recorded Georgia’s top two single-game passing yardage performances of all-time this fall, amassing 545 yards and 552 yards, respectively, against Milton and South Gwinnett. He also tied the single-game state record for passing touchdowns in throwing eight against South Gwinnett.

Mason has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has donated his time as a mentor to local elementary school students in addition to volunteering at churches and shelters as part of service mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

“He is a special player,” said Rocky Hidalgo, head coach of rival Walton High. “As a player, he’s the best quarterback I’ve faced as a coach in 15 years. He’s got great pocket awareness. He’s incredibly difficult to sack. He has an incredible ability to feel the pressure and keep his eyes on his receivers downfield. He’s something else. He is their football team.”

Mason remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Mason joins recent Gatorade Georgia Football Players of the Year Branden Smith (2008-09, Booker T. Washington), Tavarres King (2007-08, Habersham Central), and Eric Berry (2006-07, Creekside) among the state’s list of former award winners.

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