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Tonganoxie junior quarterback Mason Beach named Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week

Posted at 11:33 AM, Sep 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-23 10:39:54-04

Tonganoxie junior quarterback Mason Beach is proving that he's among the elite players at his position in the entire Kansas City metro area. 

Beach completed 12-of-14 passes for 277 yards and five touchdowns in the Chieftains 56-0 win over Bishop Ward.

He also ran for another 38 yard touchdown giving him six total. His incredibly efficient play on the field certainly raised eyebrows. 

That's why he was awarded the Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week. 

"It means a lot," Mason said. "It's a nice personal accomplishment. But, [the Offensive Line] had a lot to do with it. And, I'm thankful for them."

Chieftains Head Coach Al Troyer was certainly pleased with Mason's performance last Friday night. 

"We try to take what the defense gives us. And, he was able to find the open receivers," Troyer said. "When [the pocket] broke down, he was able to scramble for a 38 yard touchdown."

Mason has helped his team to a solid 3-0 record to start the season. That's a big improvement from last year where Tonganoxie finished 3-6 in 2015. His teammates respect him and his ability to lead the team on and off the field.

"Mason's a great leader, especially as a Junior," Senior Running Back Jordan Brown said. " You know, he's someone stepping up. He's actually one of our two Junior Captain's this year. At Tonganoxie, being a Junior Captain is pretty rare. He's a great guy, fun to be around. He's funny all the time. Always a smile on his face and always positive."

Mason is especially appreciative of the vote of confidence that he's received from the team this year.

"It means a lot especially as a junior to be voted on," Mason said. "I've been waiting a long time for this. And, I'm thankful for them."

His head coach knows that team camaraderie is vital to any team's success. 

"You can tell how the team respects him because he was voted on by the team as one of the Captain's - one of the six Captain's," Troyer said. "What a great honor for him."

Tonganoxie is going for a fourth win this season, but they have have a tough matchup against Bonner Springs (1-2). The Braves always seem to play the Chieftains well. They beat Tonganoxie 55-6 last season and 48-0 the year before.

There was a sense that the award Mason received wouldn't mean as much if he couldn't help lead his team to a win over Bonner Springs. He knows the challenge ahead this Friday night.

"I have a lot of friends that go there actually. You know, we talk back and forth - nothing rough. But, we're looking forward to it. Definitely looking forward to it," Mason said.

The Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week segment airs every Thursday during the 10 p.m. sportscast for the entire school year.

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Ryan Marshall can be reached at Ryan.Marshall@KSHB.com.

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