They say offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Defense also wins player of the week awards.
Mason Hoose, a senior LB/FB, for the Canisius Crusaders football team proved that to be true when his outstanding effort in the Crusaders 31-14 win over Cardinal Mooney earned him the WNYAthletics Player of the Week for the week ending Oct.9.
“I think it just felt good,” Hoose said of the win. “Everybody on the team just came out and was ready to fight and knew that they weren’t going to come back with anything less than a win.”
To say Hoose was a defensive gem on this day would, at best, be an understatement.
Hoose rang up 21 tackles against the Cardinals, three of which were for losses, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, had a sack, deflected a pass and for good measure he also scored a touchdown.
“Our team over the last couple of years has been (known) primarily for its defensive play and that’s because of guys like Mason Hoose,” Canisius special teams coach Bryce Hopkins said.
“Mason is a phenomenal leader for the team. All this off season, working out in the weight room. Challenging his teammates in the weight room to get bigger, faster, stronger. His team is seeing the fruits of his labors on the field-21 tackles, forced fumbles, fumble recovery, sack, pass deflected in Ohio against a stout and well known program like Cardinal Mooney speaks volumes his own athletic abilities. So he’s not only a great leader for us off the field, he’s a great leader for us on the field. His play in all phases of the game has been a reason we’ve had tremendous success this year.”
It wasn’t just the numbers that Hoose put up but the fact that he did it against a nationally respect program like Cardinal Mooney. On the road and on a day when the Cardinals were on an emotional high because of a ceremony that honored the program’s 2006 state championship squad.
“I think it says that we’re not scared,” Hoose said. “That we’re always ready to go. No matter what we’ll bring it.”
With a season of varsity football under his belt at his old school, Southwesten, before transferring to CHS for his junior year, Mason Hoose has proven himself to be a complete player.
“I try my best to be as complete as I can,” he said. “I do a lot more blocking than running the ball on offense. So I do try to do my part there and defensively I try to do my part, too.”
Congratulations, Mason!
