Isiah Mason is the
most valuable role player

By Joe Mason
Times Sports Editor

The team is full of recognizable players.
Fans of the Catholic League Northern Division know quite a bit about the Cardinal Dougherty High School basketball team. The first-place Cardinals went 14-0 this year in the division with a cast of characters who had plenty of experience in the league.
People know that senior guard Kahlil Mumford, this year’s Northern Division Most Valuable Player, can knock down a shot from just about anywhere in the gym. They’re aware of the highlight dunks from senior forward Robert Townsend. Senior point guard Justin Minter is known for his ability to run the offense, and senior Tim Gates has that reputation for being the gritty, do-whatever-it-takes guy under the basket.
Those are four of Dougherty’s starters, and all four have seen significant playing time since their sophomore year. The fifth starter on this year’s squad is junior guard Isiah Mason.
Mason doesn’t light up the scoreboard on a regular basis. He’s not much of a highlight-reel dunker, he’s not real experienced at running the offense, and he doesn’t see much time in the paint.
Mason, in his first year as a starter, simply plays defense.
Great defense.
Last year, Mason was a start on Dougherty’s junior varsity squad. When this season began, he wanted to get noticed, so he tried to do the little things. He did them to the point that Dougherty coach Mark Heimerdinger decided to give him a very large role on the team.
"I was just out there, you know, doing what the coaches told me to do and doing whatever I thought I could do to help the team win, to help the team get better," said Mason, a shooting guard. "And then when we started the year, I was playing every game.
"In the first couple of games, I was guarding the other team’s best player," Mason continued. "I was thinking, ‘Whoa, this guy’s going to be tough.’ But when I found out they were going to keep me against the other team’s best player, it gave me confidence and made me happy that they had that much faith in me. I think it made me a much better player."
Mason is exactly what the Cardinals needed.
Yes, Dougherty was by far the most experienced team in the Northern Division, but on paper, they clearly were not the most talented. That honor went to North Catholic. But Dougherty went 2-0 against the Falcons this year, and that ultimately clinched first place for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals then entered the playoffs with a first-round meeting against La Salle.
The Explorers have been a huge thorn in Dougherty’s side the past couple of years. In fact, the past two seasons saw Dougherty split with La Salle, so an upset was a distinct possibility in the first round of the playoffs.
But on Feb. 24, the Cardinals downed La Salle, 68-50, at Archbishop Ryan. With the win, Dougherty secured a spot in the Catholic League semifinals for the seventh straight year.
Last year, the Cardinals fell short in the semifinals, losing to eventual champs Saints Neumann-Goretti in an 84-73 all-time classic that saw Dougherty lead well into the fourth quarter.
Dougherty returned to the semifinals on Feb. 28 when they did battle with Roman Catholic. The result of that game was unknown when the Times went to press.
A return trip to the semifinal is nice, but a trip back to the championship game would be even better. And one of the reasons that the Cardinals have a puncher’s chance against the Cahillites is because of Mason.
"Isiah is a great player to have because he doesn’t say two words but he goes out and gives you everything he has," said Heimerdinger, who was named the Catholic League Coach of the Year last week. "He’s always chasing around the other team’s best player, and that takes its toll and your legs aren’t as fresh from hustling on the defensive end.
"But does he ever complain about not getting a chance to score? Does he ever not do his job because he wants to get his shots? No, because he’s a great team player," Heimerdinger added.
That’s just part of the job.
In the first round of the playoffs, Dougherty was led by Minter and Mumford, who each scored 16. Townsend added 12, while Mason contributed nine.
Mason’s offense has come a long way since the first half of the season, where he was averaging less than four points per game. In the second half, he’s averaging close to 10 points per game.
"They let me shoot a little more, so that’s fun," said Mason, who lives in North Philadelphia. "They told me they needed a little more offense, so I try to help out, but I can’t let it get in the way of my defense. My defense is the reason I’m out there. Everyone can score."
What makes Mason’s defensive responsibility even better is that he enjoys his role. A lot of players claim they don’t care about scoring. Mason doesn’t go that far, but it’s not his top priority.
"I care about scoring, I just care about team scoring," Mason said. "In the end, no one really cares who scores. And I know I’m not going to get a lot of recognition. The seniors on this team have reputations for being good players because they went out for three years and earned that reputation.
"Plus, they’re good teammates," Mason continued. "They take care of me, they’re allowing me to win all these games. I don’t mind if I don’t get the credit, because I’m getting wins and that’s more important.
"And I love defense; it’s not like I’m not out there having fun, I’m loving it," he said. "We’re winning because everyone goes out and does their job. If my job is to play defense, and I’m able to do it and have fun and we win, it’s not like I’m sacrificing anything. I’m just having fun." ••
Sports editor Joe Mason can be reached at 215-354-3035 or jmason@phillynews.com