Mastroianni Tries to Keep Momentum Rolling

A lot can change in a few months. 

In June, junior Ray Mastroianni was helping the Panthers capture one of the most memorable lacrosse seasons in program history when the team took the Group IV and Tournament of Champions titles.

Now a senior, Mastroianni has a new task at hand. As the quarterback of the football team, he is now looking to bring the Panther football program to the same heights as the lacrosse team.

“I just want to do my part and help as much as I can,” Mastroianni said. “If I work hard every game and do my best, there is no doubt in my mind that this team can make a run like our lacrosse team did.”

Picking up football as a kid, Mastroianni has always been a huge sports fan. The two-sport athlete uses both sports to get himself prepared for year-round athletics, and feels the similarities between football and lacrosse help keep him in shape.

“Both sports [football and lacrosse] complement each other,” he said. “They both involve speed, quickness and leadership, as well as athleticism. It can get tough to balance both sports, especially in the summer. However, Coach [Scott] Bray and Coach [Chuck] Apel understand my situation and they help me balance both sport schedules.”

Mastroianni is looking to carry the momementum from the successful lacrosse season over to the football team. He said he feels that with his leadership and the players around him, he and his teammates can do just that.

“I’m always trying to push our ability, and I think we have the players to do it this year,” he said. “The lacrosse season always helps, but I really think it started with last football season. We had a good season last year, and for me that carried over to the lacrosse season. Now I’m hoping that lacrosse will help me with this football season.”

Mastroianni is not the only one who feels that way. 

Bray also believes that the experience Matroianni gained from football and lacrosse during his junior year will be a key to the Panthers' success during his senior year.

“The experience he got last year as the starting quarterback and this past season with the lacrosse team and their run has really made a difference,” Bray said. “You can see he’s a little more vocal now and he really understands his role on the team as a senior captain and quarterback. He has a really easy-going way with his teammates and they are all buying in to what he has to say.”

Bray also understands the importance of Mastroianni’s leadership to his football team. He believes the character that Mastroianni has on and off the field will not only help him during his senior year, but also will help him in whatever he decides to do after high school.

“He is the same kid on and off the field,” Bray said. “He has great character and you can just tell that he was raised well by his parents. He’s very respectful and that carries onto the field. He has a lot of energy, he leads by example and he carries this mentality with him on and off the field.”

Although his senior year has not started quite yet, Mastroianni already has his college plans figured out. He has already committed to Lehigh University, where he will play lacrosse.

“The Lehigh [lacrosse] coaches are big football guys so I felt comfortable with them,” he said. “I would love to play football there too but as of right now, I think I will just be playing lacrosse. Playing two Division I sports and juggling the tough academic standards at Lehigh might just be too much.”

With that being said, this will be the final year for Mastroianni on the football field. With a talented group of players, Mastroianni said he feels there would be no better way to end his football career than with a deep run into the state tournament.

“This team has a lot of hard workers,” he said. “As a senior quarterback, it is my job to push these guys and always make sure they’re running hard through their sprints. It would be unbelievable if I could end my football career with a championship and I’m going to do everything in my power to get there."

"This is the last time I’m going to be playing this sport," he added, "so I’m just going to give it my all.”