MUSKEGON TWP. - Athletes can have all the talent in the world, but if they’re nervous and uncomfortable, their chance of reaching full potential is limited.
That was the case with talented Mason Darke, at least when it came to playing quarterback for the Reeths-Puffer football team last year.
So Darke made the switch to wide receiver this season, to maximize the potential impact of his amazing speed, and it’s made a huge difference for him and the Rockets.
Mason Darke
The impact was obvious on Friday night in the third game of the season, when Darke led R-P with five catches for 132 yards, including an amazing 79-yard touchdown catch on a pass from quarterback Braylon Swain on the first offensive play of the game.
Darke’s performance helped the Rockets beat Spring Lake 35-28 and claim their first victory of the season.
It also confirmed for him, once again, that he made the right move when he switched to wide receiver.
“I wish I would have switched a long time ago,” said Darke, who will take the field with the Rockets this Friday when they visit rival Mona Shores. “You don’t have to think as much, and that’s when I am a better athlete all-around. I am having a lot of fun playing football now. I can play free and loose, and it’s going pretty well.”
Darke makes an acrobatic catch against Spring Lake. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Darke did not have a lot of fun on the football field last season.
He transferred from Montague as a junior and became the Rockets’ starting quarterback right away. He had all the attributes a team could ask for – a big arm, lots of speed and years of experience at the position.
But he wasn’t comfortable, and the season did not go particularly well for him or the Rockets, who finished with a 2-7 record.
“By nature I am kind of an anxious and nervous person, anyway,” Darke said. “Coming to a new school, I felt like I had a lot of pressure on me. I think I actually put a lot of that pressure on myself. That took over, and I think that’s kind of why I didn’t perform as well.”
Darke tries to keep his balance after breaking a tackle. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Without that kind of pressure, Darke showed he could do some really amazing things, particularly during track and field season in the spring. He was a state finalist in three events, including the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, and earned All-State honors in the latter.
The highlight of his track season came in June, when he won the 110-meter hurdles title in the Emerging Elite division at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
That convinced Darke and the R-P football coaches that he might make a great receiver in his senior year, and they made the switch, despite the fact that he had no experience at the position.
“Before summer we all kind of sat down and centered (the final decision) around me using my speed as much as I could on the football field,” Darke said. “It was mostly my idea, but the coaches definitely agreed. It was a group decision.”
More big catches every week
Darke displayed some promise in Week 1 against Forest Hills Central, catching one pass, a 33-yard touchdown strike from Swain. He caught two passes in Week 2 at Caledonia, including a 23-yard touchdown reception.
He finally hit full stride last Friday at Spring Lake, starting right away with the long touchdown catch on the very first play.
“All week we said their safeties were going to leave me a gap in the middle,” Darke said. “We knew we wanted to start out fast, so I ran a middle of the field post, got a nice throw about 40 yards out, and we scored right off the bat. It was exciting. It was probably the first time in my football career that I scored on the first play of the game.”
Darke said he spent much of the summer working out as more of an inside receiver, and is still getting adjusted to being a wideout.
Darke gets ready to haul in a pass against Caledonia. Photo/John Willoughby
“I really just had the last two games to prepare myself for being on the outside,” he said. “Now I’m finally getting used to it. I’m using my speed a little bit more and I’m running down the field a little bit more."
He said it also took some time to develop some chemistry with Swain, his replacement at quarterback, but they are definitely clicking at this point.
“We spend a lot of time together,” Darke said. “We have every other class together, so off the field and on the field, as friends and teammates, it’s getting better by the day.”
Darke runs the ball against Forest Hills Central. Photo/Tyler Lirones
The best part about the position switch is that Darke put the finishing touches on an already strong R-P receiving team. With speedy sophomore Ja’Michael Williams at the other wideout spot, along with juniors Connor McManus and Brendan Guikema on the inside, opposing defensive backs have a lot to worry about.
The switch also made room for Swain, the former junior varsity quarterback with the big arm, who seems to be gaining in accuracy every week.
“We have one of the better size, skill and speed receiving groups in the conference,” Darke said. “You can throw the ball anywhere and Ja’Michael will run it down. McManus can do everything – catch the ball, lay down blocks, run. Guikema is a speedster who can get to any ball, and I can run down the field.
“It definitely makes it a lot easier on Braylon.”