Highland Park junior Mason Auslander didn’t know what to expect in his first varsity football camp this summer as he tried to make a positive impression.
As one of several players vying for time at cornerback, Auslander knew his ability to read opposing offenses’ intentions and receivers’ tendencies was critical.
But it may have been even more important for him to read the room.
“It was my first year playing against older kids, bigger kids, and I took the challenge,” Auslander said. “I had something to prove, and it became mainly about effort.”
With that all-important trait, Auslander earned a starting spot. But it wasn’t enough.
“Going into Week 1, an away game against Leyden, I was thinking I just want to keep my spot for the first home game,” he said. “Second game, at home, I had a phenomenal experience but realized that people behind me on the depth chart are coming for my spot. If I mess up, they’re going to take it, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
Auslander did not, and it’s fair to say no one will be taking snaps from him anytime soon. He made his third interception of the season during the Giants’ 37-16 Central Suburban League Central road win over District 113 rival Deerfield on Friday.
“He had a really big summer, made some huge strides,” Highland Park coach Anthony Kopp said. “He’s been coming up with clutch plays and really quickly turned into a top defender for us and somebody that we can really count on.”
Indeed, Auslander has become a key cog for the Giants (4-3, 2-0), who not only shut out Deerfield (3-4, 2-1) while their starters were in the game but also held both Glenbrook North and Maine East to seven points in Week 3 and Week 4, respectively.
The Warriors were limited to 45 yards in the first half as Highland Park built a 23-0 lead on senior quarterback Gustav Crane’s 1-yard touchdown run, his 27-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Owen Loftus, senior wide receiver Peter Dimitriou’s 14-yard end-around for a touchdown, and a field goal.
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Deerfield’s five possessions in the first half resulted in four three-and-outs and Auslander’s interception of sophomore quarterback Cooper Crane’s pass intended for sophomore wide receiver Colt Pontikes. That was one of the Giants’ three takeaways.
“I know the quarterback’s tendencies because I played with him in middle school, and I played with that receiver,” Auslander said. “My guy ran a go route, and I didn’t think the quarterback could throw it that far.
“I saw the quarterback roll out, and I saw the slant coming across the top, and when the ball was up, I thought, ‘I’ve got to go get that thing.’ That’s my job.”
Auslander couldn’t have done it any better than his interception in the waning moments of Highland Park’s 35-28 win over Evanston two weeks earlier.
“We were in Cover 2, and my guy runs a comeback, and I saw the ball,” he said. “It’s my job to go get that thing and bring it home, and that’s what I did.”
Auslander’s newfound confidence is one reason for his emergence. But it’s not the only one.
“Fear was definitely a factor in the summer because there were about five cornerbacks trying for the position,” he said. “The person in front of me would have a good rep, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to do better than that,’ and now I know that these varsity receivers are coming for you. They show no sympathy.”
Receivers can say the same about Auslander.
“He’s done a great job in coverage, but he’s also one of our best tacklers,” Highland Park senior receiver Max Stevens said. “He’s gotten so much better, whether it’s technique, speed, confidence. It shows on the field.”
Auslander’s older brother Spencer, a 2025 Highland Park graduate who played safety, had a lot to do with that.
“Growing up, older brother, little brother — he was going to beat up on me a little bit,” Auslander said. “My freshman year, as a little skinny guy and him being a senior and him not entirely being nice to me, made me realize I had a long way to go. Having him coach me and push me over my limits to want it more, that taught me a lot.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
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