Mason Montgomery‘s physical tools are evident on the football field for South Elgin. He’s got decent size and speed. What sets him apart, however, is his physical nature.
Count coach Dragan Teonic among those who have been impressed.
“That’s what makes him unique,” Teonic said of Montgomery. “He’s skilled with the ball in his hands, but he runs violently. He doesn’t avoid contact. He doesn’t go down very easy.
“A lot of times, the guys on the edge try to be more elusive. He doesn’t have a problem with contact.”
Coming off a 1,000-yard season rushing, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior running back/wide receiver said he has even more in the tank.
“I feel like I’ve really grown over the offseason,” Montgomery said. “I grew an inch, put on 10 pounds of muscle. I gained a lot of speed.”
The added muscle was a byproduct of the team buying into the offseason weight training program.
“We’ve been in the gym a lot,” Montgomery said. “We’re stronger than any team we’ve had in the past. I think that will be a big factor for us. Forty-eight dudes all bought in.”
The speed came from working out with his older brother.
Drake, a standout basketball player for South Elgin, is now a student at Arizona State. He helped guide his younger brother heading into Mason’s senior season.
“I started doing lots of stretching and plyometrics,” Montgomery said. “A lot of box jumps — not really weights but body movements. He worked out with me. He helped me a lot with those workouts.”
Teonic is happy to have an established player returning in Montgomery, who emerged during the 2021 spring season.
“He’s ready to go,” Teonic said. “Mason is a known commodity. He has great hands. He had a great basketball season. He’s in good shape. He’s itching to play.
“We’re excited for his senior season.”
Montgomery figures to be more than just a running back this season for the Storm.
Both Montgomery and senior Kyle Steinhofer will be all over the field, playing various roles in all three phases of the game.
“I think he could play defense in college,” Teonic said on Montgomery. “He’ll play some defense, return punts and kickoffs. We want to make sure he and Kyle touch the ball as much as possible.”
Montgomery also figures to line up on the outside and in the slot in passing situations.
“I see myself as a hybrid, getting catches on the inside and in the slot and also running the ball a lot,” Montgomery said. “I’ll play a lot more safety and corner this season.”
Montgomery enters the season with one offer from Roosevelt.
He has heard from coaches who agree with Teonic that Montgomery could be a tenacious defender in the secondary or a running back at the next level due to his aggressive demeanor and ball skills.
“I would say I’m not the strongest, biggest guy, but you have to have that mentality in football,” Montgomery said. “I grew up a running back, so I’ve always had that mentality.”
Montgomery and Steinhofer will be joined offensively by junior quarterback Jacob Sullivan and four returning offensive linemen. Senior running back Jordan Green is a potential breakout player after missing the past two seasons recovering from a baseball injury.
The Storm has added depth across the board.
“It’s nice to be in a position now where we stacked multiple good classes,” Teonic said. “We feel good about the direction of where it’s heading.”
Montgomery is excited to get that group on the field and see what it looks like Friday night at West Chicago.
“I think we stack up even better than last year,” Montgomery said. “We’re really excited. We’ve been waiting and waiting for that first game. That’s been on all of our minds.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Team: South Elgin.
2021 record: 10-1, 8-0.
Offensive leaders: Mason Montgomery, senior, wide receiver/running back; Eddie Ramirez, senior, offensive lineman; Jacob Sullivan, junior, quarterback.
Defensive leaders: Vince Costante, senior, defensive lineman; Denver Davis, senior, cornerback; Michael Tringali, senior, linebacker.
X-factor: Kyle Steinhofer, senior, wide receiver/cornerback/kicker/returner.