Mason throws 8 TD passes to lead Lassiter

By Chip Saye

For the AJC

Lassiter’s high-flying offense was in record-setting mode again Friday night, and no matter what South Gwinnett did, the answer almost always seemed to be another touchdown.

Trojans quarterback Hutson Mason tied the state record with eight touchdown passes, including four to Griffin Roelle, and threw for 530 yards as Lassiter rolled into the Class AAAAA quarterfinals with a 70-49 victory.

Mason’s yardage total was the second-highest in state history, trailing only his 545-yard performance earlier this season that broke the state record. Mason, who entered the game with a state-record 3,714 passing yards this season, became the first quarterback in Georgia history to surpass 4,000 yards in a season.

Roelle finished with 12 catches for 213 yards.

“Hutson Mason is unbelievable,” Lassiter coach Chip Lindsey said. “I know I’m biased because I’m his coach, but it makes you look like a good coach when you’ve got a good quarterback. Our whole team’s playing well right now, playing together, and my hat’s off to them.”

Lassiter (12-0) moved into the quarterfinals for the first time in school history and will play at home next weekend against Colquitt County, which upset Stephenson 22-21.

That game will match Lindsey against his former boss, Colquitt County coach Rush Propst, who was the coach at Alabama’s Hoover High when Lindsey was the offensive coordinator there.

South Gwinnett’s season ended at 10-2.

“It’s going to be a good one,” Lindsey said of next week’s game. “He’s going to have them ready, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

South Gwinnett scored three times in its eight first-half possessions, but the Trojans answered two of the touchdowns with scores of their own.

The Comets also had two fumbles and an interception, and Lassiter capitalized on all three and led 42-21 at the half.

The Trojans made a goal-line stand at the 1-yard near the end of the first half that prevented the Comets from cutting the lead to 14 points.

South Gwinnett matched Lassiter touchdown for touchdown in the first 8 minutes. Jonathan Krause’s 56-yard reception tied the game 14-14 with 4:55 to play in the first quarter.

But Lassiter scored 28 unanswered points over the next 10 minutes to break the game open.

Lassiter’s other two scores came on interception returns, an 8-yarder by Coray Carlson in the third quarter and a 15-yarder by Marcus Stokes in the fourth.

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