This article recaps The Rush's interview with Bountiful's Mason Tidwell. Watch the full interview.
Bountiful went unbeaten in region play and finished the regular season by shutting out Brighton 38-0 and Olympus 35-0, according to MaxPreps. Senior Mason Tidwell was a big part of both games, playing receiver and defensive back for the Redhawks. Against Olympus, Andy said, he had 98 yards, two touchdowns, six tackles and two pass breakups.
His favorite play was his second touchdown, a post route the Redhawks had worked on all week. "It was a hard post just on the backside. One on one," Tidwell said. "We knew that we were going to throw it. We were practicing all week." After the catch, he said, "I kind of stepped back and the two guys run into each other. I feel like that was just the best part there."
A secondary that knows what's coming
Tidwell also returned an interception about 75 yards for a touchdown against Brighton, Andy said. He credits the defensive backs' film work. "As a DB group, we're all just always on film and stuff. We all meet together and we talk about it all and we know exactly what's going to happen," he said. "If we just know what's coming, it's easier to stop."
On the pick six, he said, he knew where he was going before the snap. "I kind of just sat in that little window and just got it thrown right to me, took it all the way."
He said the pass rush makes his job easier too. "He'll just get through that line so easily and put pressure on the quarterback," Tidwell said of one of the Redhawks' defensive linemen. "Makes my job easy as a DB."
Close wins and a confident quarterback
Bountiful's region run included a 29-28 win at Alta after going for two. Tidwell said his quarterback has played with confidence all season. "When we're practicing all of our plays, we know what we already want to do and where we want to attack," he said. "He's really shown how much he can identify a defense."
Andy said Bountiful was picked fourth in its region in the preseason before winning it outright. Tidwell said the head coach keeps the team focused. "If he knows we're a little bit dead at practice, he'll tell us and bring us all together," he said. "He always is 100% on being prepared."
From safety to corner and back
Tidwell started at safety, moved to corner as a junior and switched back to safety this year. "Being able to know both parts was a big help," he said. He also credited his older brother, who played on Bountiful's defense before him. "I'm always texting about our games and he's telling me stuff I can work on," Tidwell said. "He is definitely a big part from the start to end."
Bountiful (7-2) hosts Granger on Friday, Oct. 30, in the first round of the playoffs. See how the coaches predicted the region races.