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| Mason Zurek has been a workhorse all year for the Little Giants, but he and the offensive line have a found a new gear in November. Wabash athletics photo by Howard Hewitt |
By Joe Sager
D3sports.com
One might expect most running backs who pile up at least 200 yards rushing in a game do it on a dry, crisp day against a weaker opponent.
Where’s the challenge in that, though?
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Wabash senior Mason Zurek has done his best in tough situations. Against DePauw on Nov. 14 in the Monon Bell Classic and with the NCAC title on the line, Zurek rambled for a program-best 278 yards in the Little Giants’ 45-17 win. That performance surpassed Stan Huntsman’s record from 1952.
For an encore, Zurek went “berzurek” for 312 yards and four touchdowns in Wabash’s 35-14 triumph over Albion to open the playoffs.
“It’s kind of weird. When someone told me I broke the record after the game against DePauw, I didn’t think I was close. When I found out I beat that by almost 40, I still didn’t think I was close,” he said. “It’s kind of surreal. You don’t really think about it during the game. You just go in and try to get out of it with a win.”
Zurek has piled up 590 yards the past two weeks. That’s almost a third of the 1,742 on the season for the NCAC’s Offensive Player of the Year.
“It’s all on the offensive line and tight ends. Those guys have been blocking fantastically. As a team, we had 412 rushing yards Saturday and 355 the week before. Those guys have been phenomenal. We’ve just been racking up yards,” Zurek said. “When the defense keys on the rushing game, the passing game has done well. It’s been a total team effort on the offensive side of the ball. Everyone is complementing each other.”
Seniors Wes Brown, Tre Taylor, and Jordan Culp join junior Kyle Stucker and sophomore Tim Leath as the starters on the offensive line. Deryion Sturdivant, a junior, was a starter before an injury sidelined him halfway through the season. In addition, sophomore tight end Klay Fullenkamp has been a key blocker. Together, they’ve been giving Zurek enough space to find daylight.
“I really wish in the record books they’d be able to list the linemen I had when I did it. I really hope they do take pride in it,” Zurek said. “I can’t express how grateful I am for them. Without them, I couldn’t do what I am doing. I hope people recognize all of this is because of them.”
Head coach Erik Raeburn has run out of words to describe Zurek’s performances.
“Certainly, after the last two weeks, if there was any doubt in anyone’s mind about him, it’s all gone now,” Raeburn said. “We just feel like Mason is an exceptional back. He is a physical guy and can run between tackles. He has better feet than most people realize. He can turn perimeter runs into big gains, too. He had a great a season, but these last two weeks he has been playing at an even higher level than he played for most of the season.
“I think our linemen are more motivated when they a have chance to block for a good running back. I think that’s the way our guys have felt for most of the season. He could break one any play. They realize all he needs is a little seam and he can do something great for our team. Our guys take pride in him having a good game. As an offensive lineman, you don’t get to accumulate stats. When Mason does, it makes them feel good.”
Mother Nature has had the best defense against Zurek and Wabash (11-0), so far. Heavy snowfall crushed Hollett Little Giant Stadium before and during Saturday’s game. Multiple inches of snow hampered both teams, especially in the first half as Albion clung to a 7-6 lead at halftime.
The intermission was extended to 53 minutes to allow crews to clear heavy snow from the field. The Britons took advantage of that right away for a long touchdown and a 14-6 lead. However, it was all Wabash – and Zurek – from that point. The 6-foot, 225-pound back scored on runs of 29, 6, 1, and 70 to seal the win.
“I have played in snow games before, but never been in one where it was coming down terribly like that. Offensively, our line was doing a fantastic job. Nobody could really cut, though. We have a lot of good athletes, but we couldn’t do much but run straight forward,” Zurek said. “When they cleared the field, it allowed us to spread the offense out a bit. We could get the ball on the perimeter.
“Honestly, I think it was good to play from behind and face a little adversity. That happens in the playoffs. To be able to come back and focus and play well in the second half, I think that’s really going to help us.”
Zurek and his teammates face a challenge this week against Thomas More (11-0) and its defense, which is ranked ninth overall in the nation at 332 yards per game.
“This will be the best defense we’ve played against. They’ve had a great season. They have an excellent defensive line. Our guys know that life is going to get a bit tougher this Saturday,” Raeburn said. “We’re happy to have the opportunity to get to play another game. Hopefully, we’ll play our best on Saturday because that’s what it’ll take against Thomas More.”