SV's Dehart picks Clarion
JACKSON TWP — Clarion University’s football program has entered a new era and the Golden Eagles recently chose a Butler County native who they believe can help them return to prominence.
Seneca Valley senior halfback Mason Dehart became part of Clarion head coach Chris Weibel’s first recruiting class when the former signed a letter of intent Feb. 4.
A resident of Evans City, Dehart will receive a partial scholarship.
Weibel served as Clarion’s offensive coordinator the last two seasons, but has been on the coaching staff since 2004. The Golden Eagles run an offense that utilizes zone and gap schemes, which is similar to what Dehart became familiar with while playing for Seneca Valley.
“They throw a lot of flare passes out of the backfield,” Dehart said of the Golden Eagles. “We did a lot of that in high school and it makes me more comfortable going in. It felt like a good fit for me. I liked Coach Weibel and the assistant coaches.”
Over the last two seasons, Dehart tallied a combined 1,442 yards from scrimmage and scored 13 touchdowns for the Raiders. Weibel sees him as someone who fits well with Clarion’s offensive plans.
“He is a guy we can hand the ball to and get positive yardage due to his size (5-foot-11, 215 pounds) and strength alone,” Weibel replied in an emailed interview. “He also moves well and is what you look for in a college athlete.”
Former Seneca Valley coach Don Holl often used the term “blue-collar” when referring to Dehart. It was a compliment for doing whatever it took to get the job done on both offense and defense, where Dehart played linebacker.
“I started playing football when I was six years old and that helped me a lot,” Dehart said. “My older brother Seth (Class of 2012) also played at Seneca Valley and I followed in his footsteps. I used to play basketball and baseball, but football has always been my favorite sport.”
Clarion has a steep climb to return to the top of the PSAC West standings.
Since an 8-3 campaign in 2009, the Golden Eagles have gone a combined 17-38 overall and just 11-26 in conference games. The program fell to 2-9 this past season.
Weibel spoke with the current Clarion players recently, hopefully paving the way for a solid foundation on which to build upon.
“I expressed the importance of mentality, work ethic and how important it is for them to trust each other,” he wrote. “They need to become a family, have fun and be enthusiastic. Everyone who has an effect on the program needs to believe.”
