Photo by Steve Buchanan Photography
If high schools gave out grades for leadership, Peyton Mason would get an A-plus. He thrives when he is in charge of things. Mason, a senior, is a three-year captain of the St. Mary’s boys varsity basketball team as well as the point guard. He led the Saints to one of their best seasons in school history last year after consecutive losing seasons.
One of the things that makes Mason standout as a leader is his boundless energy. “I really do like being a leader,” says Mason, who will play basketball at Division III Case Western Reserve University in Ohio next year. “I would say because I am so passionate about basketball, and I bring that passion onto the floor and pass it to other people.”
Mason, an Edgewater resident, takes the initiative in every situation through encouragement and being tough on teammates. “You have to create a positive environment,” he says. “I give my teammates high fives. When I do that, I am encouraging them and teaching them. But you also have to hold people accountable. If they are not giving an effort on a certain play and not locked in, I will talk to them.”
In recognition of his leadership, he was one of six captains to speak to classmates during meetings of the school’s SAIL Club. It’s a leadership club where students from each sport discuss ways to improve their skills.
“It gives me confidence and makes me feel like I am doing a good job,” explains Mason, who also leads his class academically (4.45 weighted grade point average) and participates in numerous activities inside and outside of school. He is taking five advanced-placement classes this school year.
“I have taken the most rigorous courses offered,” says Mason, noting calculus, chemistry, and biology. If he sees an opportunity to help younger students with schoolwork or basketball, he does it. He referees games and teaches the sport at summer camps.
Outside of St. Mary’s, Mason has volunteered at an Annapolis Lighthouse shelter event, attended Special Olympics events, and helped underprivileged elementary school students create art projects and improve their reading. “I think it’s important to give back to the community and support the needy,” Mason says. “Not everybody is as fortunate to have the things I have.”
Of course, Mason puts more time into basketball than anything else. He led the Saints to a 13-2 record last season, including a 9-0 mark in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference. He had some standout games, scoring a season-high 18 points in a win over Archbishop Curley and finished with 14 points in a triumph against St. Paul’s.
St. Mary’s Boys Basketball Coach Trey Quinn says the 5-foot-10, 155-pound Mason gets as much credit as anyone for the Saints’ breakthrough season in which he averaged 13 points, five assists, and three steals per game.
“Peyton was monumental for us in turning the program around,” Quinn explains. “He is like a second coach on the floor. For us to be the best version of St. Mary’s basketball, we have harped on being in the gym all the time. Peyton lives in the gym.”
Mason, a four-year varsity starter, makes good decisions with the ball, directs the team well, and breaks down opposing defenses. He’s also an excellent three-point shooter. Mason sank six against Broadneck during his freshman year.
“His ability to shoot the three has been a game-changer since his freshman year,” Quinn says. “He always puts in the extra with it.”
St. Mary’s Athletic Director Allison Fondale considers Mason to be a rare student-athlete, citing his work ethic and dedication. He’s playing basketball before and after school and studying relentlessly. “He is getting to school at 6 a.m. and not leaving until 9:30 p.m.,” Fondale says. “He has established a culture of hard work.”
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