Week 10 of the high school football season is in the books, which wraps up the 2018 regular season schedule. The season ended with a bang, as the Moreau Catholic Mariners shut out the Newark Memorial Cougars with a final score of 62-0 thanks, in part, to junior running back, Fresh Ison.
At 5'11", 205lbs, Ison plays multiple positions including running back, wide receiver, safety and cornerback. In this week 10 match up, Ison went off, racking up an astounding 230 yards rushing and three touchdowns on only five carries.
The Mariners, led by head coach Rob Gatrell, were excited about the match up as it is a great rivalry game for both schools. "This is a fun game for us to play," Gatrell said. "A lot of these guys have played with or against each other in youth sports so having them on this big stage under the lights was great for our community."
As the game got started, Ison and the Mariners looked to be aggressive on the ground and strike fast. "We have been a balanced offense all year and we have a great quarterback and really explosive skill players so you take what the defense gives you, and watching tape, we thought our power run play was going to work well against their front" Gatrell recalled.
Ison got on the board quickly with a long rushing touchdown. "Fresh was hitting the hole hard. Our offensive line has been doing a great job at executing all year so that has been a huge part of his success. Leonard Hawkins Jr. is a leader on the O-line and has played a big part of that. Fresh knows how to manipulate the defense, and really takes advantage of the push our offensive line gives us," said Gatrell.
Coming out of half-time, Gatrell was focused on the little things, "We had control of the game up front so, I just wanted to reiterate that great teams play tough and pay attention to details from start to finish," he said. The Mariners' defense was able to keep points off the board and finished the game out with 20 unanswered points, leading to the 62-0 score.
When asked about Ison's leadership style, Gatrell replied, "Fresh leads by example. He will say what he needs to say when he needs to say it, but he is not a big ra-ra guy. He knows when the team needs a pick me up. He's not afraid to let the team know when they have to lock in and get focused."
Ison is a spectacular athlete who looks to his brother, Budda Ison, for guidance in the classroom and on the field. "He had decent GPA his freshman year, but with Budda mentoring him, Fresh has really re-focused his energy to working hard in the classroom and finished this last quarter with an impressive GPA," Gatrell said. "He is a tenacious, driven kid with a positive attitude. I think the sky is the limit for Fresh and universities are starting to take notice too." Needless to say, we are excited to nominate him as the Player of the Week and can't wait to see how the season turns out for #5!
As the home school of the 49ers High School Player of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Moreau Catholic High School will receive a $500 grant for their football program from the 49ers Foundation. As part of this award, Ison will receive two tickets to a 49ers home game where he will be recognized on the field during pre-game. At the end of the season, Ison will be invited to the SAP Performance Facility to watch a closed practice where 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, will officially present him with his award.
Congratulations, Fresh!
