It’s fair to say Mason Emigh took a few teams by surprise in 2025.
After all, Emigh had only 10 receptions as a sophomore the season before, when players like Eli Woomer and Trent Adams were pushing 50 and beyond. Gayge Miller made 23 catches as the No. 3 guy, and Seth Hoover had 28 more coming out of the backfield.
In that universe, Emigh was a blip on radar for defensive coordinators just trying to keep up with Ashton Walk and a passing game that produced more than 3,000 yards.
That made him a bit of an unknown commodity heading into his junior season, but teams quickly found out, beginning with Emigh’s first reception of the season, which he took 80 yards for a touchdown against Bellefonte.
Emigh became the focal point of the Golden Eagles’ passing attack and ultimately led the team in receptions (26) and receiving yards (563).
As he enters his senior season, it’s clear teams will have all eyes focused on limiting him. But with a new coach in Jason Jones eager to utilize his multi-talented, speedy receiver, Emigh may have a different benefit: while teams will certainly know who he is, they may not know where on the field his touches will come from.
“Mason will do just about anything for us,” said Jones. “There’s been talk about, how do we get him the ball in space, not just from the wide-out position? How can we get him the ball in space from the slot? How can we get him the ball in space from the backfield? I think you’ll see him move around to different parts of the field quite a bit. Those shots down the field are nice with his speed, but I’m interested in seeing how teams tackle him five yards down the field when he gets the ball in space.”
Always one of the top athletes in his class, Emigh blossomed into one of the best in the region in 2025, and it was across the boards.
Those shots down the field are nice with his speed, but I’m interested in seeing how teams tackle him five yards down the field when he gets the ball in space.
Coach Jason Jones
At 6-foot-3, Emigh’s height and length made him a challenge for smaller defensive backs on fly routes and any 50-50 balls, so merely throwing the ball in his direction was always an option, but his sprinter speed and jumping ability put him on par with the elite athletes in Pennsylvania. He averaged more that 21 yards per reception and had three games with 80 or more receiving yards.
On the basketball court, he was one of the Golden Eagles’ top playmakers, and he produced two of the most important hoops of the season, buzzer-beaters to give Tyrone victories over Bellwood-Antis in the regular season and Central Cambria in the playoffs.
Last spring, Emigh broke Tyrone’s long jump record while competing for the track and field team, jumping 22-7.5, and he topped out with a school-record 46-10.25 in the triple jump. He finished in the top 10 in the state in both events at the PIAA championships in May.
All of those achievements jump off the page, and Jones was familiar with the caliber of athlete he was dealing with when the team got things rolling at the start of the summer. However, what has impressed Jones just as much has been the ease with which Emigh has grown into a leadership role.
“That’s one of the things I told the older kids is I want to see them take some of the younger players under their wing as senior leaders,” said Jones. “I think he is one of those players who has stuck out so far, a little bit of a senior leader. One of my biggest goals with the team was to have some of those seniors become more vocal, and that’s one thing I’m going to continue to push him with. But when you look at him – the way he can run, his hands, wat he brings on both sides of the ball – I think he’s going to have a tremendous year.”
Defensively, Emigh has been a starter in the secondary for two seasons, and there, too, he reached new levels as a junior, with a team-best 5 interceptions to go along with a fumble recovery. His quickness made him a handful in any man-on-man situation, but it’s his ability to simply make plays that separates him from run-of-the-mill defenders.
If there’s an it factor in football, then Emigh’s got it, which makes his prospects for 2026 exciting.
“I’m really happy with what he’s show so far, in just a little of the offseason,” Jones said.
ORANGE AND BLACK 