DORMONT, Pa. — Last season as a freshman, Myontae Mott received playing time at Bishop Canevin. Not all freshmen have the opportunity to play at the varsity level, but Mott did so on both sides of the ball. He was not the big-name star and only rushed for one touchdown.
But in Mott’s second game in his sophomore year, he might have just put his name on the map in the WPIAL football world. On Friday, Mott rushed for three touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Bishop Canevin’s 42-6 win over Steel Valley.
“I’m just trying to score every time I get the ball,” Mott told Pittsburgh Sports Now after the game. “Just to be more explosive and try to not go down.”
Last season, Marquis Carter was the starting running back for the Crusaders. Without a doubt, he was productive, rushing for over 1,000 yards in his senior year. However, with Carter graduating last year, someone else had to step up in the running game. And Mott has stepped up.
“I just worked on getting my weight up, getting my strength up, getting faster, learning the IQ of the game and just creating a bond with my teammates,” Mott said talking about what he has worked on.
Mott also plays cornerback and on defense, his team’s mindset was to stop the Barksdale brothers (Da’Ron and Donald). The defense held the Ironmen to only six points and it made the Crusaders look ike a WPIAL contender.
“When we played defense, we set the tone,” Mott said when holding the Ironmen to six points. “We played physical, we got to the ball. I felt that we played good.”
Despite the two lightning delays, one occurring in each half, Mott was still productive scoring two touchdowns in each half.
“For real, just stay ready,” Mott said when talking about his mindset during the delays. “Get more energy flowing, stay on your feet, drink some water. Just be ready.”
In the first two games of Mott’s sophomore campaign, he has rushed for 200 yards and is really excited for the season to progress, especially with conference play starting right around the corner.
“I am real excited, I feel like I actually have a chance to showcase my abilities on the field and be a leader,” Mott said. “I feel like last year, we had a senior running back [Carter], so I didn’t have a shot. I am having fun a lot, I am happy.”
