School football: Injured in ‘18, Upper Cape's Mason Still working his way back

Upper Cape junior running back Mason Still is working his way back to the gridiron after tearing three ligaments in his left knee as a freshman during the 2018 football season. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times

It was the 2018 regular season finale for the Upper Cape junior varsity football team against Southeastern. In the third quarter, something happened to freshman running back Mason Still. A moment he will never forget. Still tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in his left knee. When it happened, he didn’t know how badly he’d been hurt. 

“Right when I got hurt, I didn’t really notice it,” Still said. “I thought it was like a cramp or something. So, I got up and tried to stand and my leg just gave out.” 

JV head coach Ben Rabinovitch said Still’s injury happened right in front of him on the sideline. He knew right away it was serious.

“We knew the injury was bad, even though we didn’t know the extent until much later on when he got his MRI,” Rabinovitch said. “He was a heck of a ball player that year. To go out in the last game of the year like that was definitely tough.” 

Mason Still is expected to play running back and safety for Upper Cape when the Fall II football season begins in March. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times

One of Still’s teammates, quarterback Colby McKinnon, remembers that day vividly.

“He had two guys on his back running down the sideline and then a guy came out of nowhere and just dove at his knee shoulder first,” McKinnon said. “I knew once it happened you could tell he wasn’t getting back up.”

Still went through surgery and a two-year rehab process that included leg stretching, stair work and a lot of weight work.

“For the first month, I couldn’t move my leg because it was locked in a brace,” Still said. “The LCL was the most difficult one. It's all complex because each rehab is different for each ligament. So I had to strengthen one ligament in order to work on another one.”

Still finished his freshman year with 96 carries for 850 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading his team in carries, touchdowns and rushing yards.

He compares his situation to that faced by NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, now with the Ravens, who was able to resume his career after sustaining similar injuries in the past. Still sees Griffin as an inspiration.

The 5-foot-4-inch, 150-pound junior will return to the field for the Upper Cape varsity team. This season will be different from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has pushed things back.

The team plans to start practicing March 8, but the date is subject to change, according to head coach Dayne Johnson.

Another change for Still will be the coaching, this being Johnson’s first year at Upper Cape and first season as a high school head coach. He was an assistant at Old Rochester for six years.

“As far as a workload for Mason this season, I think that will have to be determined through a series of practices and see what he is capable of,” Johnson said. “He will get every opportunity that he can handle and we will evaluate him in practice and preseason.”

Despite the injury and coaching changes, Still has high hopes for not only himself but also his team. 

“My goal is to at least get to the playoffs,” Still said. “I want to get back at Southeastern and hopefully win that game. I would love to get a thousand yards this season, but we’re praying for that. Everybody looks good this season and looks in shape. The offensive line really looks much improved. It looks like the most improved position on the team. We got a lot of bigger athletes.”

In high school, it is common for players to play on both sides of the field. Still plays on offense and defense, and McKinnon said Still’s move from linebacker to safety is going to help the team. McKinnon has watched how Still has recovered from this injury to get back on the turf. He feels that Still is ready for the upcoming season. 

“I think he is going to do really good this season,” McKinnon said. “He’s a really good player, knows a lot about football and has a really high football IQ. He’s so smart that he can see a play before it happens. He is very influential on the team and the effort they put in.”

Although Rabinovitch will not be on the sideline coaching Still this season, he believes he will do well with varsity.

“It surely took him awhile to fully recover as expected from that type of injury,” Rabinovitch said. “This year I think he will definitely help out on both sides of the ball, especially offensively. He looks to be a ball carrier that gets a decent amount of carries. Even though he still wears the brace, I think he’s close to 100 percent as you can be at this point.”

Still said that playing football after two years will take some time getting used to, but he is up for the challenge.

“I don't know how much my knee is going to take because it really hasn’t been the same ever since, but I’m still trying to get through that,” Still said.