Top ten offseason update – Edina’s Mason West

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top high school athletes going into their senior years all have big decisions to make. What school is the best fit for them academically and athletically? Do they fit better as an offensive or defensive player? Some even need to decide what sport they will pursue in college. Edina junior [player_tooltip player_id='592125' first='Mason' last='West'] can add another decision to his list – should he play quarterback in college, play forward in college hockey, or should he go pro?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Right now, I am playing with the Fargo Force (a Tier I junior ice hockey team) for the end of their season," West said. "Their playoffs start in a couple of weeks. Then, I will attend the NHL Combine in June. There will be a lot of hockey, with some football mixed in, until June. Then there will be the NHL draft in June."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West is expected to be drafted in the second or third round of the upcoming NHL draft. What he does after that is anyone's guess – even the Hornets' two-way star is not sure. Even when he is drafted, spending some time at the college level before turning pro is a real option.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I have offers from Notre Dame, Boston College, and Michigan State in hockey. In football, I have heard from Pittsburg, Missouri, and Michigan."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The recruiting process for both sports has been a very different experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Living in the State of Hockey helps with hockey recruiting," West said. "There are always a lot of people at the games, but with football, it is a different process. I have to send out my film, and I am just starting to get noticed for football now. It has been a busy month for recruiting in both sports."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a busy fall for the 6'6", 215-pound junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"There were a lot of ups and downs, but I thought individually I had a great (football) season. I don't really look at stats; I had a lot of yards and touchdowns, but I grew a lot mentally in my game. I learned to face adversity better, and was in a better mental place after a mistake this year. I was able to flush it. As a team, we did a good job battling through adversity. Obviously, we wanted to get past the state quarterfinals, but I thought individually, I took a big step this year."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"One of my biggest strengths is being a leader on and off the field," West continued. "I can make big plays in big moments. I am a big, mobile quarterback who can really sling it and someone who is willing to lead his team to a win."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although the winter and spring have been and will continue to be focused on hockey, West still finds time to get a little football in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I am in the film room a ton. I am honing in on defenses and working more with the coaches to learn more about defenses and hone in on what defenses are trying to do and how you can manipulate defenses with different route combinations. After watching that film, I like to get with my receivers, map it all out, and run routes we are not as comfortable with."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The hockey team won two games in the state tournament, finishing in third place.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I was a captain on both teams," West – who likes being on a lake with friends and family in his spare time, said. "It was a fun year (in hockey). We battled a lot of injuries. Individually, I had a good year. I am a right-wing and do a little bit of everything. I am a goal scorer but also a playmaker who can drive to the net and make people better around me."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West feels staying committed to both sports will only enhance his chances, regardless of which way he goes athletically.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I am focusing on development," West told prepredzone.com. "I think both sports make me a better athlete overall. It will develop me the best if I can keep playing both until I can't."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The schools that have offered him – in both sports – have encouraged West to continue playing both sports.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"They love how athletic I am and love that I play two sports. They like my mobility with my big frame and that I am physical. Especially with my reach in hockey and in football – being able to see stuff in the pocket and being allusive out of the pocket."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Depending on how high he gets drafted and by whom, West will have some huge decisions to make in the next year - more than your average college athlete.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Previous top ten stories:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/top-ten-offseason-update-rocoris-andrew-trout/">[player_tooltip player_id='591732' first='Andrew' last='Trout']</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/top-ten-offseason-update-tritons-pierce-petersohn/">[player_tooltip player_id='1255902' first='Pierce' last='Petersohn']</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->