Dossey completing glossy season for OCC football team
When Mason Dossey takes aim at a receiver, connection is usually the result. But, in spite of his impressive production, the Orange Coast College sophomore quarterback’s ability to hit his football aspirations in stride has, as of yet, somehow missed the mark.
Dossey has led the Pirates to a 7-3 record, the most conference wins in 28 seasons (five) and the program’s first bowl game since 2006. And, heading into Saturday’s Beach Bowl at Ventura (7-3) at 6 p.m., the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Humboldt State bounce-back is within striking distance of some OCC single-season records.
But a perceived lack of arm strength has led recruiters at the Division I and I-AA levels to look past Dossey, creating a question as to whether or not Saturday may be the final game of his career.
“Right now, I have no clue where I am going to be next semester, or whether or not I am going to be playing football, or just going to school and taking fireman classes,” Dossey said. “But right now, I’m just enjoying the last week of football I have this season.”
It has been a prolific season for the former Capistrano Valley High star, who needed just one game to unseat incumbent starter Kody Whitaker (who became only the fourth Pirate to throw for more than 2,000 yards in 2014) and become the Pirates’ full-time trigger man.
Dossey has completed 183 of 285 pass attempts (64.2%) for 2,185 yards and 19 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He has also rushed for two touchdowns and 103 yards, though his elusiveness in the pocket has continually allowed him to extend plays and keep drives alive.
Dossey ranks fourth in the 37-school Southern California Football Assn. in completion percentage, and his attempt-to-interception ratio (just one pick every 71.3 passes) is by far the best in Southern California. He ranks third in OCC single-season annals in passing yards and needs 340 yards to break the school record set by Keith Jarrett in 1987.
Dossey is tied for second in school history for single-season touchdown passes, six behind Jarrett’s 1987 windfall. And with just nine completions Saturday, he will surpass the school single-season record set by Jared Flint in 1999.
“When it comes down to it, I think recruiters love seeing guys with the big arm, who can throw the ball 70 yards down the field and can make those on-the-run throws that are lasers for 50 yards,” said Dossey, who has received offers from Division II schools in which he has little interest. “I definitely think I can make all the throws, but I’ve been told by recruiters that I don’t have the arm strength to play at the highest levels. But I think my accuracy, leadership and my ability to study the game and be more prepared than the defense outweighs not being able to throw the ball 75 yards like some other guys can.”
Dossey continually drops the ball over his receivers’ shoulders on deep balls and fade routes and his touch and accuracy have created admirers, as well as statistical production.
And his leadership and poise under pressure are additional attributes that have earned him the respect of his teammates.
“From Day One, it was clear to everyone on the team that he was going to be the guy,” said sophomore receiver Stefan Derrick, whose 14 touchdown receptions rank among the state leaders.
After redshirting in 2013, Dossey thought he had done enough to be the guy at Humboldt State. And when Lumberjacks coaches relegated him to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, he elected to return south to compete at the community college level.
“Being named the second-string guy definitely felt like failure,” Dossey said. “And it definitely motivated me to take my offseason workouts to the next level and work harder than I ever have at my craft. I wanted to prove to myself and prove to other people that I still had some stuff to show on the field.”
A communications major with a 3.5 grade-point average, a college degree is foremost among Dossey’s priorities. And whether or not he continues to follow the football dreams that began as a 9-year-old signal caller in Pop Warner, his dream job would be following in his father’s footsteps.
“My dad is a chief with the Orange County Fire Department, so I’m thinking I want to be a fireman,” Dossey said. “I always knew that when football was over, that was a route I was going to take.”
Dossey said he is still open to playing football, should the right school provide an opportunity for him to compete for playing time. But he also noted that a combination of academics, a large-school environment, and more than just a chance to walk-on and lead the scout team, would need to converge to keep him between the hash marks.
“It’s something I’m going to have to sit down and think about and talk to my parents about,” Dossey said of his collegiate future. “It’s kind of a waiting game right now. I know, 100% that I could play at the Division I-AA level. But if that opportunity does not come, there is more to life than football.”
