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Wednesday April 24, 2024
HEADING EAST: Mattson To Play Hoops For UVF

NEGAUNEE---A member of the Bay College men’s basketball team will continue to play the sport he loves. Luke Mattson said on Thursday that he has accepted an offer from the University of Valley Forge, a Christian NCAA-III school located in Phoenixville, Pa.

Mattson is a Negaunee High School graduate who played the last two winters for the Norse. In his final season in Escanaba, the 6-foot forward played in all 28 of Bay’s games, starting 22 of them.

“I had some help from some people and some coaches on a web site called ‘Field Level’ who helps you pretty much broadcast your highlights and what you did over the season,” Mattson said.

“Obviously, it’s kind of hard to recruited up here in the U.P. That was a big tool for them to recruit me. They got in contact with me, and the rest is pretty much history.”

Mattson says he had several schools contact him, and got offers from Leslie (N.Y.) University, Covenant (Ga.) College, Holy Family (Wis.) College, and Finlandia University here in the U.P.

So, why did he choose the Valley Forge Patriots?

“After speaking with Coach (D.J.) Damazo, he just said a lot of good things, and we agreed on a lot of the same things, and they have my program that I’m going to school for,” Mattson said. “It seemed like the best fit for me.”

He was not a big scorer, scoring just 80 points all season for the Norse.  But Mattson became well-known as, Coach Matt Johnson put it, “a hard-working, blue-collar type player”. That style was what Mattson hoped four-year schools would be attracted to.

They were.

“I pretty much told them, straight up, that I’m a do-it-all kind of guy,” Mattson said. “I’m going to come in every single day and work hard for you. I’m going to accept any role you throw at me. Anything you need me to do, I’ll do it. "

"I’ll hustle for loose balls, I’m going to dive on the floor, play good defense for you, get a bucket here and there whenever you need one, and do whatever it takes for the team to win.”

Mattson says he’s trying the best he can to stay in shape, what with all of the gyms closed due to the coronavirus.

He’s gone back to his roots, shooting baskets in his own driveway, like many kids are doing these days.

“I’m on a stretch for about three weeks straight where I’ve been running every single day, three to four miles,” Mattson said. “On Saturdays, it’s a pretty big mile with my friend Colton Yesney (Negaunee graduate and long-distance runner for the University of Michigan track and field team). We get in six or seven miles, and I’m usually pretty dead. But he’s like, whew, man, that’s nothing, I get in about 80 of those a week.”

Mattson says he worries about his mother, who works as a nurse.

“She’s out there, pretty much risking her life, and she’s immune-compromised, too,” he said. “I say prayers for her every night and just wish her the best and hope she stays healthy as much as possible.”

Mattson plans to study sports management at Valley Forge.

“Hopefully, become the GM of the (Washington) Redskins, or something like that,” he laughed.

He also thanked the Bay College community for what he called a great two years.
“I felt nothing but love, and it was a great time there. I really appreciate it.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see video highlights from Mattson's sophomore season at Bay, as well as photos, and listen to our radio interview with Mattson. Or click the viceo links and photo gallery.









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