On Tuesday, April 19, 2016, Hatboro-Horsham seniors Luke Gehlhaus, Jordan Mason and Kingsley Nworu were recognized for committing to play football at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
“These guys are very special to me because they were my first class,” coach Michael Kapusta said. “When I came in, they were sophomores, so I’ve had them through their entire varsity football careers. To be standing here today, three years removed from that time period, is something that I’m very proud of. It’s certainly a testament not only to their character as people and their athletic talents, but more importantly, their work ethic and who they are as evidenced not only by their opportunity to play college football, which is a huge, huge privilege, but also by the quality of the academic institutions that they’re going to, which is something I’m really proud of. When coming to Hatboro-Horsham, it was one of my goals and something I thought was a big opportunity to take advantage of the mixture of academics and athletics that we have here. These guys are just a really shining example of that.
“The whole 12th grade class – there are guys that aren’t sitting up here at this table that are very deserving of recognition as well, guys that played some great football for me, guys that put in a ton of time. They’ve played some great football for each other. This group was the first group since I’ve been here that really came together and truly cared about each other. It showed on the field with their resilience and how the season went and how far they came from the expectations that were there when they stepped into this program to the expectation they have for themselves was really awesome. It’s really this class that has put a big stamp on turning this thing back around and getting us to the tradition we’ve enjoyed at Hatboro-Horsham for decades, and that’s huge.”
Luke Gehlhaus – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Delaware Valley, Lebanon Valley
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “What really stood out to me about Ursinus was just how I fit in with the team, and that was pretty much the determining factor in choosing Ursinus.”
What was the progression that led you to playing football at the collegiate level? “My whole life I definitely wanted to play college football, and after my junior year, it became a reality that I’d definitely have the chance to play.”
Coach Michael Kapusta says: “Luke is a guy who was never very outspoken but became arguably our biggest leader. Certainly up front, he was a big-time leader, and we had a lot of guys in his class that were tight, that started together for two or three years and played a lot of football together. It became evident throughout this (past) season especially that Luke was somebody that we looked to as a stabilizing force on the ‘O’ line and the defensive line. He improved every single game, all the while being completely humble and maintaining a great grade point average and always working to max out his potential. I really think that he did. He had a great senior year and was honored at the end of the year with all-league recognition on both sides of the ball. Luke Gehlhaus really did a yeoman’s job for us and did a great job maturing into a leader.”
About Luke:
Favorite food: Chipotle
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans
Favorite music: Any music
Jordan Mason – Gettysburg (Football)
Major: Undecided but considering Engineering, Mathematics or Physics
Final list of colleges: Gettysburg, Ursinus, WPI, Dickinson
Reasons for choosing Gettysburg: “As I was considering (colleges), it was about how I felt about the place – the team and how they did last year, the coaches and the players, the academics, the area and how close it is to home.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I started thinking about it my 10th grade season. That’s basically when I first started getting into football. I started in eighth grade, and then in ninth grade, I played, and 10th grade is when I thought about playing seriously and actually continuing it.”
Coach Michael Kapusta says: “Jordan Mason had to decide between Ursinus and Gettysburg and a couple of other really good choices. He was really torn because I know he really wanted to play with his guys, but I think he made a choice that was a mature choice and one that’s going to pay dividends in the future.
“Jordan is a really special story to me and one of my favorite guys that I’ve coached because of how far he came. We all come really far from 10th grade to 12th grade. Many of us look like different people, but Jordan really made improvements that I couldn’t have even predicted in anybody. I remember him as a 10th grader really undersized and didn’t seem to have much football experience, but he was always right there, looking at me intently and listening to every word that I said, at the end of practice, during a demonstration, in a drill, at the end of a workout – every single time. He was the most dependable guy I could ever imagine having because he was at everything early and left late - every single workout, every single practice. Jordan went from someone in 10th grade who I would have been honestly surprised if he played varsity football to in 12th grade he was our team MVP.
“He was a starter on both sides of the ball and every special team. He pretty much never left the field. He was in impeccable condition because of his work ethic. He became one of the strongest players – not just last year – but one of the strongest players that we’ve had come through here. As a smaller body type, that’s pretty exceptional. He wound up getting all-league recognition both sides of the ball, but Jordan became a bona fide force on offense carrying the ball, blocking, and on defense, shutting down his side. It was really a thing of beauty and a lot of fun to coach. Jordan’s a very intense individual, very self critical. I always knew that if I redirected that energy it would go back into the right place. He would re-set himself and then come back on the next play and be ready to go. It was a lot of fun coaching Jordan.”
About Jordan:
Favorite food: Seafood
Favorite movie: The Dark Knight Rises
Favorite music: Rap & Hip Hop
Kingsley Nworu – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Health and Exercise Physiology
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Mansfield
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “First, it was the academics. It’s very prestigious, and I knew that I could get out of college and find a job. Then it was the team – I felt like I fit in very well. The coaching staff was great, I really liked the campus, and I liked the small college feel.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I’ve wanted to play football ever since I was three years old. I didn’t start until eight grade, and from then on, I was always trying to play in college.”
Coach Michael Kapusta says: “Kingsley was really the first one, as a young player, to step in and have that real confidence and real game-ready ability as a 10th grader. Kinsley came in and played both sides of the ball in 10th grade, and he didn’t stop all the way through. He’s an extremely versatile player. He was joking – guys are getting lettermen jackets this year, and Kingsley said, ‘I just want to get one so I can put six positions down the sleeves because I’ve played just about every position on both sides of the ball except for line,’ which is true. He’s an extremely football intelligent person. He has a lot of experience and understands the game on a very deep level. He understands what other positions are doing, not just his.
“Kingsley also couples that with an extremely high competitive nature. He absolutely hates to lose in everything. Whether you’re playing basketball or you’re playing checkers, whatever, Kingsley is always driven to win, and I think that’s what has always been pushing him from behind when he’s in the weight room. He put in a ton of work, and he really transformed himself and realized early how important the weight room was for his durability to prevent injuries as well as to get as big and strong and fast as he could to be the best player that he could. Kingsley went through three straight years playing both sides of the ball the whole way through. That’s not an easy thing to do, and it’s a pretty rare accomplishment in this day and age in sports. To be able to do that from a young age and maintain it the whole time, to fight through injuries – bumps, bruises and scrapes – and just maintain that competitive nature the whole time. Kingsley was honored all-league on both sides of the ball, which is a rare thing. He wound up being one of the top athletes in our conference, whether it was receiving, whether it was running the ball, whether it was playing corner, playing safety, playing outside linebacker – Kingsley was a do-it-all guy. He was totally willing with a good attitude to do whatever I asked of him. Even if he didn’t necessarily think that was the best position for him to be in, he realized that was what needed to happen for the team. Being a team-oriented guy is one of Kingsley’s strengths as well. He also became good leader for us in his own right, maturing a great deal.”
About Kingsley:
Favorite food: Chipotle
Favorite movie: Friday
Favorite music: Rap & Hip Hop
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