Earlier this week Pascack Hills’ Athletic Director, Steven Papa, sent an email to the student body announcing Hills’ first ever male and female Athlete of the Week. Michael Bease, a senior running back on the football team, was selected to be the inaugural male Athlete of the Week.

Bease led the charge for the Broncos last Friday in a close loss against Snyder High School. Although the Broncos came up short, Bease still recorded seven receptions for 105 yards, 20 yards on the ground, and two touchdowns. 

“It feels amazing [to be Athlete of the Week],” Bease said, “I am proud of my performance but I can’t forget [to thank] my teammates and coaches that gave me the energy I needed for that game.”

Bease punched in his first touchdown from the Snyder 15 yard line in the second quarter on a pass from junior quarterback Ben Klien. For his second touchdown, Bease caught a short pass from junior quarterback Chuck Saljanin in the third quarter from the Snyder 10 yard line.

As a senior, Bease rejoined the football team after playing one season during his freshman year. 

“If I knew [that] I could face the adversity, I would’ve stayed on the field since day one” said Bease, “Without the support from my coaches, I couldn’t have done this.”

“I think it’s a nice award that is a culmination of hard work not only by Mike, but by the whole team,” said Head Coach Evan Lampert, “Without a team effort, it’s hard for any individual to have success.”

Although Bease began to cramp up in the third quarter, he sacrificed for his team and kept playing. He ended up scoring a touchdown on the very same drive, which at the time, put the Broncos up 18-13.

“Mike is a great athlete and an even better person. He has come such a long way and I am super proud of his leadership and toughness,” said Lampert, “We always knew Mike was athletic but he went above and beyond the X’s and O’s on Friday night. He was determined to fight until the end and he represented what our program stands for.”