NATCHEZ &045; Matt Mason went through four years of playing sports at Adams County Christian School hearing tall tales about David King’s athletic prowess, along the way meeting the man and becoming a close friend.

Now with a recent vacancy in the Trinity Episcopal School athletic department, Mason, who comes over from Amite School Center, gets the opportunity to coach alongside King as an assistant football and head baseball coach.

&uot;I think we both have the same goals and aspirations among football, baseball and basketball,&uot; Mason said of he and King. &uot;I know we’re going to be a great fit.&uot;

For Mason, this was the door he hoped would open since graduating from Southern Miss in 1998, having played baseball at Copiah Lincoln Community College for two years after finishing up at AC in 1992.

Mason, who was also coach the Saints’ junior varsity basketball team, spent two years at Mississippi Private School Association Class AA Copiah Academy before he joined head coach Stephen Cooksey and the Rebels’ baseball program.

What is Mason’s gain is Trinity’s loss, however. The assistant football and basketball coaching duties came available when Billy Ellzey accepted the head basketball coaching position in Seminary.

&uot;Billy had an opportunity to be a head coach in basketball and that was what he was looking for,&uot; King said. &uot;We hated to lose him and he’s going to be tough to replace. Everyone around here loved him.&uot;

Mason, who was an assistant on back-to-back district 7-1A baseball championships with Amite, liked what he saw of the Trinity team as the Saints made a late run under then-coach Jeremy Loy in the 7-1A tournament, which ended with a loss to the Rebels.

He said his approach at the plate has always been aggressive, and he’ll continue to emphasize a free-swinging mentality next season.

&uot;The talent showed at the end of the year when they made their push at us in the district tournament and got into the playoffs,&uot; Mason said.

With both a MPSA A state championship nearly two years removed and a runner-up South State finish last season in football, a South State runner-up in basketball just three months ago and a state championship in track and field in May, Mason is well aware of the successful circle he is stepping into.

He hopes he can add prominence in baseball to that list, and believes Trinity’s prosperities in other sports can only help the baseball program.

&uot;It’s something I knew going in. I know David and I will be able to work together,&uot; Mason said. &uot;I think Trinity’s success in other sports can only help with baseball. I know it won’t take long to get baseball on the same level&uot; as other sports at Trinity.

King called Mason a &uot;go-getter&uot; and &uot;hard worker,&uot; and said the friendship the two had built through the years made him think of Mason before any other candidate when Ellzey resigned.

King has great respect for the football program Barry Bean has developed at Amite, and knows Mason was a key asset to its recent success.

&uot;Matt had always wanted to coach close to home,&uot; King added. &uot;He comes to us with a good mind in both football and baseball. He’s been over here for the last three or four weeks, working hard to get the baseball field looking good. We’re all really excited to have him here.&uot;

The move won’t be hard for Mason, especially since wife Leigh Ann is the apparent new head softball coach at Natchez High.

Mason is excited to return to an area that is full of raw and polished athletes. A place that you never have to turn far for competition, he said.

&uot;That’s the great thing about this town &045; there are athletes wherever you look,&uot; Mason said. &uot;I’m especially fortunate to be coming to Trinity next year&uot; when the deck is stacked with talent for a number of years.