Most Valuable Player. What does that mean? It means the player that is the most valuable to the team. It’s the player that without him in the lineup it would be nearly impossible to win. It’s the player that the team relies on in all situations, early in the game late in the game and when things get tough. In 2023 South Pasadena running back Jason Hong was all of those things.
Hong’s season statistics were off the charts. He rushed for 2,063 yards on the season on 215 carries. No that’s not a typo, it’s 2,063. Before you bust out the calculator I’ll save you time. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry and 187 yards per game.
Hong was at his best in the biggest games. He almost single-handedly took down Monrovia running for 232 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-28 win at Monrovia. He went for 327 yards and four scores against La Canada and against another Rio Hondo League foe, Temple City, he rushed for 210 yards and six, (yes six) touchdowns. He also topped 200 yards versus Pasadena Poly with 272 yards and four scores. In the CIF playoff game against Los Osos he ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Whenever South Pas needed a first down, a touchdown or a big play, Hong got the call. And he answered every time. He led the Tigers to an overall record of 9-2, second place in the Rio Hondo and a trip to the CIF Division 9 Playoffs.
For a remarkable season and one that will be remembered in South Pasadena for years to come, Jason Hong is the Mid Valley Sports 2023 MVP.
Jason Hong has always given credit yo his lineman and the work they have done and he knows that his numbers are because of them. This award goes to all the offense!
Those are Al Bundy numbers 😃 Well deserved.
Here we go with the La Serna crybabies.
It should have been Long from La Serna. He went both ways in the very tough D3 and was also a state champion. Plus South Pas. was one and done in D9 no less. But good for Hong anyways.
From T.Peterson: Every year we name an MVP and a Player of the Year so that one could still be coming. And Long was actually D4.
Thank you. My son was an offensive lineman.
Good choice. Well deserved
I absolutely don’t want to take anything away from Hong, but we also have to recognize the efforts of the South Pasadena Linemen. Truth be told, I’ll take a superior offensive line over a superior back any day. Assuming Hong plays college ball, if he has no blocking there, what do you think will happen? Even offensive wonder boy Lincoln Riley has been forced to admit that this game is won or lost on the line of scrimmage.
So yes, let’s raise our glass to Jason, but give a ton of credit to the guys who gave him a lot of daylight to run through.