MOUNTAIN GROVE — One of southwest Missouri’s premier come back stories in taking place in Mountain Grove this season as 6’4 2019 forward Dylan Massey is making an inspiring come back.

An athletic forward who is tough in the paint, Massey is known for his willingness to battle for loose balls, get on the boards and works hard on the block, posting up and getting to the basket for finishes.

As a sophomore, he tore his ACL going up for a contested lay-up and landed awkwardly, prematurely ending his season. After missing all of his sophomore season, then missed all of this past summer, but he has worked his way back into the line-up and has Mountain Grove pining for another Final Four run after making an appearance in Columbia in each of the two past seasons.

“This past summer I wasn’t able to play due to my injury but not being able to play really helped me gain a new respect for the game,” he says. “It was a very long and hard road back but I just kept at it and knew that it was all in God’s plan for me.

“Everyday my leg continues to get stronger.

Mountain Grove is off to an undefeated start at 5-0 with wins over some of the top small school teams in southwest Missouri, including Catholic, Strafford, Hartville and Dora, and has earned a No. 2 seed in the upcoming Blue and Gold tournament.

“We are a very smart and athletic team who can score well inside and out,” Massey said. “We have started off strong but still have a lot to improve on. One of our best strong points is that no matter what we never give up on a game. We are playing great as a team and I think we can have a great season this year.”

A fan of Duke, Massey says his parents have had the biggest influence on his basketball career to date.

“They have always been there to support me and help me improve my game,” he says.