Brave like Dave: With North Iberville Behind Him, David Masterson Completes Cancer Treatment
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
David Masterson wasn’t going to participate in the symbolic ringing of the bell on Wednesday, signifying his final day of radiation treatments for neck cancer, the past 2 ½ months.
“There are still people a lot sicker than me,” Masterson said of his time at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge. “I can’t ring the bell with all those people still there.”
Masterson, a 60-year-old father of three, almost felt guilty at times, moving from room to room for rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, walking down the hall with a glass of water, while other wheelchair-bound cancer patients, some with head coverings, were maneuvered with assistance.
During his own journey, which began with a diagnosis in May, the long-time football coach and current defensive coordinator at North Iberville High School was never out of character. The same determined mindset that served him well on the football field was present throughout, even during some moments that left him feeling vulnerable.
“I’m so fortunate,” Masterson said. “The support I’ve gotten, not just from my wife and family, but my three brothers, neighbors, and the (Iberville Parish) school system. It tells you how Iberville’s just a little bit different, a little bit nice.
“Our superintendent (Dr. Louis Voiron), parish athletic director (Tait Dupont), and principal (Jillian Dotson) don’t know how much they’ve touched me,” Masterson said. “They’ve asked how I’ve felt, sent emails. You feel committed to these people. The support that I’ve been given, I can’t put it into words.”
Masterson hasn’t slowed down much, trying to maintain a semblance of his regular offseason routine, showing up at North Iberville when he could to help in the team’s ramp-up to the 2025 season. The Bears, in their first season under head coach Joshua Gast, went 9-3 and won their first state playoff game in 17 years for a school that had been closed in 2009 and reopened in 2022.
Because of campus upgrades, the Bears’ new artificial turf field remained an ongoing project during the summer, sending the team off campus once fall practice began.
During a recent evening practice at Plaquemine High that Masterson was able to attend, braving rainy conditions, he posed for a selfie, dripping in sweat, with his defense in the background.
It was nirvana for a coach preparing to begin his 37th season, sharing the image with his wife of 26 years, Jennifer.
“I had the biggest grin on my face,” he said. “She posted these big hearts all the way across. She knows this is what I’ve got to do.”
Gast joked that Masterson was unable to go long periods of time away from the team.
“He can’t go a whole week without seeing us,” he said. “We know he’s struggling behind the scenes, and we appreciate any time he gets out here to give us a little something. He’s the type of guy to go throw up behind the fieldhouse and walk onto the field saying, ‘It’s a great day to be a Bear. ’”
North Iberville senior outside linebacker/slot receiver Jaylen Mims said there was never any indication Masterson was dealing with an illness.
Masterson remained the same guy who joined forces three years ago with Gast to bring a once-proud North Iberville program back to relevance.
“He’s a tough guy; he didn’t want us to know there’s been something going on,” Mims said. “We were shocked. I didn’t know what was going on. He wanted to let us know to keep pushing for him so that we could go further.”
Other than a scare of melanoma in 2010, Masterson’s been fortunate, never having encountered any health alarms during his career until he began to experience swelling in his neck. The finding of cancer was startling, if for anything else, because there were no immediate answers about recovery following a biopsy.
His cancer team at Mary Bird Perkins, led by oncologist Konstantin “Kos” Kovtun, acknowledged that of the three variations of the cancer, Masterson’s was the most treatable.
“My wife was in the room and teared up when he said that,” Masterson said. “We realized that we were going to be OK.”
The detection of cancerous lymph nodes behind his nose and skull prevented a scheduled robotic surgery and radiation.
Two days before the surgery was scheduled, Masterson was informed of an alternative care plan by Kovtun. That would include six weeks of chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments with the same success rate.
The only difference?
“It would be harder on my body,” he said. “I told them I could deal with that.”
Masterson has been in full coach mode throughout.
This was the same guy after Kovtun’s diagnosis, proclaiming he would return to North Iberville’s sideline in time for the team’s season opener at Central Private on Sept. 4.
“He (Kovtun) cocked his head a little and said that was a nice goal,” Masterson said. “Halfway through (the treatment), he said I’d be on the sideline for the first game.”
Masterson shunned feeding tubes, instead convincing himself to ‘force’ down nutrients, where his body weight was 233 on Monday, eight pounds above the benchmark of 225 given to avoid having to be placed on a feeding tube.
“They said it was going to be hard, that I would have to learn how to swallow again,” Masterson said. “I told them that things hurt in life. The dietician told me I was stubborn, and I agreed.”
The alliance between Masterson and North Iberville appeared as remote as the school’s rural Rosedale campus on Hwy. 77.
Masterson’s three-decades-plus in coaching ranges from the collegiate level with two stints at Northeast Louisiana (now UL-Monroe) and Division II’s Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C.
The Zachary High graduate returned to his native Louisiana and coached under three different head coaches at Northeast High – serving under Lynn Amedee, Doug Williams, and Grover Perkins.
Masterson was also the offensive coordinator for a year under Dennis Lorio at Tara High School before taking over the head coaching duties. He was part of a stretch where the Trojans went to the Class 5A state playoffs three times in four years – without the benefit of one college signee – and was part of the school’s first district championship in 22 years.
In his final year at Northeast, Masterson stepped away from coaching and was the athletic director before departing for good with a road map.
North Iberville was in the process of reopening its school, and its search for experienced teachers would be a feather in the cap for the community school, which previously had to send its children 40 minutes to Plaquemine High.
Masterson recalled a trip to the school and gave his wife a preview of what his life may look like.
“This was before any of the construction, and we walked around, and she looked at me and said, ‘Leave it to you to go out the way you came in,’” Masterson said. “I was back at a country school with rural kids and old buildings.”
Gast, a native of Covington, had coached at St. Paul’s and Liberty Magnet and brought what he believed was a requisite amount of experience into his first head coaching position at North Iberville.
The school followed LHSAA requirements, fielding a junior varsity team for two years before going full-fledged for the first time in 2024, and competed for district honors for the first time.
The only problem was that Gast, who took the job in July, didn’t have a helmet or mouthpiece on campus. He was ambitious in putting together his first junior varsity schedule and was also entrusted with piecing together a coaching staff.
He didn’t have knowledge of Masterson’s credentials, either as a teacher or coach.
“I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know who he was,” Gast said. “He kind of fell into my lap. My (then) principal (Dr. Amanda Austin) said to go talk to him and see if he would be a fit on the staff. Slowly, I found out that he was kind of a local legend.
“I was totally blessed,” Gast said. “I didn’t go out and find him. He was looking for a new home. He’s been a huge help with me, learning how to be a head coach and handle my business the right way. It’s one of the luckiest things that’s happened to me in my life.”
Masterson was the perfect complement for a coach with a background in metropolitan areas, trying to fit into a rural school setting and put together his own program.
“I came in thinking I knew everything,” Gast said. “You realize how many things outside of Xs and Os you have to actually worry about. That’s one of the main things I leaned on him for. He’s so respectful and helpful when I needed him. A great deal of the stuff off the field, he’s been a huge help with.”
With more of an offensive background, Gast handled that side of the football, and Masterson, who was known more for his offensive play-calling, shifted to the defense. He implemented a 3-3 scheme that relied on the overall athletic ability of an undersized defense to pursue and make plays.
“It’s been easy to pick up,” Mims said of Masterson’s defense. “He simplifies everything.”
North Iberville won its opener over Central Private (36-26) and reeled off seven consecutive victories to begin last season.
The Bears didn’t stumble until a dramatic setback to White Castle (44-43) in District 8-1A play, followed by another loss to district champion Ascension Catholic (56-14).
“We’re still sick, we shouldn’t have lost the White Castle game,” Masterson said.
North Iberville closed the regular season with league wins over East Iberville (32-6) and Ascension Christian (41-13). The Bears earned a No. 5 seed in the Division IV non-select state playoffs, where they recorded the school’s third postseason victory with a 44-6 win over Oberlin – the first playoff win in 17 years.
The Bears, home again in the state regionals, ran into a high-powered General Trass team, a squad that reached the semifinals, 38-6.
The team ran into its first extended bout of adversity with injuries to two-way, all-district lineman Jordell Baise (torn ACL/MCL), nose tackle Kayden Williams (torn ACL), and running back Jeremy Favorite (broken collarbone)
All of that took place in the first five minutes of a game for a team that had to keep in perspective a season’s worth of growth.
“We wish we could have played that game again, but it was a learning lesson for us,” said Gast, who had six seniors on the team. “We felt it should have been a good game with them if we would have played our best. It did give us confidence that they did go to the semifinals. They’re looking forward to another crack at it.”
North Iberville reaped the benefits of improvements from the school board’s plan to renovate the football facility.
There are new bleachers, a scoreboard, and an artificial turf field with a fieldhouse on the way.
One of the first walks Masterson took on the new field was a moment he’ll never forget.
“The superintendent was with me checking it out, and he’s excited,” he said. “I’ve never been at a place like that before. You expect Coach Dupont, as the parish athletic director, to be like that, but when your superintendent is walking the facility and talking to you about it, it’s amazing how the people of the area wanted this.
“This will be my fourth year there, and I haven’t had a negative word said to me since I’ve gotten there,” he said. “I haven’t changed, my personality, how I huff and puff. The people there have embraced it. They’ve said, ‘He’s old school,’ and they love it because that’s what they grew up with and were used to.
With the makeover of the field from natural grass to turf taking place in the spring, Gast decided against having spring football, instead having his returning players concentrate their efforts more in the weight room and build on the successful foundation they laid down in ’24.
“We’re used to a big spring with everybody out there,” he said. “Since we weren’t allowed on the field, we spent more time in the weight room and pushed back conditioning to the end of July, and now to try and peak and get in shape.”
North Iberville has key returnees on offense and 10 starters back on defense.
Senior quarterback Justice Roy, a first all-district choice in ’24, accounted for nearly 2,000 yards of total offense and 25 touchdowns. He completed 103 of 201 passes for 1,507 yards and 20 TDs, while adding 444 yards on 68 carries and 5 TDs.
North Iberville returns the 1-2 combination of Favorite, who rushed for 1,243 yards on 130 carries and a team-high 16 TDs. Senior Wide receiver Bra’jon Melancon topped the Bears with 39 receptions for 703 yards (18.0 yards per catch) and 11 TDs, with Mims adding 22 grabs for 253 yards and 2 TDs.
“I’m very excited,” Mims said. “This is going to be our best year. There are a lot of players returning. Everybody on this team has potential; they have the heart. It’s a very hard-working group.”
Gast said Baise is expected back during the first half of the regular season, while Williams and Favorite are both expected to start the season.
“All of this offseason we kind of hung our hats on what happened last year, and we’re excited with all of the renovations on campus with the new turf and fieldhouse,” Gast said. “The challenge has been to get the kids to lock in for a new season and let them know none of that stuff that was great that happened last year has anything to do with us going forward. We have to go back and pay the price and earn it again.”
The buzz of a new season, coupled with the delight over the transformation of the football facility, took a back seat to Masterson’s health and the doctor’s eventual finding following a CT scan that revealed two tumors in his throat.
While players tried to go about the business at hand and do their best to prepare for the challenge of the upcoming season, they were also concerned for one of the most trusted voices in their family.
“A lot of people have been touched by him,” Mims said. “He’s a very good person.”
With an outpouring of support from the parish’s administration at the school board office, Masterson realized he would not have to walk alone in the biggest battle of his life.
“The people of Maringouin, Grosse Tete, and Rosedale have been phenomenal,” Masterson said. “The emails I’ve gotten from people that I don’t even know. One time, someone said, ‘Coach, you taught my daughter three years ago. ’ I’ve been getting fabulous emails. The superintendent said to take as long as you need. The parish athletic director calls every few days to ask how I’m feeling.”
Masterson paid a visit to the school over the summer, where an unsuspecting Dotson beamed upon his appearance.
“She said, ‘What are you doing here?’”, Masterson recalled. “I told her I had work to do. Then we just talked. It’s just been phenomenal.”
Gast had seen the manner in which different factions across the country had come up with ways to support those in need, adopting catchphrases or slogans that enabled a way for well-wishers to channel their thoughts.
One such way became ‘Brave Like Dave’, rubbery blue bracelets with the school’s initials that both players and students have worn on behalf of Masterson.
“They don’t say it, but it’s always helpful to give them support and sympathize,” Gast said. “I didn’t ask his permission. We wanted to let him know that we were looking up to his toughness and inspiration this year. It would be motivation for him to keep fighting hard.”
The day before the Gast distributed the bracelets to his team, Masterson attended practice. The team knew before he stepped foot on the practice field, he was near because of the sound of his booming voice with a mock complaint of a defensive drill, just to reassure players he was still capable of ripping into them.
“As soon as I walked out, I started fussing about something the defense wasn’t doing something right,” he said with a laugh. “I did that from the parking lot. Out of my left eye, I saw one of the defensive backs with the biggest grin on his face because he said his coach was back. I had to run and act like I was getting some water because I didn’t want them to see me tearing up.”
A day later, one of the members of the secondary sent Masterson a picture of the bracelets the team wore in his honor.
“I was glad that I was home alone when it happened,” he said. “It’s not my personality for these types of things. I was so touched. I’m glad no one got to see me.”
Mims is one such player who found inspiration in the team’s gesture.
“Every single time I’m on the field, I’m going to think about him,” Mims said. “It motivated me. It motivates our school to do better.”
Masterson said there’s a timetable in his head for when it will be time for retirement.
He didn’t reveal the year because the whole experience of teaching and coaching at North Iberville has been invigorating with thoughts of continuing into the near future.
“I’m having such a good time again,” he said. “I’m in heaven. Just being an assistant and going home, I’m having a blast. Guys like me and some of my closest friends that have passed on – Kenny Guillot (Parkview Baptist) and Rusty Price (Broadmoor) – we’re a dying breed. This is what we do. It’s hard for someone who hasn’t done it to understand. Hey, it’s August, this is what we do.”
Gast is appreciative of the time he’s gotten to spend and learn from Masterson.
“I knew I’d have him for a few years at most if things went well and he was having fun, and that worked out,” he said. “He’s one of the best players’ coaches I’ve been around. All of the kids respect him and love to hear what he’s got to say. He’s just hilarious.”
Masterson has lived by the words of two of the more influential coaches he’s encountered in his career.
For a guy who coached or helped in the development of 19 players to play in the NFL, Masterson counts a one-on-one meeting with former Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson atop his more memorable moments.
Robinson, a native of Jackson in East Feliciana Parish, had stopped by the original Northeast High and spent nearly an hour talking to Masterson, who hung onto his every word.
When Masterson asked the iconic coach for his thoughts on retirement, Robinson said he didn’t want to experience a similar fate to Alabama’s Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant, who passed away 28 days after he retired.
“That was one of the most impressive things I got to do,” Masterson said of talking with Robinson. “I teased him about how much longer he was going to coach. He got real serious and said if he quit, he’d be just like the Bear. He said he would be dead within a year. That’s stuck with me. It’s just in you.”
Those words remained etched in Masterson’s mind until a meeting with Price.
The two friends, who talked regularly, met in the living room of Price’s home when the former Vietnam veteran, who earned a Purple Heart, turned the conversation to a more solemn tone.
Price spent 45 years at the school where he went through the DROP program, and either coached or was the athletic director for 14 more years.
Three months after their discussion, Price died last Aug. 30 of an apparent heart attack – a day after talking to Masterson for the final time.
“He asked me to promise him not to do what he did, which was to keep going,” Masterson said. “I promised him that I wouldn’t do that, and three months later, he was dead. I’m going to keep my promise to him. This is season No. 37 for me. I wasn’t going to miss it. I’m going to be on the sideline.”