It’s a testament to Matt Rende’s career that last Saturday’s performance against Westfield State doesn’t top his list of big games.
All the senior quarterback for Maine Maritime Academy did was break a 74-run in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. It went to double OT with Rende rushing 25 yards for a score and passing 24 yards for another as the Mariners won 36-34.
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For his efforts, the Cony High School graduate was named New England College Football Conference offensive player of the week. But best game ever?
“He’s had some pretty good ones,” MMA coach Chris McKenney said.
Rende finished with 151 rushing yards, the third time he has topped 100 yards rushing this season and the 10th time in his career. The Mariners run the triple option, and he’s become the ideal player to call the shots. He broke his 74-yard run on fourth down.
“It was a designed quarterback follow play,” Rende said. “By the time I got one yard and looked up there was no one in front of me.”
When Rende arrived at the Castine school, he weighed 154 pounds. He since has added 35 pounds to his 6-foot-1 frame without losing any speed. In fact, he has cut more than a tenth of a second off of his 40-yard dash time since he arrived. And he needs those added pounds and strength to protect himself.
“I’ve been carrying the ball 22 to 25 times a game,” he said. “That doesn’t account for all the time I get hit when I don’t have the ball, about 10 to 12 times a game. I get banged up quite a bit.”
Rende not only accepts getting hit as part of his job, he embraces it.
“That’s what you get running the triple option,” he said. “I love it. You get to make decisions.”
He also takes pride in his ability to make the correct reads. He grades out this year at about 90 percent. When he gets the snap his primary responsibilities are to read the defensive end and outside linebacker. Teams often criss-cross those players in an attempt to confuse him.
“My advantage this year is having seen it for the last three years,” he said.
Rende has rushed for more than 2,500 yards in his career. This season he averaged 188 yards rushing per game and already has racked up 591 yards and seven touchdowns for the 4-1 Mariners. He passes far less, averaging 47 yards a game.
“That was a big pass he hit (Saturday),” said McKenney, who added throwing the ball is not Rende’s strong point. When he does, though, he has the element of surprise. Of his 13 completions this season, three have gone for touchdowns.
“We throw a lot in practice,” Rende said. “(But) it’s a lot different when you run it 25 times in a row and throw it once.”
Rende admitted to mixed feelings when he decided to come to a small school on the Maine coast well off the beaten track. But he’s well over that. He’s also one of the team’s captains.
“It’s just a title,” he said. “You should be a leader on the team anyway. I’ve got a great relationship with a lot of the guys on the team.”
The Mariners are not putting up the offensive numbers they did last season, when they led the nation in rushing yardage. But they’re improving.
“We’re finding ways to win games,” Rende said. “When we’re on we can play with anyone.”
A business major, Rende already has accepted an executive position with Target after he graduates this spring.
Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
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