Known for defense, Paye changed the game on offense

By Jacob Marrocco
Posted 12/6/16

Kwity Paye got his first carry of the State Championship Game on Saturday just past the midway point of the opening quarter, and he was promptly stuffed for a 3-yard gain. Then, the La Salle section started a

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Known for defense, Paye changed the game on offense

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Kwity Paye got his first carry of the State Championship Game on Saturday just past the midway point of the opening quarter, and he was promptly stuffed for a 3-yard gain.

Then, the La Salle section started a familiar, premature chant.

“Overrated. Overrated. Overrated.”

That was a mistake. He’s heard that before. The last thing the 6-foot-4, 225-pound University of Michigan commit needed was extra fuel in his tank.

“Oh, yeah,” the All-American defensive end said, with a smile, when asked if he heard the jeers. “The first game [on Nov. 4] I got a concussion, so I left the game early. I just kept that in my mind, kept grinding throughout the week, preparing our team. We came out and played great.”

After that point, Paye averaged 8.4 yards per carry and scored four rushing touchdowns to make the difference in Hendricken’s 48-28 rout of the Rams. It was no surprise, as Paye was integral in capturing the Hawks’ fifth, sixth and seventh titles in a row.

“I’d put him right up there with Will Blackmon,” Hendricken head coach Keith Croft said of the Super Bowl MVP. “He’s just a unique athlete, with the size and the speed. A once-in-a-generation type of kid. One of the best players to ever come out of Bishop Hendricken and obviously the state of Rhode Island.”

Paye’s defensive prowess this year has been undeniable. He led the Hawks in numerous statistical categories, racking up 65 total tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks on the season.

He has also quietly and arguably been one of the best running backs in the state. His 651 yards on the ground fell well short of fellow senior Matt DiTondo’s 1,038, but Paye received 74 fewer carries. He averaged 14.8 yards per carry, which is essentially what someone could do playing Madden 2017 with Melvin Gordon on Rookie mode.

“I feel like I put a good amount of work in on offense,” Paye said. “Our offense has early practice. I’m always out there trying to learn the plays. I feel like I take offense as serious as defense.”

He was a scoring machine when the Hawks needed it the most, scoring on nearly 30 percent of his 44 carries this year. Against La Salle on Saturday, he reached pay dirt on 36 percent of his touches.

“He’s really grown up as a rusher,” Hendricken quarterback Chris Hindle said. “Before, it was just ‘Get your speed, get outside.’ Now he’s doing a lot more cuts, finding more holes. He’s a beast.”

Early in the second quarter, his 34-yard burst helped the Hawks build their lead to two touchdowns, 20-6. Then, he got back to a more familiar style of running: Getting to the edge. Five minutes later, he turned the corner past the La Salle defense for a 13-yard touchdown.

He would tack on two more 5-yard scoring runs down the stretch to put the game away. The rushing touchdowns were contagious, as DiTondo had two and Hindle chipped in another.

Paye was the thunder to DiTondo’s lightning, providing more than enough in the backfield to keep opposing defenses off balance for Hindle under center.

“With the guys we had this year, DiTondo, [Andrew] Hopgood, we didn’t need him a lot. We needed him today,” Croft said.

During the game, Paye even took some snaps on the outside as a wide receiver and in the tight end slot. He was never targeted out there, but Hindle said finding Paye with some room to run was the key no matter where he set up.

“We were trying to get him the ball out in space,” Hindle said. “Just flipping it out to him, little screen passes. That’s what we were trying to do.”

The Hawks never needed him at receiver. His damage at fullback was more than enough.

Paye did everything he could do to send his team to another title, and once again he was the decisive factor. His bruising stiff arms left La Salle beleaguered on the field and besieged on the scoreboard.

On New Year’s Day, Paye will don his All-American jersey for his last game as a high school player, and not too long after that he will make his way north to Michigan.

For now, though, he can revel in his third varsity football championship at Hendricken.

“It means everything,” Paye said of capping his career with a title. “Four years with these boys. It seems like just yesterday I was a freshman. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I’ll miss these boys next year.”

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