It’s tough to get touches when you’re behind arguably the two best running backs in the state.

That has been a reality for Hendricken junior Devin Rivet, who has taken a back seat to standout rushers Matt DiTondo and Kwity Paye after being featured out of the backfield on the freshman and junior varsity teams over the past two falls.

Knowing that first-team reps would be hard to come by this season, Rivet went to work on something that he hadn’t done much of in his football career – kick returning.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Rivet answered when asked if kick returning was something new to him. “I was really just a running back as a freshman and sophomore.”

Rivet’s work impressed Hendricken head coach Keith Croft, who has lined Rivet up alongside DiTondo and Andrew Hopgood on the back line of the kick return unit for the better part of the second half of this season.

And, in Hendricken’s most significant regular season game, Rivet came up with a big play.

His kick return during the second quarter against La Salle provided the Hawks with a much-needed answer following a Rams’ touchdown, boosting the junior’s confidence and establishing him as a threat to opposing kickoff units.

But, even though Rivet’s return against La Salle was crucial, his biggest play undoubtedly came on Friday night in the Division I semifinals against Portsmouth.

Hendricken received the ball to start the game and Rivet hauled in the opening kick at the Hendricken 12-yard line before following blockers and darting up the left sideline for an 88-yard touchdown to swing the momentum in the Hawks’ favor out of the gate.

“It felt really good,” Rivet said after the game. “I was able to get the team out to a 7-0 lead. Being able to contribute, I feel good about it. I saw the hole and just hit it. Dylan Gardner and J.P. Mason got my back towards the end to let me score.”

Croft has been pleased with Rivet’s ability to leave his print on the scoreboard despite his limited touches.

“He’s just a kid that’s bought into every play on special teams being important,” Croft said of Rivet. “He’s been huge for us, even going back to that La Salle game in the regular season. We’re so happy for him because he’s a junior and he should be a big part of what we hope will be a good thing next year.”

Rivet should see a sizeable workload next fall but, for now, he’s making the most out of his limited opportunities, emerging as an unsung hero on a team full of superstars.

“I know it’s kind of rare for me to touch the ball, so whenever I get that chance, it’s just 100-percent all the time,” Rivet said.