GRAY — One of the first things Shawn Austin did when he took over the Gray-New Gloucester football program was move Taylor Valente from quarterback to fullback. The idea was to take a downhill runner and put him in a position to make downhill runs.

The move has helped make a young program that was rapidly sliding downhill a playoff contender in the Campbell Conference.

Running with power and a surprising burst, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior is the leading rusher in the conference and has led the Patriots to a 2-2 start.

Valente played fullback in middle school and was a wing back in the Patriots’ double-wing his freshman year. He moved to receiver then quarterback for his sophomore and junior years before Austin took over.

The former Greely coach concluded early on that Valente had been playing out of position.

“He’s more of a straight-ahead guy, so we felt having him in the fullback spot would bring a lot of versatility for us and we could use him in multiple situations, not just at fullback,” Austin said.

“I’ve always been a running back and it’s been kind of natural for me,” Valente said. “I don’t really have a lot of moves. I just try to run through people.”

Gray-New Gloucester’s wing-T gets Valente to the line of scrimmage quickly, allowing him to square his shoulders and overpower tacklers. 

“As a running back, if you can punish a tackler, it helps a lot,” he added. “Wearing down a defense is a huge part of our game.”

To achieve that goal, the Patriots love to use Valente as the battering ram. He rushed for 272 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-21 win over Greely. In his 24 carries, he picked up more than 10 yards just three times.

But Valente isn’t just a plodding power back. He’s an all-around athlete with all-conference credentials in basketball and baseball. Once he breaks through that first and second wave of defenders, he has the speed to break away for long gains.

“He’s a tough kid. He’s tough to bring down and once he gets in the open field, he can really turn the jets on,” Austin said. 

The Patriots will use Valente a number of different ways to take advantage of his athleticism. He will split out wide when they spread out in some passing
situations. He’s also been the “Wildcat” and taken a few direct snaps.

Regardless of how they get it to him, the Patriots will get Valente the ball. It is their best hope if they plan on making the playoffs for the first time in the program’s five years of varsity football.

“We work him pretty steady. He get the lion’s share of the carries for us and I expect that to continue,” Austin said. “He’s somebody that you’re going to have to stop. He’s had pretty good success against everybody. This week will be a great test against a very good team in Cape Elizabeth.”

Gray-New Gloucester senior fullback Taylor Valente is a big reason why the Patriots have high hopes of making the playoffs this year.

Gray-New Gloucester senior fullback Taylor Valente is a big reason why the Patriots have high hopes of making the playoffs this year.