By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Rifles second-year running back Mathe Mitayango prepares to make a block for quarterback Drenin Busch during the team’s annual black versus white game. Photo by Matthew Hamilton.
Mathe Mitayano has faced various barriers during his football career, but nothing has stopped him from ultimately achieving his goals on the gridiron.
The native of the Congo played flag and touch football growing up, however his parents wanted him to focus on his academics in high school instead of trying out tackle football. But Mitayango wouldn’t take no for an answer, suiting up for the Miles Macdonell Buckeyes for the first time in grade 10 after paying for the registration fees himself.
It didn’t take long for the soft-spoken athlete to fall in love with the physicality of the sport.
“It felt amazing,” he says passionately. “It felt way better than just playing flag football, because you actually got to hit people and that was fun for me.”
Mitayango chose to play running back, in part, because one of his older brothers did, and he wanted to be the better back.
“Me and him always had a competition going, like who’s the best at everything,” he says.
Mitayango was a natural at the position. He finished his sophomore year in 2014 with 102 carries for 615 yards and four touchdowns, averaging a whopping six yards per carry.
“My first year, I was more of a fast and shifty back who wasn’t really trying to get tackled or take any contact,” he says. “It worked in my favour because I had speed.”
Unfortunately, the following season, Mitayango stood face-to-face with another roadblock that threatened to affect his football career.
His family moved from of their home on Munroe Avenue, to the Oak Bank area. To put that into perspective, the drive from Munroe Avenue to Miles Mac is roughly four minutes, so between 10-15 minutes if you’re walking. The drive from Oak Bank is close to half an hour alone, and would require Mitayango to take the bus.
But to ease his parent’s concerns, Buckeyes head coach Dan Washnuk went above and beyond the call of duty.
“He talked to my parents and told them ‘I’ll take care of him,” Mitayango says of Washnuk. ‘”I’ll make sure his grades are good, and I’ll pick him up and take him to school,’ because my parents were worried about me taking the bus to school to go to Miles.”
On top of driving Mitayango, Washnuk also took him to morning practices that the Bombers were putting on, as he had to be there as well anyways. The coach would pick up his running back at five a.m. in order to get to the 6 a.m. sessions on time.
“[Washnuk] played a big part in my training during the offseason,” Mitayango says. “He definitely got me ready for the next level.”
The work Mitayango put in during the offseason was evident in his junior year, as he ended the 2015 campaign with 944 yards on 124 carries and six majors. He also upped his yards per carry average to 7.6, demonstrating a far more aggressive running style that, combined with his gifted speed, made him one of the league’s best backs.
“My second year I started hitting and trucking people more, and just had that physicality to my game,” he says.
Mitayango displayed his versatility in his senior year, as he was asked to switch to the quarterback position. He also played safety.
The Buckeyes were able to continue using Mitayango as a rusher, while also letting him throw the ball, depending on what the defence was giving him. He finished the year with over 800 all-purpose yards on the air and ground combined, and increased his yards per carry average again, this time to 8.7.
“We ran a wildcat offence,” he says. Mostly I was in shotgun, and it was more reading off of the defensive end, and if the end comes, pull the ball and run it or throw it. They gave me a lot of options during that time.”
Following high school, Mitayango was invited to the Manitoba Bisons spring camp, but ultimately didn’t end up on their final roster. But after talking to his mentor Washnuk, he decided to try out for the Winnipeg Rifles. He missed the rookie and veteran camps, but made a lasting impact during spring camp.
“I really just went on the field and balled out, trying to do my best and they ended up liking me and kept me,” the humble back says nonchalantly.
Mitayango had the opportunity to learn under veteran running backs Micheal Ritchott and Odun Ogidan in his rookie year last year. One of the biggest pieces of insight he was given had to do with his footwork.
“Your first steps, they’re really important and that’s what [my coaches and teammates] were telling me,” he says. “If your first steps are not there, then it’s not going to be a great play for you most likely.”
When the 2017 season came to an end, Mitayango made a personal decision that had a huge effect on his trajectory as a football player. With tensions getting to a boiling point with his parents, he chose to leave home for three months, settling in with his aunt and uncle. During this time, he ate as healthy as he could, and went to the gym as much as humanly possible. He also added to his frame, going from 174 pounds to 190.
“When I came back for our camps, that’s when I felt my best,” he says. “It’s the best I’d ever felt!”
Early in the 2018 season, the results of Mitayango’s hard work have been evident. He was the feature back in the Rifle’s season-opening 19-3 win last weekend, rushing 24 times for 122 yards. He also displayed his fitness level, as the the majority of his yardage came on physical runs inside the tackles in the second half.
With fellow second year power back Brandon Urciuoli nearly recovered from a shoulder injury and fifth year Austin Klein — who is excellent in zone read plays — the Rifles have themselves a dangerous three-headed monster that should wreak havoc all season.
Despite the solid start to the season however, Mitayango is continuing to focus on his development, in order to be the best back he can be for this team.
“I still have a few things to improve on,” he says with emphasis. But it’s been good so far.”
Catch the Rifles in action tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT against the Regina Thunder. The link to watch the game will be on riflesfootball.com.