Pirate football trio sign to play at next level

Polson High School football player and student Matthew Rensvold got to realize a life-long dream he shared with Pirates teammates Tanner Wilson and Jonah Burke when they signed letters of intent Wednesday at the Polson Elks Club.

Rensvold, the team WR/LB and Wilson, the Pirates’ QB, both signed their letters of intent with the NCAA Division-I football program at the University of Montana-Grizzles. Burke signed with the NAIA team Montana Tech.

Rensvold and Wilson are the first Pirate football players to sign with the University of Montana since Kirk Murphy did it in 1987. Murphy played four years of football for the Griz from 1987-1991.

For Rensvold, who has been friends with both Burke and Wilson throughout their school experience, signing in front of hundreds of local fans and supporters was “unbelievable.”

“Tanner and I have talked about this since we were two or three years old,” Rensvold said. “Playing football at the next level has been on our minds since we knew what college was. It’s really an experience that we will never forget. It’s just unreal.”

Rensvold said he received a lot of interest from several NAIA schools in Montana and the University of North Dakota but made his decision when he played in a 7-on-7 game in Missoula.

“It was at the end of June and we were playing 7-on-7,” Rensvold said. “About a week (after that game) I got a call from coach Bob Stitt. I took five or six days to think about it myself and I decided that Montana was the place. I’ve seen so many big-time football games at Washington Griz Stadium and there is no place I would rather be. It’s close to home in Missoula and there is no other place I would rather spend a Saturday.”

Rensvold said that he was “surprised” by the amount of people that turned out for the event.

“I really wasn’t expecting that many people to show up,” Rensvold said. “I thought the event was going to be a couple of family members. My dad was actually talking to me and said ‘there was going to be a lot of people there.’ It was amazing how many people showed up and that is what is amazing about this town. They just support every student-athlete. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Rensvold, who also is one of the centerpieces of the Pirates’ basketball team, said he signed his first-ever autographs at the signing for several kids and well-wishers in the area.

“It really feels good that we are role models to the younger kids and for them to see the accomplishment of us going to big-time college football,” Rensvold said. “It’s awesome to be considered leaders to these younger kids. It’s a very cool experience that I’ve been wanting to do my whole life and it was just really cool.”

For Wilson, the Pirates QB, the decision to commit to the University of Montana wasn’t tough at all.

“You know, it wasn’t really a tough decision and Matthew had committed,” Wilson said. “Their coaching staff is just a great group of guys that they have.”

Wilson agreed with Rensvold on their dream to play big-time college sports.

“We talked about playing college football on a daily basis,” Wilson said. “It’s really a dream come true and it’s just a crazy-awesome feeling.”

Wilson, who played quarterback with the Pirates, said he will red-shirt his first season and compete to try to move up the Grizzlies’ QB depth chart for future seasons.

“You know, I’m always going to have to compete every day and compete with someone for my job,” Wilson said. “I am looking forward to all of those workouts.”

Unlike Rensvold and Wilson, Burke’s collegiate choice wasn’t so easy.

“It was honestly a really hard decision because I had some smaller D-I schools talking to me from Florida but that was super far away,”Burke said. “I had a couple of schools from Washington talking to me. I guess Montana Tech just stuck out as the school I needed to go to because it felt like another home for me. The coaching staff made me feel really comfortable at the university.”

Burke, who like Rensvold was “awe-struck” by the amount of people that attended the three Pirates signing at the Elks Lodge, said he “didn’t think that many people would show.”

“It is crazy to think that our community is that involved and they support us,” Burke said. “Most importantly, my family taught me the value of working hard and that if you have a goal set to your mind to go for it.”

Burke said he is going to commit himself to academics just as much as football and he plans on becoming a business major at Montana Tech.

“I just want to go through freshman year red shirting,” Burke said. “One thing that I am looking forward to is that I am not only going to play football but the most important thing is do well in school. My grandfather taught me this. I am going to work hard my freshman year, go to school, and continue to workout (in the off season).”