Athlete Of The Week: Brendan Peno

NORTH EASTHAM – Senior quarterback Brendan Peno put together a masterful performance in his final football game for Nauset, fueling the Warriors’ 50-24 win against Dennis-Yarmouth in the 29th Chowder Cup on Thanksgiving.

Peno threw four touchdown passes to take back the rivalry trophy after a five-meeting drought. He was named Offensive Player of the Game for Nauset. The win was also the first time the Warriors scored 50 points during the high school career of Peno, a 5,000-yard passer. Even minutes after the final whistle, he knew what the game signified for him.

“I'll look back 20 years from now, pictures, just all this,” he said. 

He continued: “We got that done — my last game ever as a senior. It just means everything to me. All these guys work so hard from the first day of the year just to now. It means everything. It's a culture change here, so this one's just a start, and I'm looking forward to ongoing years of winning this rivalry.”

Peno’s season was no easy road. He missed the first four weeks of the year due to a ruptured kidney. The Warriors struggled in his absence as he worked to return. He missed last year’s Thanksgiving game as well, and in the two Chowder Cups Peno had played before that, Nauset lost by three points each in what were both high-scoring heartbreakers.

Peno erased all of that on Thanksgiving morning. He deftly evaded Dennis-Yarmouth pass rushers and hit throws from moving pockets. He ran the ball about a dozen times and made tackles on defense.

“He's just the heart and soul of what we do,” said head coach Jesse Peno, Brendan’s father. “He's our vocal guy, motivational guy. Nobody plays harder. I mean, obviously he's talented, but that's almost besides the point — like his just sheer will of wanting to win this game and bring these guys to it, having been so close in a couple of the years, not getting to play last year, it was just huge.”

The win was Peno’s final game taking snaps for Nauset, but it may not be his last ever organized football game. Peno is committed to play lacrosse at Springfield College, where he’s also thinking about trying to walk on to the football team.

Back in August, he didn’t even know if he’d play this season. But he grinded to get back on the field with his teammates.

“These guys work so hard, and I've played all four years, like I was not going to let some little injury sideline me,” Peno said. “And you know what? It was the greatest decision I ever made coming back.”