Photo by Steve Buchanan Photography
It takes the fingers of both hands to count the different sports Matthew Burnside played growing up. By the time he reached Kent Island High, Burnside had honed it down to three. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Burnside, now a senior, isn’t just winning participation trophies. He’s playing on championship-caliber teams and earning his share of accolades.
“The three sports I love are lacrosse, basketball, and football,” he explains. “Along the way, there was never a time when I wanted to quit any of them. I always stuck with them. I have always loved them.”
Burnside, a Grasonville resident, has proven to be a difference-maker in all three sports. He started at quarterback for four years in football, registered two 20-point games in basketball this winter, and helped the lacrosse team to the Class 2A championship game last spring. Lacrosse is his best sport. He’ll be attending Mercer University in Georgia on an athletic scholarship. Burnside served as co-captain of the football and basketball teams this school year.
“He is obviously a Division I lacrosse player,” Kent Island Athletic Director Dan Harding says. “He could play Division II or III in basketball and football easily. He was our starting quarterback during his freshman year and that helped him develop into a leader for the other sports as well. He just has this confidence about him.”
The 18-year-old Burnside chose Mercer over offers from UMBC, Mount St. Mary’s, and Christopher Newport. He signed a National Letter of Intent in October. “I went down there on a visit and fell in love with the school,” says Burnside, who carries a 3.78 grade-point average and plans to major in business and sports marketing. “I liked the fact that the coach can really relate to me, and players have the same goal: trying to win as many games as possible.”
Burnside, a long-stick midfielder, was a key performer on Kent Island’s 10-1 boys lacrosse team last year. The Bayside Conference named him an All-Conference player three years in a row, including First-Team in 2021. The Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Association also named Burnside a Public School First-Team All-State selection.
“He is a dual-threat,” Kent Island Boys Lacrosse Coach Bobby Wooley says. “He can make plays all over the field offensively and defensively. He is always playing a step ahead with body position and forcing the players into where he wants them to be so he can get a takeaway or negate them as a threat.”
On the gridiron, Burnside led Kent Island to an undefeated regular season (10-0) and two playoff victories last fall. He threw for three touchdowns in a 28-14 postseason triumph over North Caroline in November. Burnside finished with 14 touchdowns passes and four interceptions while completing 61 percent of passes. He also rushed for six touchdowns.
“I threw four interceptions in the first four games,” Burnside says. “For the rest of the season, I made smarter plays and either ran the ball or threw it away.”
Burnside is pretty good in basketball, too. The combo guard and two-year starter got off to a solid start this winter, totaling 24 points and eight rebounds against Stephen Decatur. He finished with 22 points and six rebounds in a conquest over Bennett in the Buccaneers’ first five games.
“You can see his outstanding athleticism,” Mercer Men’s Lacrosse Coach Chad Suman says. “In lacrosse, you can see the physicality from football. You can see his leadership, too. He is constantly talking and commanding his teammates. The basketball background is noticeable when he is covering guys one-on-one. His feet are really good.”
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