Cappuccino Makes Most of Opportunity

Anthony Cappuccino knew that last night might very well have been the last time he would ever play football. But if this was the end of the Livingston standout’s career on the gridiron, it’d be hard for him to think of a better finale.

In a showcase of some of New Jersey’s top players, Cappuccino was selected to represent Livingston in the 33rd Investors Savings Bank North-South All-Star High School Football Classic Monday night at Kean University in Union.

“This is the chance of a lifetime,” said Cappuccino, who was selected as the kicker of the North team. “Only 40 kids get involved in this. I’m just so thankful for the committee that picked me, my coaches and teammates that got me here. It’s just been an awesome ride and I’m glad to end it here.”

While most of the other participants in the game will continue their football careers in college, Cappuccino likely will not be.

A few Division 3 schools offered him the opportunity to play football in college, instead he will attend West Virginia University in the fall. Cappuccino hopes to be able to join the team as a walk-on kicker, but is more than content if that chance does not occur.

“There were a few schools here and there (that were interested), but in the end I wanted to go to West Virginia,” he said about the decision. “If things turn out well for me there and I can walk on and kick it would be unbelievable. If they don’t it will still be great and I’ll have a good time.”

Even if Cappuccino doesn’t play in college this past weekend provided a brief glimpse into the world of college football as the all-stars spent the past few days in the dorms at Kean and had a series of practices leading up to the game, won by the South team 21-14.

Cappuccino would have a busy second quarter as he kicked the extra points for both North touchdowns as they took a 14-7 lead midway through the quarter. A 25-yard field goal attempt by Cappuccino at the end of the quarter was blocked after what appeared to be a bad snap on the play.

Late in the fourth quarter, it appeared that Cappuccino would have a chance to win the game for the North squad as he lined up for a 31-yard field goal attempt with four minutes left. Unfortunately for Cappuccino the opportunity for a storybook ending would not come as a bad snap prevented him from getting a chance to kick, leaving the score tied at 14.

“We had technical difficulties with the field goal unit tonight to say the least,” he said. “But things can’t always go the right way and in the end we were all had a great time and were just all happy we met each other.”

The South would win the game when Hammonton’s Jared Sanchez returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown with just 1:11 left in the game.

Cappuccino’s final game might have been a loss, but for him it was the perfect sendoff for a season which saw him named First Team All-Essex County by The Star Ledger and his Lancers team make the North 1, Group IV playoffs.

“It’s been an awesome experience for me,” said Cappuccino of the weekend. “It introduced me to 40 new dudes that I’m now really close with and it gave me a little college life experience, a little taste of what reality’s going to be like in a couple of months.

“This is the biggest honor ever. Overall it was just a great experience.”