Shea duo headed to AIC All-Staters Duarte, Kwesiah sticking together
PAWTUCKET – Usually, the signing of a National Letter of Intent prompts big smiles and a feeling of relief knowing that sports will be part of the upcoming college experience.
As Shea High football seniors Yanique Duarte and Gladior Kwesiah sat at a table with an important piece of paper in front of them on Thursday morning, they showed off their best game face. Even amidst a joyous occasion, the pair who played vital roles in last season’s Division II Super Bowl came across as very determined.
Eventually, the quick-as-lightning running back ( Duarte) and the take- no- prisoners defensive tackle (Kwesiah) let their guard down and smiled. This was a proud moment, one they had every right to take pride in. After all, it’s not every day that two players from the same public high school are heading to play football at the same college – American International College, a Division II school located in Springfield, Mass.
“It’s not a big campus, but it’s a good size for us to focus on school,” Kwesiah said. “There won’t be too many distractions, but there’s enough room to make new friends.”
“We’ve been playing together for the past four years and have shared plenty of great experiences,” Duarte said. “That will only continue to grow in college and make us even better friends.”
Duarte and Kwesiah celebrated their signings inside head coach Dino Campopiano’s dean-of-students office. The small and intimate gathering included Duarte’s mother Deborah Duarte, Kwesiah’s mother Rhona Giko, Shea principal Dr. Jacqueline Ash, and athletic director Kate Corry.
Campopiano enjoyed the sight of Duarte and Kwesiah applying their best signature to a document that signified their pledge to AIC.
“Very proud day for a lot of reasons. I look at my players as my sons and to see what they’ve accomplished individually and as a team, I couldn’t be happier,” Campopiano said. “As a head coach, an administrator and a father figure to these guys, they’ve earned it and done everything right. It doesn’t get any more special than that.”
Duarte, a two-time first-team allstate player and four-time first-team all-division selection, is looking to major in business management at AIC. Kwesiah, a lineman who also earned first-team All-State honors this past season, as well as becoming a two-time first-team all-division pick, says he’s intrigued by criminal justice.
“I want to get my degree so I can help my family out and get them in a good situation,” Kwesiah said, who’s listed at 6-2, 255 pounds. “My mom didn’t always have time to make it to my games on Friday nights because she was working to support me and my little sister. At least in college, she may have a little more time since I’m not going too far away. She can see how far I’ve come in football. Hopefully I make her proud as well as my whole family.”
The recipient of the 2016 Francis “Monk” Maznicki Award as the R.I. Back of the Year, Duarte noted that just because he’s making the transition to college football, nothing will change as far as his own personal rooting section in the stands.
“My mom has attended every game since I was six,” Duarte said. “Her support has been great and I know she’ll continue to go to all my games. I love her to death.”
How Duarte and Kwesiah – the 2016 choice for Division II- B Lineman of the Year – closed ranks on their recruiting and settled on AIC is easily traceable. James Torres, an assistant football coach at Shea, who saw his son Xavier commit to the Yellow Jackets after visiting the campus over February break. Xavier Torres is a senior who over the past few seasons has served as the starting quarterback at St. Raphael.
“Our guys know Xavier pretty well,” Campopiano said. “As a group, we have three kids from Pawtucket going to play Division II college football. It’s a great thing for the city.”
The presence of former St. Raphael football standout Stanley Dunbar on the AIC coaching staff also factored heavily in the decision that Duarte and Kwesiah ultimately made. With the Yellow Jackets, Duarte hopes to see time at slot receiver in addition to carrying the ball while Kwesiah has his sights set on lining up at defensive end.
“I’ve known coach Dunbar for a while. He’s a class act and was very instrumental in getting both of our boys there,” Campopiano said. “He knows our guys can play, but I don’t think this would have happened without him.”
Campopiano’s coaching tenure with the Raiders have produced quite a few noteworthy contributors in the college ranks.
You can add Duarte and Kwesiah to a list that started with Derrick Knight, who suited up for Brown in the mid-2000s. Of more recent vintage, 2015 Shea graduate Momodou Mbye became a starting defensive back at the University of Rhode Island last season after being a redshirt freshman. There’s also 2016 Shea graduate Leandro DeBrito, who this past season was a freshman free safety at Minnesota’s Vermilion Community College. According to Campopiano, DeBrito is being chased by UMass and several Big 10 schools.
All told, 11 members of the Raiders’ 2016 Super Bowl outfit will be heading off to play college football. There’s also quite a few contributors who have definite college plans.
“Seeing these guys going to college and getting their education is the ultimate goal,” Campopiano said. “That shows the teachers here at Shea are amazing. They go above and beyond to help our student-athletes achieve their goals.”