Thanks, Coach
Shea High football head coach Dino Campopiano honored with special award during halftime of Thanksgiving contest
• A puzzled look washed over Dino Campopiano’s face upon being told by public address announcer Robert Masse to report to the track portion of Max Read Field.
It was halftime of last Wednesday’s annual Thanksgiving football game between Shea and Tolman, and Campopiano was about to be treated to a special presentation that clearly ran the emotional gamut.
A semicircle featuring quite a few former Shea football players formed around Campopiano, their mere presence demonstrating just how much the longtime head coach means to them. As Masse shared Campopiano’s coaching accomplishments with the holiday crowd – three Super Bowl titles, seven division titles, five Coach of the Year awards – a plaque was handed to the coach. More plaudits were extolled, the ones that have nothing to do with how many touchdowns you’ve scored.
“He’s left a mark on hundreds of students through discipline, accountability, leadership, respect, pride, and above all, unconditional love,” said Masse.
Campopiano was the recipient of the Outstanding Mentor Award through Brothers on A New Direction (BOND) and the Shea High School Alumni Association. Formed in 2007, BOND is an organization that’s devoted to the development of young men socially, academically, and mentally. After 10 years, BOND has chosen to recognize 10 men who have registered an indelible mark on the community.
Campopiano was identified as one of the select few to step forward to take a well-deserved bow. Given his competitive nature and how the element of surprise was very much in play, it couldn’t have been easy to stay composed with another two
quarters on tap.
“It took everything to hold back the emotions. They were running through me. Honestly, it took everything not to fall apart with tears,” said Campopiano after his Raiders secured a 31-2 triumph over their crosstown rivals. “Not to be emotional now, but I think God works in mysterious ways. I was put at Shea for a reason and the bond that I have with the students, I couldn’t ask for anything more. It means the world to me that my former players think of me in this way.
“The winning is great and I love it, but the relationships I’ve built with kids who are now adults, it’s amazing,” Campopiano added. “It’s a mutual respect.”
• Cumberland native Nick Giorgio enjoyed an outstanding junior year as a defensive end for the Springfield College football team. He was named Defensive Athlete of the Year by the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) after registering 65 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and forcing four fumbles in 11 games.
In addition, Giorgio was honored with a spot on the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District team. Giorgio is a Business Management major who has produced a 3.44 GPA.
• Chrissy Bacon is busy these days as the Lincoln native applies the finishing touches on an outstanding high school soccer career. A senior at the Pomfret School, Bacon this past Saturday was selected to play in the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association “Senior Bowl” All-Star Game. Her team won and she was named MVP.
This coming Saturday, Bacon will be in Orlando for the Girls' High School All-American Soccer Game. A midfielder, Bacon will sign her National Letter of Intent to play soccer at New York’s Wagner College in early February.
• A fresh start awaits Mason Williams, the Pawtucket native and onetime top prospect in the New York Yankees’ farm system. A 26year-old outfielder, Williams on Nov. 17 signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds that included an invite to major-league camp at spring training.
Williams had spent his entire pro career with the Yankees after being selected in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. His career got off to a promising start but injuries in recent seasons stalled his development to the point where New York removed him from the 40man roster this past season.
He’s young enough where time is still on his side. Maybe a change of scenery and starting over with a new organization will provide the elixir to jump-start his career in the right direction.
• Speaking of Masse, it must have been a thrill for the 2003 Tolman High graduate to serve as the honorary captain for the TolmanShea Thanksgiving contest. Masse took a brief break from his PAduties to stand at midfield and take part in the pregame coin toss. Masse has now been lending his enthusiastic vocal talents to Tiger sporting events since 1997, which predates when he enrolled at Tolman.
• Some varsity coaching news to report as Monday served as the first official day that winter sports other than hockey could hold practice:
Josh Lima succeeds longtime mentor Tom Kenwood as the head coach of the Cumberland boys’ indoor track program. Lima just finished his fourth season as the Clippers’ football head coach and was already an assistant with the school’s track program.
At Shea, Steve DeMeo takes over for Matt Pita as the Raiders’ boys’ basketball head coach. DeMeo joined Shea as an assistant last season after previously serving as the head coach at Johnston.
• Per Tolman athletic director Frank Laliberte, Rick Patch has taken over as the school’s freshman boys’ basketball head coach. Patch was the onetime varsity boys’ basketball head coach at Seekonk and just last season was the varsity girls’ basketball head coach at Attleboro.
• The Tolman football team has been chosen by the R.I. Football Officials Association as winners of the Team Sportsmanship Award. Recognition will take place on Dec. 14 at Warwick’s Crowne Plaza.
Speaking of the Tigers, a return to the Division II ranks is all but inevitable after posting a winless record in each of the past two seasons as a D-I participant. If given the opportunity to move down once the realignment figures are tabulated, head coach Jason DeLawrence said he would welcome it with open arms.
At Woonsocket, which went 2-5 in Division I this season under first-year head coach Charlie Bibeault after going 0-7 last year, it figures to be a tough call on what to do next.
“I like the competition in Division I and prepping to play against the best. At the same time, we have to do what’s in the best interest of the program,” said Bibeault.
• Per a major-league source, not a single member of the PawSox four-person coaching staff received an interview by the Red Sox for one of the many coaching vacancies that became available after John Farrell was dismissed. Color me shocked that not even a courtesy interview was granted to manager Kevin Boles, pitching coach Bob Kipper, hitting coach Rich Gedman, or coach Bruce Crabbe.
Much like the Pawtucket players who populate the home clubhouse at McCoy Stadium, you want to see the coaches climb that remaining rung and reach the major-league level. Learning that everyone was shutout is even more surprising when factoring in that Boles and Gedman have been September coaching regulars with the Red Sox over the past several seasons, while Kipper filled in as Boston’s interim bullpen coach in 2015. We’re not exactly talking about coaches who are new on the scene.
Boles, Kipper, Gedman, and Crabbe are all under contract for the 2018 season. If nothing happens between now and when the Red Sox officially announce their minor-league coaching staffs for all the affiliates, which usually takes place in early January, next season will mark the fourth consecutive campaign that the same coaching arrangement is in place in Pawtucket.