Top receiver Cristofalo out for season
He led Central Coast Section in receiving yards last year
CARMEL >> Jubilation crossed the mind of Benicio Cristofalo the moment word leaked that a football season was given approval to start.
More than a year since he had run his last route, caught his last pass for Carmel High, played his last game, Cristofalo got into his receiver’s stance — one he has done thousands of times before.
The pure joy that football was back for the multiple sport standout, however, was brief. The first step the fleet senior receiver took was his last as a high school athlete.
Before Cristofalo even crumbled to the ground, the gruesome sound of his right Achilles snapping told him he did not need a doctor to inform him his season and prep career was over.
“As soon as I touched it, I knew it was torn,” Cristofalo said. “Emotions come over you. I was in a lot of pain. I was in shock. My season, my career at Carmel, was over.”
Last year’s leading receiver in yards in the Central Coast Section, Cristofalo partially tore his Achilles tendon, where he had surgery the following day, sidelining him at least six months.
While the pandemic had cut into his senior year, the injury left Cristofalo numb, unsure what lies ahead, other than intense rehabilitation to regain his athletic talents.
“I told him I know it seems like a setback and it’s devastating,” Carmel football coach Golden Anderson said, “but I reminded him it’s a temporary speed bump to where he’s going in life.”
The single-season school record holder for receiving yards with 1,208 yards, Cristofalo won’t be alone in his rehabilitation. His father tore his Achilles a few months back playing tennis.
“To be honest I was pretty depressed in the beginning,” Cristofalo said. “But you can not waste time over something that’s already happened. I am gonna get something out of this year.”
Part of that plan for Cristofalo is to return to the football field over the final month and remain a leader of the Padres, where he was one of the team captains in football and track.
“He’s a big piece of the offense,” Oregon State-bound tight end J.T. Byrne said. “It will be an adjustment for sure. I’m grateful to still have his leadership out there with us. Obviously it’s a bummer for Benicio and the team.”
Cristofalo put up big numbers in arguably the strongest league Carmel has ever played in in 2019, finishing with 55 catches — nine of which went for touchdowns in 11 games, averaging nearly 21 yards a catch.
The 18-year-old also chalked up nearly 500 rushing yards, and handled kickoffs, compiling well over 2,000 multi-purpose yards.
“I told him he will go down as one of the all-time great receivers here, and we’ve had a few,” Anderson said. “And he is. He didn’t need this year to solidify that. He’s an elite athlete and person.”
Initially, Cristofalo blamed himself for the injury, feeling that perhaps he didn’t stretch properly prior to lining up to burst out of his stance with his sprinter’s speed, or ignoring that his Achilles was sore.
“I didn’t take stretching as seriously as I should have,” Cristofalo said. “I felt it was my fault that I didn’t prepare properly. The doctors said freaky stuff happens. But I take responsibility.”
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Cristofalo remained fit throughout the pandemic, training all summer for what he hoped would be another crack at dipping under 11 seconds in the 100 meters in track.
A member of Carmel’s state qualifying and school record 400 relay team as a sophomore, Cristofalo had his eyes set on the 100and 200-meter school marks.
“This is heartbreaking for a senior athlete who has worked so hard for so long,” Carmel track coach Nick Cunningham said.
A three-time Olympic bobsledder, Cunningham has already asked Cristofalo to help him during the spring as a student-coach, utilizing his leadership and infectious work ethic.
“He is really showing his maturity by staying positive,” Cunningham said. “Benicio is seeing this as a forced opportunity to learn about training and how to be even better when he is able to return. I’ll be able to utilize his leadership and teach him the science behind all that we do as coaches.”
Prior to the injury, Cristofalo had been in contact with both the football and track coaches at Dartmouth, with hopes of playing both sports for the Ivy League institution.
“Obviously this is a setback,” Cristofalo said. “I wanted to get some film out and reinforce it with my speed in track. It’s not gonna happen this year. But that doesn’t mean it can’t.”
The Achilles injury is the same leg that Cristofalo broke when he was 14. Last season he suffered a torn PCL in his other leg that didn’t require surgery, but kept him out of Carmel’s Division IV semifinal playoff game.
“He’s a pretty positive kid,” Anderson said. “He’s got perspective. He doesn’t say a lot. When he does, it’s always very positive and team first. I’m trying to find the right words to communicate with him, and he’s asking me how football was going.”
The process of recovery is already underway for Cristofalo. The cast is off and he’s in a boot, realizing the next six months will be challenging as he regains strength and flexibility.
“They say six months,” Cristofalo said. “My hope is maybe I can get back on the track this summer. As time goes on, you need to be as grateful as you can for what you’ve got.”
The hardest part in the early process of rehab is regaining the ability to move his foot. The detachment of the Achilles left him only with the ability to barely wiggle his toes.
“There is a disconnect from the brain and foot because it’s torn,” Cristofalo said. “When I try and move my foot, it will barely move. It was an odd experience.”
It’s easy to see why Cristofalo’s attitude is contagious. While there is no denying the pain he feels from a mental standout, he’s pushing forward, altering goals for the future.
“It’s a process,” Cristofalo said. “The doctor said I’ll be better than ever, maybe even faster. Once I get more mobile, I’ll get out there and support them. I was a leader last year. I’ll give some direction. It will help with the healing personally. I miss it so much. I just want to stay involved.”
“I didn’t take stretching as seriously as I should have. I felt it was my fault that I didn’t prepare properly. The doctors said freaky stuff happens. But I take responsibility.” — Carmel High receiver Benicio Cristofalo