Mueller, Stachurski, Grant to be honored at May 2 ceremony

By Pete Fontaine
Posted 2/9/16

The Emo DiNitto/Rhode Island Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame has announced that its 29th Annual Awards Dinner will be held on Monday evening, May 2 at the Crowne …

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Mueller, Stachurski, Grant to be honored at May 2 ceremony

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The Emo DiNitto/Rhode Island Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame has announced that its 29th Annual Awards Dinner will be held on Monday evening, May 2 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.

But this year’s dinner will be much more than honoring 12 Rhode Island high school football players with the prestigious Golden Dozen Awards and 16 with the distinguished Silver Scholar-Athlete Awards.

In fact, the May 2 spotlight will brighten the Foundation’s mission — to promote and develop the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in the state’s young student-athletes – replete with an extraordinary history lesson about the state’s glorious gridiron past.

“We’re got a great class of kids in this year’s Golden Dozen and Silver Award finalists,” offered DiNitto, who since his involvement back in 1994 has spearheaded the Foundation’s role in awarding over 200 high school football players with upwards of $88,000 in college scholarships. “I’m astonished; every year the kids have some incredible resumes.”

While the night will be rewarding for the Golden Dozen and 16 Silver Award winners, the Foundation will also honor three Rhode Island natives for their most outstanding contributions to amateur football in the state.

First and foremost will be Louis Marciano, a highly-decorated World War II veteran and internationally acclaimed speaker who has perhaps achieved more than any Rhode Islander on the gridiron and who DiNitto credits with charting the course for what was an extraordinary career as a player, coach and administrator.

Marciano, who DiNitto said is “92 years young,” will receive the Foundation’s Distinguished American Award.

Likewise, one-time Cranston East teacher-coach Ted Stebbins – whose father also coached the Thunderbolt and for whom Cranston Stadium is named – will be honored with the Foundation’s Contribution to Amateur Football Award.

In keeping with its storied tradition, the Foundation will present its annual Football Official Award to Joseph Schwab, who for years has been among the state’s most respected referees.

“This could wind up being one of our greatest award dinners ever,” DiNitto, who serves as the non-profit’s president, observed. “We’ll honor these great young student-athletes and three men of giant status who have all made significant contributions to our great game here in Rhode Island.”

Moreover, it will be an emotional night for DiNitto, who remembers when Marciano told him “you’re coming to Mount Pleasant (High School in Providence) to play football and get an education.”

DiNitto did that and more. Under Marciano’s guidance and coaching, DiNitto went on to play football at Boston University and later played with the semi-professional Providence Steamrollers before he embarked on a coaching career that included stops at Bishop Hendricken, Warwick Vets and Toll Gate.

“I remember when Coach Marciano put me on the trolley car to get home,” said DiNitto, now 77 and voice cracking with emotion of his youth. “He was my mentor and I used all his teaching skills during my career as an administrator.”

Thus, the Golden Dozen winners – who are considered the state’s top academic and athletic football players – includes: Greg Carlson, Burrillville; Brian Gemma, East Greenwich; Christopher George, NK; Michael Henson, Westerly; Matthew Lonardo, Cranston West; Benjamin Matthews, SK; William Muellar, Hendricken; Alex Murray, Tiverton; Connor Regan, La Salle; Vincent Sollitto, Scituate; Jake Stachurski, Toll Gate; and Avery Williamson, West Warwick.

Lonardo was a 3-year starter at West and second team All-Stater who is equally as talented in baseball and will enroll at URI next fall. An Honor Roll student for four years, he has a 3.2 GPA.

Mueller was a 2-year starter for the state champion Hawks at wide receiver and safety. An All-Stater, he ranks 12th in a class of 235 students and has a 3.7 GPA. He was also a kick-off return specialist and holds membership to the National Honor Society. He has not as yet announced his college intentions.

Stachurski was a 4-year starter at Toll Gate where he played center, linebacker and long-snapper on punts. He ranks 14th in a class of 214 students, has a 4.3 GPA and won the Springfield College Book Award. He recently received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Two Golden Dozen winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship that are named in honor of Chet Pono, DiNitto’s teammate at Mount Pleasant and BU and former Woonsocket High coach Frank Morey, who played at URI.

The Foundation’s Silver Scholar-Athletes are: Tundi Akinjobi, St. Ray’s; Dylan Boschichio, EP: Gbatoha Browne, Classical; Matthew Brozusky-Middletown; Steven Ellis, Cranston East; Daniel Fekel, Coventry; Darren Grant, Pilgrim; Kody Greenhalgh, St. George’s; David Guglielmo, Barrington; Jacob Lambert, Moses Brown; Frank Mercado, Central; Timothy Pratt, Rogers; Jared Prenda, EWG; Nathaniel Presiuso, Smithfield; Max Press, Juanita Sanchez; and Jacob Ramos, Mt. Hope.

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