Pioneer receiver signs with Lake Forest
This is No. 4 in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 228) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 2/9/22
Lake Forest College, a Division III school located 30 miles north of Chicago, is considered a very high-quality college at a good price. With less students (1,600) than most 6A high schools, the students boast an average GPA of 3.62. The school's football program has also long recruited Arizona.
There were 36 players from the state on the Foresters roster last season. And at least four more new recruits are set to join them for training camp late this summer with head coach Jim Catanzaro. One of those is Chris Cappellini.
Cappellini, who is 6-2 and 185 pounds, is a receiver at Pinnacle. He had college interest and offers from several schools from across the country. The efforts that LFC has made in recruiting Arizona got his attention. Combine that with the success graduates have after leaving the school, and it led to his commitment in January.
"Coach Cat was persistent in recruiting me, which stood out a lot," Cappellini said in an e-mail interview. "Football comes to an end eventually, and having great opportunities after is a big part of what led me to sign with Lake Forest."
Football actually came to a stop for Cappellini during his time at Pinnacle. After coming up through the system on the Pioneer frosh team and then playing JV his sophomore year, he lost the 2020 season with a torn hamstring. He spent the offseason rehabbing it and made his comeback during spring ball last May.
Cappellini visited Lake Forest in mid-January. The main thing that stood out to him was building the relationship with Catanzaro, who gave his feedback throughout the whole process.
"Visiting the school was great," Cappellini said. "The campus and facilities were amazing. Being located 30 miles north of Chicago also stood out to me."
He hasn't decided what major he is going to study yet, but he does know that he'll be at LFC.
Cappellini attended the Rivals Combine in Southern California last May and was laser timed at 4.7 in the 40 on a windy day. He showed quick feet and tracked deep passes. In analyzing his game, Cappellini is a versatile athlete. He can take the top off with his speed, catch contested balls, and provide critical blocking in the run game.
He said his favorite part about playing the receiver position is being able to make plays for his team. Last season might have been Pinnacle's deepest group of WRs. Pinnacle has a couple returners for next year in Duce Robinson (ranked among the best in his position for the 2023 class) and junior Myles Libman. I was at the Pioneers' first-round playoff game at O'Connor (a 32-29 victory) and Robinson, Libman, and Cappellini each had a reception of more than 40 yards that night.
Pinnacle had to replace its quarterback as Devon Dampier transferred to Saguaro in the offseason, but there was no unfamiliarity with Zach Wren, who passed for 332 yards in the O'Connor game.
"The chemistry between Zach and I is great," Cappellini said. "We have been playing football together since we were 10 years old, so there wasn't an adjustment playing with him."
For the season, Cappellini had 24 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns.
One thing that will be different for Cappellini in getting ready for a season will be the climate. Quite often, those first two games of the year can kick off in triple digits. And then there's the preseason practices and summer 7-on-7 tournaments.
"It's always been hot in Arizona," Cappellini said. "Growing up here, I got used to the heat."
Before his injury, Cappellini was both a cornerback and a quarterback. He was coached in the "QB Lab" by Dan Manucci and played the position in both his freshman and sophomore years. He also suited up for the Pioneer basketball team, as many football players in the past have done.
Lake Forest competes in the Midwest Conference. In 2021, the Foresters completed a perfect (10-0) regular season and claimed its sixth league championship in program history. LFC made its first trip to the Division III playoffs since 2002 (and second in team history), but fell short against Saint John's (Minn.).
So, how does a small school in Illinois get a third of its roster from a state almost 1,800 miles away? By being persistent and running a program the right way.
"I think Coach Cat recruits Arizona very well because he tells the truth," Cappellini said. "He also builds very good relationships with recruits, which is a big part of why he is successful recruiting the state."
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