(Article by Phil Stacey, Executive Sports Editor of the Salem News)
For their exploits in both the classroom and in their respective athletic endeavors, Bishop Fenwick football lineman Nick Caputo and Danvers High School soccer superstar Arianna Bezanson have been chosen as the male and female winners of the Moynihan Lumber Student-Athlete Award for September.
Nick, an 18-year-old from Peabody, starts at center for the Crusaders and also sees time on the defensive line. The 5-foot-11, 225-pounder has helped Fenwick to a 5-2 record thus far with his pass blocking, opening holes for his running backs to shoot through, and piling up more than 2,400 yards of offense.
He constantly grades out at over 80 percent for his line play when the coaches break down game films, and graded out at 96 percent efficiency in the team’s game vs. rival St. Mary’s of Lynn.
“I love the whole team aspect of football, where everyone has to do their job for a particular play to work,” said Nick, who also throws the shot put for Fenwick’s indoor track and field team while manning first base for the baseball team. “I look at it as (the offensive linemen) are the ones building that wall, protecting our quarterback and giving him time to throw or holding off the defensive guys so our running backs can get past them. That’s where the satisfaction comes from.”
Nick said he also loves football as a way to “honor my dad” Paul, who was a two-way lineman in his day at Winthrop High and was chosen as an Agganis All-Star, an honor his son would love to achieve at the end of his senior season as well.
In the classroom, Nick shines with a 4.1 grade point average and is a member of Fenwick’s National Honor Society. His favorite class is Government, taught by his favorite teacher (that he’s had each of the last three years), Mr. Edward Kawczynski.
“Mr. K’s got an unorthodox way of teaching that gets you really involved. He’s really hands on,” said Nick, who went to public school growing up before deciding he wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps — including his mother, Jennifer — and attend Bishop Fenwick for high school.
“Getting good grades requires a lot of hard work, time and effort. But most of it is about organization and time management,” Nick added. “I try to get all of my assignments done right away whenever possible.”
Nick is considering colleges such as the University of New Hampshire, Mass. Maritime and UMass Dartmouth. He plans on studying nursing and would love to continue his football career if the opportunity presents itself.
Arianna, a 17-year-old scoring ace and the reigning Salem News Girls Soccer Player of the Year, will be taking her considerable talents to Colgate University, where she’ll play soccer for the Raiders.
The Northeastern Conference MVP as a sophomore and both the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year and All-New England selection as a junior, Bezanson committed to Colgate in 2019 after looking at and visiting several schools.
“It was stressful but that the same time also exciting to see different places and schools all over the Northeast,” said Arianna, a three-time Salem News all-star and two-time All-State honoree. “It was such an early time in my life to make a decision like that. But I knew when I got to Colgate, it felt just right.”
The center midfielder currently has 18 goals and seven assists in 16 games so far this fall. For her career, she has scored 82 goals and 31 assists for 113 points, including the 100th point of her career earlier this season against Winthrop.
“I’ve always remembered loving the sport,” said the 5-foot-4 Arianna, who began playing in kindergarten. “It’s something that can take me away from everything; when I play, there’s nothing else on my mind. I always count on it to be there. That, and it’s so fun playing with my teammates always.”
Academically, Arianna’s star shines just as brightly. With a classroom average of 99.7 on a scale of 100, she is one of Danvers’ top students. She’d like to major in biology at Colgate and eventually go pre-med with hopes of one day becoming a doctor.
She scored 1,240 on her SAT test and is taking five Advanced Placement courses currently, including Chemistry, Economics and Calculus.
Admittedly more of a math and science person, her favorite class was Algebra II with Mr. Todd Butterworth her sophomore year. “Mr. Butterworth was not only a great teacher, but also such a good all-around person,” she said.
The daughter of Jeff and Chrisoula Bezanson and the older sister of Aithan (an 10th grader at St. John’s Prep who plays soccer, basketball and track), Arianna said one of her favorite parts of being a DHS student is the social interactions she’s made in classes and athletics and the relationships she’s made.
