Cuartas sets state kicking record

The story of how Santiago Cuartas became one of the most accomplished kickers in Staples football history -- in one year --has many sides to it.

Ask Wreckers football coach Merce Petroccio, and he'll say that Cuartas approached him during gym class one day during his junior year, convinced the coach to be an eye witness of his long-distance successful kicks "and the rest is history."

That history included setting a school record with a 41-yard field goal against Trinity Catholic in the first game of the season, only to break his own record with a 42-yard successful try against Ridgefield two games later. He went on to set a state record with a total of 12 field goals, including consecutive game-winners versus Greenwich and Xavier during the team's run to the Class LL championship game.

"He's got ice in his veins," Petroccio said. "Santiago did what very few people can do, which is not only come out and play football for one year, but come out and kick a football for one year and kick in some of the biggest games in the history of Staples High School and not be flustered whatsoever."

Cuartas, though, said that he first stumbled across a football during gym class and decided to try a field goal with the help of a classmate. Boys basketball coach Colin Devine, his gym coach at that time, saw the expedition and ran and told Petroccio to watch the then-soccer player split the uprights from deep at a consistent rate.

This much is true: Cuartas first attempted to play football during his eighth grade year at Coleytown Middle School at the urging of his counselors and Spanish teachers. They saw football as a way for Cuartas, a native of Columbia who arrived in Westport seven years ago without knowing any English, to immerse himself into American culture.

When he tried to kick the ball, he toed it as in rugby, never thinking to apply the same mechanics as kicking a soccer ball.

"At first I didn't understand it. Football is just so complicated, so I just went back to soccer," Cuartas said.

It helped, though, that he had friends on the football team, particularly Dan Kowalsky and Cody Laszlo. Both of them kept telling Cuartas to give football -- not futbol -- another try.

"Once he realized what a leg he had kicking that football, he just wanted to excel in football," Laszlo said of his teammate.

The kicker's overall lack of knowledge of the game actually worked out to his benefit. By only grasping one simple concept, he was able to block out all other outside elements: "Really when I was kicking, all I knew is I needed to put it between two poles."

The thought of playing football in college never crossed his mind until the Greenwich game on Nov. 26 when he delivered that 31-yard field goal with 40 seconds left.

He soon gained the attention of Rich Cavanaugh, the head coach at Southern Connecticut State University when Cuartas went on an official visit to the school on Feb. 19. Before leaving, he gave a verbal commitment to Cavanaugh after hearing that he would be able to compete for the starting job next season. All he is waiting for these days is an acceptance letter into the school.

Cuartas might be joined on the Owls' roster by Laszlo, a lineman who has yet to commit but is considered a strong SCSU lean.

Cuartas, who could often be found pedaling on a stationary bike to stay warm on the sidelines last season, admitted that he has to get better at "kicking in the cold since I'm from Columbia and it's hot there every day."

The player with ice in his veins admitted that he might have to contend with some nerves next year--but none that are caused by the game itself.

"I'm just excited. I'm kind of nervous just because a lot of people have helped me over the seven years I've been here," he said. "So I kind of want to do it for them. I want to do good at football for them."