Torchio Carries Team’s Title Hopes

So far, the Army, Air-Force, Dartmouth University and Columbia University have reached out to senior quarterback and safety John Torchio in hopes of recruiting him to play football at their respective schools for the fall 2018 season.

Torchio is humbled by the attention. “It’s really cool to be recruited in a small town like Moraga with a bunch of other kids getting recruited from big cities, but you know, Campolindo is a small school, it’s cool to get noticed,” he said. “I want to play football in college, and I feel good about this opportunity.”

Although Torchio is excited about the offers, he wants to keep his options open.

Torchio has also shown promise in other sports at Campolindo, having played football, basketball, and baseball during his freshman year. He has since narrowed his focus to just football and basketball.

Of his 2 current sports, football is the one he hopes to continue in college.

Torchio’s football career began in 3rd grade, when he began playing for the MOL (Moraga, Orinda, Lafayette) flag football league.  Since then, he’s made significant progress. “I think I’ve gotten a lot better at Campo thanks to Coach Macy, and I think MOL helped a lot to make me like football a lot more,” said Torchio, who added that his dad’s love of football inspired him to participate in the sport.

Both Torchio’s father and grandfather played quarterback at the University of California, though Torchio himself has little interest in playing for the Golden Bears.

Torchio is now mentor for the younger athletes on his team. “I’d say just cause I’m a senior and I’m an older guy, I take on a leadership role,” he said. “As a junior, I didn’t really have one, I kinda let the seniors do it. Now, as a senior, it’s kinda like an every-year thing that the seniors take over. It’s kinda cool to be looked up to and to have kids ask me questions and stuff. I like that aspect of being a leader.”

Junior Lucas Allen said it’s nice to have someone like Torchio on the team. “He’s a good leader that a lot of the younger guys can look up to,” Allen said. “He does a good balance between keeping things light or serious, and he sets a good model for practice and games.”

“John is no doubt a team leader in every way,” Macy said. “He never comes off the field, and he is probably the most dynamic 2-way player we have ever had in Campolindo football history, because of his play at quarterback, and at safety, and then he is also a very good punter.”

“We probably have not had a player that’s had to have that much placed on his shoulders, but he’s been able to really weather the storm well this year, with all the added demands on him, and still continue to keep producing, even with all the playtime and wear and tear on him, he still remains mentally strong,” Macy added.

Torchio hopes to help his squad add to its 3-year streak of advancing to the state title game. “We are the number 1 seed in the playoffs, so hopefully we can go far, and Campo football has a bunch of traditions during the playoffs so it should be exciting,” Torchio said.