Gino Campiotti - Manteca High School
Full Name: Gino Fabiani Campiotti
Age: 18
Height/Weight: 6’3”, 195lbs.
Parents: Gino, Sr. & Debbie Campiotti
Siblings: Teena Bruzzone, Stephanie Campiotti, and Mike Persons
Year in School: Senior
School: Manteca High School; Manteca, CA
Coach: Eric Reis
Jersey Number: 3
Position: Quarterback
Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/profile/1900564/gino-campiotti
Instagram: @campi3_
Twitter: @Gino_Campiotti
Gino Campiotti was born and raised in Manteca, CA. “I come from a close-knit family with hard working parents. My Mom and Dad have owned their forklift repair company since 1995 and have instilled a strong work ethic in me from Day 1. Whether it’s school, sports, or anything that I put my heart into, that work ethic and discipline play big roles,” he says. “The discipline allows you to build a strong work ethic and teaches you how to sacrifice for want you want.” That combination coupled with self-determination was also a deciding factor when it came to Gino’s early interest in sports. “I was a soccer and baseball player until the 6th grade when I finally convinced my parents to let me join the Manteca Junior Buffaloes youth football program,” shares Gino. “The love for the game of football was instant and became my passion.”
This passion charted the course for an amazing football season for the Manteca High School senior. He led the Buffaloes to a Sac-Joaquin Division 3 Section Championship defeating Valley Oak League Champions, Oakdale High School. Gino was named as the Valley Oak League’s MVP - an accolade that most will agree is more than well-deserved. Journalist and high school football blogger, Richard Estrada, best known as “Black Hat Football”, also recently awarded as the 2017 Starbucks/Black Hat Football Player of the Year in the Central Valley.
“The 6-3, 195-pound senior went wild in the playoffs and led the Buffaloes to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 title – Manteca’s second straight Section crown. In his 15 games, Campiotti had 3,424 yards (2,877 passing) with 47 TDs (32 passing) – he accounted for 22 TDs in the Buffs’ four playoff wins, including 5 TDs to stun state-ranked Oakdale in the final,” reports Estrada. “He finished his three-year career with Saturday’s 28-23 NorCal Bowl loss to St. Francis and has career totals of 5,642 passing yards, with 69 touchdowns with 17 interceptions. He also ran for 23 TDs, giving him 92 total TDs.”
However, with all the media attention and record stats, people were stunned that the talented quarterback was still without a collegiate offer. When asked about this, Gino calmly and confidently responded, “It’s still early and I have faith that something will come through.” His instincts were correct. As of early January, Gino committed to Northern Arizona University which he describes as an “incredible and life-changing opportunity”.
When asked where he draws his inspiration from, Gino’s answer is without hesitation. “My Grandfather Ernie. He is my biggest inspiration. I never got the opportunity to meet him, but he was an amazing man who meant so much to so many. I know my Grandfather is looking down on me and I play to make him proud,” Gino says. “But my other big inspiration is my father, Gino Sr. He has done absolutely all he can to prepare me to be the best “me”, the best athlete, and the best worker. I look up to him and can only hope I make him proud. I also have two nieces, Ava and Gia, who mean the world to me. I take it to heart that they look up to me and I want them to know that with hard work, anything is possible.”
Besides football, Gino also plays on his high school’s basketball and baseball teams. And in his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym, trap shooting, off-roading in his truck, playing with his dogs, and dominating Madden.
How do you successfully juggle the demands of school, practice, and games?
It’s not easy, that’s for sure. From the beginning, my parents have made it very clear that school comes before ANYTHING else, so if my grades aren’t there, football wouldn’t even be possible. I work hard so I can play hard and strive to be the best at anything I am doing.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Replacing Tom Brady after he retires! But, if that doesn’t work out, I hope to be working for the FBI or in some sort of law enforcement.
What are your strengths physically and mentally as a quarterback?
Physically, I have a good arm that’s built up through all of my years pitching growing up. And mentally, I feel like I’m a smart quarterback and I understand how to read defenses exceptionally well.
How have you improved as an athlete from year to year?
I NEVER stop working on my craft. I try to stay in the weight room consistently trying to put on weight and get stronger and I also watch a lot of collegiate quarterbacks to learn from them.
How do you prepare for football on and off-season?
I am always on-the-go! If I am not at practice, I am at the gym. If I am not at the gym, I am running “The Hill” with my teammates. I do whatever I can physically to help elevate our success on the field. I also study film. A LOT of film.
What is the biggest lesson that football has taught you and how can you apply that to real life?
I believe the biggest lesson in football is that you can never give up. Sometimes, you may be down and feel like you’re out of it and at your lowest point, but it only takes a few things to go right and you can be right where you need to be.
What is the next step for you as a football player?
Ideally, I would love to play football on Saturdays. That is the goal – to continue to play football for another 4-5 years in college.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to face this year as a student or athlete and how did you overcome this challenge?
AP Statistics. That is, by far, the hardest class I’ve ever taken. I wasn’t doing too well at first, but after talking to my teacher, and a lot of studying, I’ve slowly started to comprehend it more and more. I’ve raised my grade quite a bit!
What is your biggest regret of the season?
A few weeks ago, we played against East Union, our crosstown rivals. There were some words said about me and my teammates that got under our skin and when it came time to shake hands with the other captains, we chose not to. It lead to us being removed from our captain positions for the playoff bracket and was a decision made in the heat of the moment that didn’t reflect well on us and our coaches (who had no idea what was happening). If I could take that back, I would. Nobody on our team deserved the backlash they were given.
What is the biggest lesson that you've learned from your coach this year?
Coach taught me how to be a more respectable man. After the incident against East Union, we had a man-to-man talk and he taught me a few things about life.
3 words to describe yourself:
Confident
Funny
Risk Taker
3 words that others would use to describe you:
Outgoing
Hard Working
Talkative
3 little known facts about you:
I can solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than a minute!
I met Peyton Manning at his Passing Academy and it was awesome!
Playing Chess is one of the ways that I de-stress
What is your most memorable moment of the season?
My most memorable moment this season has got to be when we came back against Christian Brothers of Sacramento, Week 2. We were down 14 points with 3 minutes left and on our final two drives, I threw for 135 yards, 2 touchdowns, and the extra point that won us the game, 36-35!
What motivates you to play well during a game?
Thinking about the work I put in, the support that has been given to me by the fans and seeing my family in the crowd.
Is there anyone that you'd like to thank or acknowledge and why?
None of my success on the field would be possible without my Mom and Dad, the Lord above, and the love and support I have from my family. My girlfriend, Raygan, has also been so supportive and encouraging. I’d also like to thank my Quarterback Coach, Matt House, for pushing me to be my best, Coach Neil MacDannald, Coach Eric Reis, and Coach Mark Varnum for their outstanding guidance and leadership over my football career thus far. Last but not least, my teammates. I am nothing without them. They work non-stop and deserve all the praise.