It wouldn’t have been smart for Canarsie High School to punt the ball to Tottenville’s Diego Oquendo after its first series stalled in the New York City Championship in November. Opponents had seen the ill-effects of that decision too many times. So when the Chiefs didn’t see the multipurpose star awaiting the kick, it was because he was waiting on the defensive line to make a big play.

Oquendo rushed around the punt protection and blocked the punt. He scooped up the football and ran it for a touchdown.

The Pirates had a 7-0 lead before the crowd could even blink. In that championship, in addition to that blocked punt, Oquendo had two receiving touchdowns and a pass breakup in the fourth quarter to secure a 28-24 victory. His performance capped a strong high school resume that earned him a spot on next year’s Syracuse football team.

It is Oquendo’s playmaking ability that will land him in fall practices with the wide receivers and kick returners, despite being smaller than six feet tall.

‘College is a faster game,’ Oquendo said. ‘It’s more physical, but if you have the right mentality, you can hang.’

Oquendo should help a Syracuse receiving core that will sorely miss Johnnie Morant next season. Though quite the opposite of Morant’s 6-foot-4-inch frame, the 6-foot Oquendo’s vertical leap and strong hands can make up for what he lacks in height.

Oquendo’s initial recruitment did not start as swiftly as others. A mistake in his high school’s records had him listed as a junior. But once that was resolved, the Orangemen came knocking, much to the liking of his high school coach, Jim Munson.

‘First of all, anything Syracuse and Coach (Paul Pasqualoni) do is first rate,’ Munson said. ‘There’s no one better than Coach P.’

After Pasqualoni visited Staten Island and Oquendo visited Syracuse, Oquendo had seen enough to choose Syracuse over the likes of Penn State and South Carolina.

‘The coaches treated me like I was a part of the team,’ said Oquendo, who stayed with future teammate and former Staten Island opponent Steve Gregory. ‘They told me I could play receiver, they didn’t care about my height. They told me I could make plays. Steve made me feel comfortable, too. His roommates and everyone gave me tips about college.’

Oquendo made another visit to Syracuse on March 6. This trip was for track and field though, at the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships. Oquendo finished second in the 60-meter hurdles.

After his March 6 trip, Oquendo was in a rush to leave – not because he didn’t appreciate his silver medal, but because he had a bus to catch. Munson and his Tottenville teammates were receiving their football city championship rings at their awards dinner that night. The football team provided Oquendo’s ride to the bus terminal and ensured that his night would not be not spoiled.

Oquendo’s priorities are certainly in line with Pasqualoni’s coaching staff. Oquendo is allowed to run track, barring that he doesn’t miss any workouts with the football team. This improbability does not concern Oquendo too much.

‘I enjoy football a lot more than track,’ he said. ‘I just like running at meets. Football though, that’s No. 1 right there.’

Oquendo may have shined on the field, but his high school was not always No. 1 under Munson. Gregory’s Curtis High School squad was more successful during his career and even after he left to join the Orangemen. The 2002-2003 team had arguably the best defense New York City had seen in over 20 years. Tottenville was not very competitive against them, but Curtis assistant Peter Gambardella never underestimated one of the opposing Pirates.

‘We keyed on him more,’ Gambardella said. ‘Diego kept us up a lot of late nights.’

Munson coached against Gregory during a career that still has its mystique around Staten Island, and he sees similarities between the two new members of Pasqualoni’s receiving core.

‘He’s right up there with some of the great players from Staten Island,’ Munson said. ‘(1997 Tottenville graduate) Cassel Smith was the best pure running back I ever saw, and Steve was the best athlete I ever saw. Diego is right up there in that company, too.’

A city championship, All-American honors in track and field and a Division I scholarship – not bad for a kid who didn’t even consider going to college when he first entered high school.

‘Coach Munson encouraged me,’ Oquendo said. ‘He told me I’m going to college. He’s everything.’

Once that decision was set in stone, it was only a matter of Oquendo’s making enough plays to catch the attention of college coaches.

He attracted that attention due in part to his speed. His 4.53 40-yard dash time may say otherwise, but there’s an asterisk. He had just finished doing heavy squatting. He may have fooled the clock, but not Syracuse or Curtis.

‘Syracuse is a good fit for him,’ Gambardella said. ‘Football has turned into a speed game, and any team would want someone as fast as Diego.’

Published on March 30, 2004 at 12:00 pm