Perfetto joins golden company

To say that Johnston High School football standout Aaron Perfetto recently joined an elite class would be an understatement.

In fact, the three-sport star and son of Steven and Dawn Perfetto, became part of several prestigious gridiron groups at the annual Rhode Island Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame awards dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.

First and foremost, Perfetto landed a berth on the RI Chapter’s Golden Dozen that’s reserved annually for the state’s top scholar-athletes.

“We’re really, really proud of Aaron,” Joe Acciardo, the Panthers’ popular head football coach, offered of the standout Johnston High wide receiver/linebacker. “He became one of 12 exemplary football players from all over the state to receive the Golden Dozen Award.”

And that distinction, Acciardo wanted it known, “recognizes Rhode Island high school football players who have excelled in football performance, academic achievement and school leadership. Aaron was at the top of his class in all three categories.”

Perfetto also joined an elite group of Panthers who so proudly wore the blue and white during their undergraduate days on Cherry Hill.

“Aaron was in the middle of some pretty impressive company on this year’s Golden Dozen,” Acciardo went on. “He joins eight other Johnston High scholar-athletes who were at one time or another selected as Golden Dozen honorees throughout the Football Foundation and Hall of Fame’s 28-year history here in Rhode Island.”

Perfetto is a Johnston High School senior who’ll graduate with high honors.

“Aaron will be missed, big time,” Acciardo said of Perfetto, who has been a four-year member of the Panthers’ football, basketball and baseball teams. He has also been involved in other extra-curricular activities and is Vice President of the Class of 2015.

As equally impressive, Perfetto is a member of the National Honor Society and will graduate seventh in his class on June 5.

The other members of this year’s Golden Dozen, who were also honored during the RI Football Chapter’s annual black-tie awards dinner, are: Joshua Alves, St. Raphael Academy; John Arruda, Bishop Hendricken; Kevin Cadigan, Barrington; James Coll, Portsmouth; Stephen DeLeo, Moses Brown; Jacob Francis, Middletown; Momodou Mbye, Shea; Timothy Nolan, South Kingstown; Gersham Rainone, Cranston West; and Nick Varricchione, La Salle Academy.

One of the award night’s highlights came when RI Chapter President Emo DiNitto, who coached high school football at Bishop Hendricken and Toll Gate during a long and illustrious career, presented NFL legend Mark van Eeghen with the Foundation’s Distinguished American Award.

Van Eeghen graduated from Cranston High West and went on to Colgate University before becoming a standout with the NFL Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders. He completed his storied career with the New England Patriots.