Sam Attar, a senior at Father Vincent Capodanno High School in Vass, is November’s student-athlete spotlight.
Sam plays year-round varsity sports: football, basketball, and track.
“Sports have always been a big part of my life. Capodanno’s given me the opportunity to play in all my favorite sports throughout high school,” said Sam.
Sam finds it difficult to choose between basketball and football, but he leans towards football as his favorite. Sam has played football since fourth grade. In high school, he played quarterback for two years before switching to running back in his senior year.
“Football would be my favorite because the friendships you make on the team are a lot deeper. Playing a football game can be scary, and when you’re playing with a group of guys, it makes you better friends,” said Sam.
Father Capodanno’s head football coach, Aaron Hartley, spoke about the dedication and what Sam has brought to Grunt football.
“Sam has been the foundation of Capodanno football from its conception,” said Hartley. “It is not inaccurate to say that we would not have a football program without Sam. He has been a fierce competitor through thick and thin. Sam has always been ready to fight for excellence on the field, even when the going was tough. It will be a sore loss when he graduates. I’ve been greatly honored to coach Sam and will be proud to be called his coach.”
Sam and the Grunts are at the beginning of their basketball season, where Sam usually plays point guard. He has played basketball since first grade.
Sam excels not only on the field and court but also in the classroom. He has maintained an A/B average throughout high school.
“My favorite subject is probably math,” said Sam. “I’m not sure if that’s just because of my teacher or not. I really like Mr. Vandenberg. He is an outstanding teacher.”
Sam is also a part of Southern Pines Youth Rugby, where he has played two of the last three years and intends to play next season.
“It’s a lot of fun. I just had to stop because of a football injury,” said Sam.
He also loves to spend time with his friends.
“Some of my favorite times are driving around with my friends and just listening to music,” said Sam.
Sam is the third oldest of nine siblings, all of whom play sports if they’re old enough.
After graduating, Sam plans to join the Army and attend Ranger School. After that, he hopes to go to college and become a physical therapist for athletes.
“I’ve been inspired by so many of the faculty and parents at Father Capodanno High School to serve the country, and I want to be a ranger for the challenges and opportunities to serve at that level,” said Sam. “I’m looking forward to college after that, but first I want to be an Army Ranger.”
Sam added, “I want to thank my dad. When I came here my freshman year, there were no sports, and I was huge into sports. He helped get together a basketball team and kept working on it. Now we have football, track, and volleyball.
If you want to nominate a middle or high school student-athlete for this series, please email [email protected].
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self.
