Northampton’s Vincent Santostefano has always tried to follow some friendly advice from his head baseball coach.

“Coach (Mick) Sugra always tells us to be where our feet are,” noted Santostefano. “It’s about us being present in the moment.”

For the junior, the present hasn’t been an easy situation. In June, Santostefano will move with his mother and younger brother to join the remainder of the family in Chapin, South Carolina.

“My parents were looking for a retirement home down South,” he said. “They also weren’t happy with the school situation over COVID. My father, older brother, and an uncle are down there now, while my mother and younger brother are living in a half-double (home) in Northampton.”

Santostefano was informed of the move at the start of the football season. He would take over the kicking duties after Aidan Reinhard graduated. Santostefano made three of five field goal attempts and converted 43 of 44 extra-point attempts as well as handled the punting duties for the 12-1 Kids unit that went undefeated during the regular season last year.

Santostefano’s field goal in the season-opener against Bethlehem Catholic proved to be the difference in a game that set the tone for the season. Thrust into a high-profile situation under a family duress truly tested his mettle.

“It absolutely was a big challenge,” he recalled. “My mom had to take care of both of us.

“I had a hard time during football because I was going to play football for the first time after playing soccer.

“But I wanted to try and there was a lot of pressure with the success of the program. I really felt good after the Beca game, and I gained confidence. The Beca game was a huge challenge in my head, and I prepared for it for at least a week. It was rough at times being in front of big crowds.

“Being a student-athlete isn’t the easiest thing to do. I knew I had to put my game face on, and it had to be done. I managed to stay focused throughout the season.”

Yet, there were obstacles to overcome.

“There were multiple times when it would get emotional for me,” he said. “This was a decision that wasn’t in my hands. The hardest thing to handle, though, was the death of our coach (offensive coordinator Mike Gurdineer). That was one of the hardest things to handle.

“I lived in a house in Bath since I was young, and in October, we moved to Northampton. There was a lot to juggle between the family move and staying focused with football.”

Head football coach John Toman appreciated the short time he spent with Santostefano.

“Unfortunately, I only had one season with him,” said Toman. “He did everything we asked of him during our historic season. He was consistent with his extra points, hit a high percentage of field goal attempts, and did a nice job punting for us.

“He was our special teams MVP for the year.”

Santostefano had one visit to his new home in Chapin, and found some similarities.

“It looks slightly to be a little bit bigger than Northampton,” he said. “I did find a traveling baseball team down there.

“I believe I can make the transition to football. I know I can make the most of my time down there. It might be hard to make new friends in just one year, but I feel pretty confident that I can do it. I know what I can bring to the baseball and football programs.”

Santostefano admits that reality is beginning to surface.

“I wasn’t thinking about it, but now I know that it is starting to come to an end,” he said. “I just take it game-by-game, and try to do the best I can. I just want to try and make the most of my time.”

Santostefano credits Sugra and assistant coach Jared Haupt for their guidance and support along the way.

“He (Haupt) has coached me since I was six,” said Santostefano. “I remember how he teared up when he told me that I had made varsity as a sophomore. Both of them have always worked on grooming us as young men for the rest of our lives, and not just baseball players.”

Sugra watched Santostefano blossom from a young age.

“We have coached him for a long time,” said Sugra. “Our families know each other well. He has been one of the hardest working kids over the past few years. We hate to see him go, but he has a bright future ahead of him, and he keeps everything in perspective.”

And Santostefano will know where his feet are.