Carter Cupito has spent his summer doing something most athletes would call a full-time job. The incoming freshman is juggling quarterback work, basketball sessions and AAU games, all while trying to keep pace in two sports at once.
Cupito is the starting quarterback for SMB football, the cooperative made up of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Minnehaha Academy and Blake. He’s also coming off a big spring with Minnehaha Academy, where he helped the boys basketball team win the state championship in March.
The schedule hasn’t exactly left much room to breathe. Cupito said his day recently started with a workout at Training House from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by throwing at Minnehaha Academy from 11 a.m. to noon. After that came basketball from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for Minnehaha, and then an AAU game with Sizzle Elite at 7:30 p.m.
As an eighth-grader, Cupito put up nearly 1,600 passing yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season, helping push the Wolfpack to the section semifinals. On the hardwood, he averaged 12.4 points and played in all 31 games as the Redhawks captured the Class 2A title.
The athletic bloodlines are there, too. Cupito is the son of former Gopher quarterback Bryan Cupito, who ranks third in Minnesota history in passing yards.
“He teaches me a lot of stuff and what it takes to get to the next level,” Cupito said. “I’m just blessed to have him in my corner and helping me out.”