By Tim Parry

Not a lot of people outside the Staples locker room heard of Jeff Frusciante before the beginning of the 2007 season. Heck, playing in an offense that ran a lot more than it passed, not a lot of people heard of Frusciante after catching six touchdown passes for the Wreckers.

But Catholic University head coach Dave Dunn knew enough about Frusciante to make him a part of his 2008 recruiting class. And Frusciante knew enough about Catholic that he wanted to spend his next four years there.

“The system fits me perfect down there. I’ll be playing wide receiver, and they throw a lot,” Frusciante said before a practice session on Monday for tonight’s Hall of Fame Classic in West Haven. “The coach, I thought he was great, and everything just clicked there.”

Frusciante hopes to represent Staples well, too, as its lone representative tonight on the Fairfield County team, which is hoping to snap its five game losing streak against New Haven. Though he was more known as a wide receiver, he will be in the defensive backfield tonight.

“It feels real good to play in it, even to just get picked,” Frusciante said. “And even if I didn’t get to play, it’s nice to be a part of it.”

Frusciante and the Wreckers went a perfect 8-0 int he regular season before before stumbling in the FCIAC championship game against Greenwich and in the first round of the CIAC playoffs against Bunnell.

But it’s that final regular season win that sticks in Frusciante’s mind. That was an overtime win over New Canaan in the same stadium he was standing in on media day.

“We thought we tied. We were kind of annoyed, and then we found out about the Kansas City shootout,” Frusciante said. “Watching that in college football and getting to play in a game like that was awesome to play in. It was something you dream about being a part of. I’m just glad it worked out in our favor.”

Video bonus footage of Frusciante: