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, Local Sports Columnist, @VarsityAces

It was freshman orientation at Lodi High School and Carlos Pepin sat at a table alone. He was new to school and hadn’t made many friends.

Coach Joe Romeo approached Pepin, then a lean 6-foot-1, and asked him if he would want to try out for the Rams football team. He said sure.

Just like that, a star was born.

Pepin, 17, is a rarity in North Jersey high school athletics these days. He is a three-sport standout. On the football field he is a wide receiver, safety and part-time quarterback. He is the leading returning scorer for the Rams basketball team, plus the school record holder in the high jump (6-foot-6).

Throw in a job, family and school demands and Pepin does an incredible job of balancing his tasks.

“Oh, it’s not easy, but it’s also not hard,” said Pepin. “I really don’t have an off-season. I maybe get the weekend off after football and go right into basketball. And when basketball was finished last year, track had already started, so I have to balance all of that.”

“Being a three-sport athlete has most certainly helped Carlos develop in all three,” said Lodi head football coach Mark Maggio. “Carlos is an athlete who accepts new challenges and, most importantly, is willing to learn how to improve his game in areas.”

Pepin was born in Denville, but also lived in Jersey City and the Bronx growing up. He had never played organized sports, but he loved playing pick-up football and basketball.

At Lodi, playing football led to basketball, and as a freshman, he was sure he was going to play baseball. He started to sign up for tryouts when another Lodi coach stopped him and said maybe he was better suited to track.

“I never knew anything about track, I thought you just ran, and I don’t really like running all that much,” Pepin said with a laugh. “But then I found out that there were field events, like the high jump and long jump. I had seen those in the Olympics, but I didn’t know they had those in high school, so I ended up sticking with that.”

Last year, Pepin showed how much he had grown as a football player. Injuries forced him to play quarterback for the Rams midway through the season.

“It was a whole different atmosphere, for years I would go in the huddle and hope my play would be called and I would get the ball,” said Pepin. “Now I was telling everyone the play and I had the ball.”

In basketball season, Pepin helped the Rams reach the State Tournament, leading the team in almost every offensive category. Then in spring track, he qualified for the State Meet of Champions.

This summer, Pepin is balancing everything again. He’s been attending some football camps, and some basketball workouts. He’s’ also going to participate in a track meet in Wildwood.

Maggio plans to use Pepin, now 6-foot-5, as a wide receiver and tight end this season. He could also see some time as quarterback if the Rams need a spark.

Pepin is quick to thank all the Lodi coaches for helping him develop.

As far as which sport Pepin likes best? It’s hard to say. He says he can be in the middle of football season and suddenly miss something about basketball, or be running track and think about a football play.

Track is probably his best sport for college, but Pepin hasn’t made up his mind. He’s talked to a handful of schools, like Rutgers and Rider, about running track and playing basketball and/or football.

One thing is for sure, at his college freshman orientation, Pepin certainly won’t be alone any more.