Voccola makes a switch
Lincoln resident’s position change helped Quakers
PROVIDENCE — It was a test that wouldn’t measure Joe Voccola’s knowledge of the material needed to take a midterm or final exam. Nor was he being tested in the sense of how many bench press reps he could do.
The circumstances surrounding this particular test were purely subjective. ALincoln resident, Voccola was asked to shed his slot receiver duties for the Moses Brown football team in favor of moving to running back. To the 17-year-old’s credit, there was no questioning the rationale behind the decision of shifting from a position where stretching the field and reliable hands are imperative to one where the hits come fast and frequently.
Simply put, Voccola made the switch with little fanfare. The Quakers were thin numbers-wise in the back field prior to his senior season and he understood that.
When the coaches came to him with this plan, he totally embraced it. It was one also behooving of a captain, a distinction that Voccola will proudly wear when Moses Brown takes on North Kingstown in the Division II Super Bowl at Cranston Stadium on Sunday (noon kickoff).
“Selfless is a great adjective to describe Joe. He’s been that way throughout his entire varsity career,” said Quakers head coach Willie Edwards, sitting in the coaches’ office with Voccola prior to Wednesday’s practice.
Voccola moved from Johnston to Lincoln when he was 12. He played youth baseball and football and continued to play both sports as a high school participant. Understandably, he takes his captaincy quite seriously.
To receive such an appointment at Moses Brown is based on a collaborative initiative between the players and the coaching staff. The players cast their vote for the following season’s captains during the final week of the regular season. A formal announcement is made during the Quakers’ postseason banquet – Edwards noted that Voccola was a unanimous choice to serve as one of the leaders for the 2017 season.
The timing of the unveiling meant that Voccola had the entire spring and summer to set the tone prior to the official start of practice in midAugust.
“I felt there was a chance, but I was definitely honored,” said Voccola, listed at 5-10 and 180 pounds. “I’ve seen the people who have been captains before me. They always stood out to me.”
A leader who firmly believes that you can walk the fine line between being vocal and setting a good example for your teammates, Voccola is one of seven seniors on this year’s Moses Brown squad. The group is 4for-4 in Super Bowl appearances, winning the big game as freshmen and sophomores. As juniors, they fell victim to a Shea squad that rolled to a 33-0 victory.
“As that game ended the players who were slated to return … we gave each other a look,” said Voccola. “We know what we have to do because the last thing we want is to go through that again. We wanted to get back to the state championship game and make sure we win it this time.
“Being vocal is one thing, but it’s just as important to go up to someone and tell them they need to rush the passer harder or shoot the gap harder. Showing them exactly what that means is also important,” added Voccola.
Switching positions is nothing new for Voccola. As a freshman, he served as Moses Brown’s backup quarterback. He cracked the starting lineup as a sophomore free safety before switch- ing to strong safety as a junior. Voccola led the 2016 Quakers in receiving and earned a Second-Team All-Division nod.
This year, Voccola has gone to great lengths to stabilize the Quakers’ ground attack with a style that has produced 1,047 yards on 135 carries. He hasn’t completely forsaken his pass-catching roots (23 catches for 358 yards). He’s also found the end zone quite a bit with 15 touchdowns (12 rushing, three receiving). Defensively, Voccola has split time between the two safety spots and has totaled 39 tackles.
“He looks razor sharp right now,” said Edwards.
Voccola is also a starting outfielder for Moses Brown, an accomplished pianist, and a solid “B” student. Looking ahead, he would like to play college football and has talked to several Division III schools. The list includes Union College, Catholic University, and Hobart & William Smith Colleges.
His final leadership act as a senior football captain will be quite meaningful – keeping Moses Brown focused on the task at hand in the days leading up to facing North Kingstown.
“I don’t want to regret anything. It really is the truth,” said Voccola, a teenager who enjoys living an exemplary life.