St. Joseph football team loses star QB to season-ending injury
by WoodbridgeFootball.com / MyCentralJersey.com / NJ.com on 09/29/16
Junior quarterback Paul Cocozziello will likely be sidelined for the
remainder of the year with a hairline fracture of his right tibia, an
injury he suffered during the fourth quarter of St. Joseph’s 41-6
victory over Colonia last weekend.
“I don’t think there’s a kid who loves football more than Paul,” St. Joseph head coach Casey Ransone said. “He lives, eats and sleeps it. You could tell how bad it’s hurting him that he’s not able to get on the field. He’s very disappointed. I’m more disappointed for the kid. The kid is absolutely the best quarterback we’ve had in the program. He’s a big reason why we’ve gotten off to a quick start.”
The Falcons (3-0), ranked No. 6 in the Home News Tribune Top 10, have outscored opponents 122-27 this season and are regarded as a favorite to win the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division championship.
Backup signal caller Mitchel Epstein, who has started at wide receiver and safety, will take over behind center when St. Joseph travels to Woodbridge on Friday night. The eighth-ranked Barrons (1-2) rallied for a late 27-25 victory in last year’s meeting between the schools.
“He’s played quarterback in the past,” Ransone said of Epstein, who played the position before high school. “He’s taken snaps in practice. He just hasn’t gotten any live reps in a varsity game. But I will tell you this – I don’t think we are going to miss a beat because that’s just the kind of football team we have.
“I think this is a group that can find a way to take a square peg and stick it in a round hole. It’s just a testament to who they are. I have full confidence in Mitchel. He’s a very smart kid. He commands the huddle well and that’s because he has the respect of his teammates.”
Ransone said Cocozziello will be in a hard cast for six week, a soft cast for two weeks and will have to rehab for four weeks. He suspects Cocozziello, who completed 66 of 144 passes for 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, will be sidelined for a maximum of 12 weeks.
“He’s doing everything that he can to heal quicker,” Ransone said. “You name it, he’s doing it. He’s going to help us a lot. He’ll be at practice every day. He’s going to help out the backup quarterback. He’s handling it like a man.”
Cocozziello was injured while being tackled at the end of a long run. He was helped off the field, walking gingerly on his right leg. Ransone said he did not believe the injury was serious at the time, a testament to Cocozziello’s toughness.
“When we went out to the field (after the tackle), he said he felt fine,” Ransone explained. “He thought it was a bone bruise. You saw him walk off the field. He iced it down and as the night progressed, the pain started to set in, and that’s when he went to the emergency room.”
St. Joseph boasts one of the conference’s best offensive lines and has a talented backfield tandem featuring tailback Manny Resto and bruising fullback Luke Yakely, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.
The Falcons also have a host of skill position players including A.J. Murray, Jordan Davis and Jon Sot.
End Roderick Carson, one of the conference’s best, anchors a stout defense.
