Josh Petruccelli is teaching physical education and health classes this semester at Salem High School as a Mount Union graduate student working to earn his teacher’s certificate.
He will do the same in the spring at Chagrin Falls High School to complete his clinical program as an education major.
It would be fitting if Petruccelli — who wants to coach football in the future — were teaching history because that’s what the Perry graduate made on the football field as the Purple Raiders are making another postseason run.
With 102 rushing yds last week vs. Johns Hopkins, @MountUnionFB RB Josh Petruccelli (@JoshPetro5) of @Perry_Pirates is just 3rd player in school history to rush for at least 5,000 career yards. Joins Nate Kmic (8,074), Chuck Moore (5,871). @NHPreps Photo courtesy @purpleraiders pic.twitter.com/iCWcQ3SGLW
— Mark Podolski (@mpodo) November 29, 2021
On Nov. 27 against Johns Hopkins in an NCAA Division III second-round playoff game, Mount put history in its rear-view mirror with a 45-35 win.
In the process, Petruccelli joined an exclusive club. He’s now the third running back in program history with at least 5,000 career yards.
He rushed for 102 yards on 19 carries and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help finish off Johns Hopkins. The 102-yard effort put Petruccelli exactly at 5,000 yards for his career, but it’s not over yet.
The Purple Raiders host Muhlenberg Dec. 3 at Mount Union Stadium in an NCAA quarterfinal. That’s notable because in 2019, Mount lost in the second round to eventual national champ North Central (Ill.).
For Petruccelli, that’s what he was thinking about — advancing and trying to win another national title. Joining the program’s 5,000-yard club wasn’t on his radar.
“Not until my parents told me after the game,” said Petruccelli, a senior who took advantage of the NCAA waiver granting players an extra year because of COVID-19. “It’s pretty cool. Third person ever to do it (at Mount).”
Only Nate Kmic and Chuck Moore rank ahead of Petruccelli. Kmic (who starred from 2005 to 2008) is the NCAA’s all-time leader rusher in all divisions with a whopping 8,074 career yards. Chuck Moore is No. 2 with 5,871 yards from 1998 to 2001.
Not bad for a player who had to work his way up from seventh-string after arriving in Alliance as a freshman but quickly did so, and finished with his first 1,000-yard season. By his sophomore season, Petruccelli ran for 1,531 yards and 19 TDs, and was an D-III All-America pick.
“I really didn’t think (5,000 yards) was possible until after my sophomore year,” he said. “Also, I really wasn’t paying attention to my stats.”
That’s because at Mount, it’s about winning national championships, which the Purple Raiders definitely have the opportunity to do in 2021. A Dec. 3 win over Muhlenberg would put Mount into the national semifinal round. This is its 28th all-time appearance in the quarterfinal round.
Getting past the Mules could be a challenge. Muhlenberg has posted back-to-back shutouts in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Mount’s two-back charge could be the answer to that tough D. Petruccelli and freshman DeAndre Parker have pretty much mirrored each other this fall. Parker has 130 rushing attempts for 829 yards and 13 TDs. Petruccelli has carried it 125 times for 785 yards and 16 TDs. Both are averaging 6.2 yards per attempt.
“It’s nice having a two-back situation,” said Petruccelli, who has 69 career touchdowns. “The stats might not show it but I think we’re the two best running backs in our conference. And it’s really nice being fresh all the time.”
Coach speak and a team determined to win another Stagg Bowl presents a team that won’t dare look beyond this week’s game, but it’s impossible not to think about what possibly lies ahead.
With two more victories, the Purple Raiders would play in the Stagg Bowl, a short drive from their campus at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, the site of this year’s D-III national championship game.
That won’t and can’t be on the players’ minds this week, said Petruccelli. There’s also this: If Mount and North Central win Dec. 3, the teams get a playoff rematch in the national semifinal round.
“North Central, we try not try to bring it up,” said Petruccelli. “We go one week at a time. I think that was the problem in 2019, we were looking ahead to the future.”
Muhlenberg at Mount Union
What: NCAA Division III quarterfinal
When: Noon, Dec. 3
Where: Mount Union Stadium, Alliance
Records: Muhlenberg 11-1, Mount 12-0
