LYNN — A former Lynn Classical Super Bowl winner in 1979, Joe Pennucci, Class of 1980, is now heading back to Foxborough on Saturday to referee Army vs. Navy, the biggest college-football rivalry in the country.
Although he’s reffing on the biggest stage, it was lessons he learned when he was in high school under coach Bill Wise that stuck with him throughout the years.
“I was fortunate to have a coach in Bill Wise. He was a stickler and he was a disciplinary. He was all about teamwork,” Pennucci said. “Our team bonded well. We all got along. We were just kids from West Lynn who cared about each other and always had each other’s back.”
After high school, Pennucci played football at Rutgers University. Then after college, he headed back up to Massachusetts. It was his former boss who first informed Pennucci about becoming a referee.
“My former boss at the time was Don January, the commissioner of the Northeast Conference. I asked him how to become a high-school official,” Pennucci said. “I signed up, took the classes, passed the test, and the rest is history. I worked for Pop Warner, touch league, and high school, just to get experience.”
After gaining valuable experiences, Pennucci ran into a former college official one day.
“I ran into a guy named John Salmon who was taking a test. He was a former Big East official who guided me to the college level,” Pennucci said. “He told me he had to take a test every week so I then asked how to become a college official and I started the application process.”
After getting approved, Pennucci described the process of getting to the Division I level like being in the Minor League.
“You go and do Division II or Division III games. You travel around New England reffing games,” Pennucci said. “On Friday you do high school and then on Saturday, you can be in Maine refereeing the Maine Maritime game. It’s a grind, but I do it for the love of the game.”
Pennucci credits his wife, Beth, for her endless support and encouragement while he is constantly traveling to call games.
“If I didn’t have her total support and understanding, I don’t know if I could have reached the point to where I am today,” Pennucci said.
What Pennucci likes about the refereeing is the camaraderie and how it makes him feel like he is back with his football teammates.
“You get to travel, go to different places. It’s a lot of fun, but the bonding with your co-workers is the best part about it. Before and after the game, getting to know each other is great. It’s an experience I tell everyone to try and do it,” Pennucci said.
A few weeks before Thanksgiving, Pennucci received a text from one of his co-workers to check his email. The email informed Pennucci that he was going to referee the Army vs. Navy game at Gillette Stadium.
“When I saw the email, I was in shock. It was an absolute honor. I’m like a little kid in a candy store,” Pennucci said. “I’m still on cloud nine. It’s an honor and a privilege to work in this game. To do this game is unbelievable.”
When asked what it’s like to not only ref the historic game, but to do it in his home state, Pennucci said he couldn’t believe it.
“The stars couldn’t have aligned any better. To end the year at home at Gillette Stadium and ref this type of a college game is unreal,” Pennucci said. “The fact I can drive to the game feels weird. It’s like going to the Manning Bowl. I can take my time after the game knowing I don’t have to hurry to catch a flight home. I hope the game goes into quadruple overtime!”
Pennucci said during the pregame festivities, he’s going to “take it all in” and savor the moment, but at the end of the day, he knows he has a job to do.
“Watching the cadets walking in, the flyby, I’m going to take it all in,” Pennucci said. “I’m ready to ref the game. I’m going to take all that pageantry in, but once that ball is kicked, it’s game on. It’s like going to work. Hopefully, it’s a good, clean game where everything goes smoothly.”
