As a 200-pound freshman, Rocco Beccari was emotional and angry and not having a good time on the football field.

“I angered easily,” Beccari, now a senior two-way lineman for the Glacier Wolfpack, remembered. “I had emotions I just couldn’t control. But as I got older I realized that I had to worry about things I could control, and the things I can’t control just put out of the picture.”

Asked for an example, Beccari paused and said, “The weather.”

“Or if a teammate didn’t do his job,” he added. “I’d be upset instead of saying, ‘Hey, you’re good, let’s get it right the next play.’ And I drove myself super hard.”

Three years later, as Glacier prepares for a State AA playoff game tonight against Missoula Big Sky, the 6-foot-3, 250-pounder is one of the team’s three captains. That’s something Bennett would not have predicted in 2017; and Beccari was a unanimous choice.

“He’s done a tremendous job as far as growth,” Bennett said. “Team captain, that’s usually spread out and pretty close (voting), and that’s a good thing. But every so often there’s a guy that everybody votes for. That’s Rocco.”

The growth

Chris Beccari named his only son Thomas Rocco Beccari: Thomas because it sounded professional. And Rocco because, “We wanted something that sounded Italian. And I thought it’d look good on a baseball or a football card.”

The elder Beccari is a Missoula native who moved from Seattle to Kalispell 22 years ago. For most of his time here he’s been a Little Guy Football coach. His only son matriculated through that program.

“He’s always been a red-striper,” Beccari said, referring to those kids that are sized out of the skill positions – and into the line – in youth football. “He was destined to be a lineman from the start.

“I don’t know where he gets his height from, but I guess the weight comes from me. I’m 5-11. He’s 6-3. My (older) daughter is 6-foot as well. All he ever wanted to be taller than her.”

Beccari is about the biggest guy on a Glacier team that is, by AA standards, undersized. The Pack is 5-2 after a 4-0 start, and coming off a 44-0 loss at the hands of Missoula Sentinel.

Glacier also owns a 36-18 win over Big Sky, and so seems poised for a playoff run. Beccari is a big part of that. He’s neither the brawniest nor the swiftest, but he’s good — he played defensive tackle and guard last year, and is an offensive tackle and defensive end this year.

The elder Beccari noted that in 2018, when Glacier rebounded from a 1-5 start to make the AA playoffs, his son started to get playing time and the seniors on that team provided a lot of guidance.

Rocco Beccari agreed.

“Like Evan Todd, our quarterback,” he began. “He was a really good leader. Cole Crosby, Jake Smith – he was always in a good mood and just motivating people.”

Now he’s that guy.

“One of his goals was to kind of find his voice this last year,” his dad said. “He always says when he was a sophomore he had some good seniors who helped show him what Wolfpack football was about. That’s what he was hoping to do this year.”

Now comes 2-5 Big Sky, with Colter Janacaro.

“They’re coming in hot, with their last win,” Beccari said. “I think we have them dialed down. Janacaro is a really good football player. I think we know what they’re going to do and feel we’ll do pretty good against them.”

Next level

A year ago Glacier missed the playoffs while Beccari played the three-technique: occupying two blockers while defensive end Hank Nuce made hay.

Nuce has moved on to the University of Montana, and Beccari moved one spot over. Bennett wonders if there isn’t an outside chance of him again playing alongside Nuce.

“Sentinel’s speed is probably the one thing you can’t account for,” Bennett noted. “That’s the difference in all the levels of football, speed makes a difference.

“But a lot of things Rocco does is very similar to the next level — good with his hands, good with his techniques, but the thing that’s missing is that top speed. It’ll be interesting to see where Rocco ends up, because I think he can play at that level. It’s just maybe a case of a little different spot.”

That means guard and D-tackle. As it is, Beccari has offers from NAIA schools UM-Western and Dickinson (N.D.) State. He’ll do the job in the trenches, just like he always has.

“I didn’t mind playing the line,” he said. “I’ve just accepted that’s where I’ll be, and I’ll work as hard as I can at that position.”

“Rocco’s the guy that is why I’m coaching,” Bennett said. “HIs growth … he had issues with poise and trying to keep his cool. But seeing him now, and the way he’s handled adversity. Getting up in front of people and swaying that needs to be said — it’s been amazing.”

Beccari just wants the season, shortened and threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep going.

“Me and Jake (Rendina) were talking about that," he said. “We’re undersized next to all the other AA schools, but we’re trying to get back to what we had in the past at Glacier.”

“We’re having a good season — we just want to be grateful for the season we’ve had. And not work about the things we can’t control.”