PARIS — On his way to retirement Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Principal Ted Moccia has collected another honor for his service to education.

OHCHS Principal Ted Moccia, accepting the Larry LaBrie Award for Outstanding Contributions to the MPA Interscholastic Division at Samoset Resort on April 29. Supplied photo

Last week he was honored with the 2022 Larry LaBrie Award for Outstanding Contributions to the MPA Interscholastic Division, one of three recipients recognized by the MPA for making outstanding contributions to its Interscholastic Division.

In a display of the impact coaches have on their players, one of Moccia’s former students, Lewiston Athletic Director Jason Fuller, was also honored with the Larry LaBrie Award. The third recipient was Thornton Academy Track Coach Goerge Mendros.

The winners were announced at MPA’s spring symposium, held last week at Samoset Resort in Rockport.

Moccia has been a stalwart leader and supporter of Maine student athletics throughout his 38-year career, starting in Lewiston schools and then in Oxford Hills, as a physical education teacher and coach. In 1998 he was recruited to step in as Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School’s assistant principal and, in 2005, he was named as the school’s principal, where he has remained for the last 17 years.

Moccia was nominated for the award by his friend, colleague and successor at OHCHS, Paul Bickford, at the beginning of the year.

“Nominations opened up in January,” Bickford told the Advertiser Democrat Monday. “I knew immediately that with Ted’s involvement at MPA and all the work done through sports, it was a really easy decision on my part” to nominate him.

Over the years, no matter his role within schools, Moccia has always made it a point to continue giving back to student competition, first as a coach and also sitting on multiple wrestling committees, serving as an onsite administrator for the sport, and with interscholastic special investigations of school practices.

“Interscholastic competition is not just about athletics,” Moccia said. “It involves all kinds of activities. Plays and drama competitions, math teams, academics.”

Oxford Hills sent several principals to this year’s Maine Principals Association in Rockport, where Oxford Hills Elementary High School’s Ted Moccia (third from left) was honored with the Larry LaBrie Award for Outstanding Contributions to the MPA Interscholastic Division. Also pictured from left: Cathy Bickford (Agnes Gray Elementary School), Susan Moccia (Oxford Hills Middle School), Jamey Martin (Hebron Station School), Tiffany Karnes (Oxford Elementary School) and Lori Pacholski (Paris Elementary School). Supplied photo

Moccia had a whole team cheering for him as he accepted the Larry LaBrie Award on April 29. His wife Susan, an art teacher at Oxford Middle School, along with current Oxford Hills school principals Jamey Martin, Cathy Bickford, Tiffany Karnes and Lori Pacholski were there too.

OHCHS former assistant principals John Springer (now Cape Elizabeth’s high school principal) and Laurie Catanese (now principal at Brunswick Junior High) also attended the MPA conference.

During his tenure with the Oxford Hills School District Moccia has also been honored as Maine Principal of the Year, Maine’s Class A Football Coach of the Year and as Administrator of the Year by the Maine Music Association for his outstanding support of music in schools. Within SAD 17 he has been a recipient of the Mary Lou Burns Educational Service Award, which was established in 2000 and is given to an Oxford Hills teacher, staff member or community member for years of service and exemplary work, and for being a lifelong learner.

Moccia will close out his career in education on June 30. He and Susan plan to relocate to South Carolina, with frequent visits back to Viking territory to visit family and friends.