The varsity bocce team ended a successful regular season with a record of 2-2. The team was led by senior captain Julia Herman, who is a veteran on the co-ed team.
In bocce, the goal of the game is to get the ball that is rolled closest to the pallino. A pallino is a small ball that is rolled out at the beginning of each game. It can be compared to the pin in golf. Bocce competitions are played as two to three separate games inside of one match, the first team to win two games wins the match. A game consists of multiple frames; to win a frame the bowl has to be closer to the target than the other team’s bowl. The team played every match to the final game except for one (a win against Walter Johnson).
Heading into the final match of the regular season the team was trying to extend their win streak to two matches. On Jan. 22, they faced BCC on the Barons senior night. The match went into overtime and junior Sara Simmons sealed the match with a bowl that was less than an inch closer to the pallino than the other team’s bowl. The match ended with a 2-1 win by Simmons’ final bowl.
Heading into the divisional championship the team had played all of the other teams competing. To advance to the Montgomery County Bocce Championships the team would need to place in the top two.
The teams in the Divisional Championships were Walter Johnson, Winston Churchill, Bethesda Chevy-Chase, Richard Montgomery and Walt Whitman. Junior Catherine Contreras said, “The team has played well the entire season and I hope we can keep it up for divisionals.”
The divisional championships were on Feb. 1 at BCC. The tournament followed the trend of the regular season as it went into overtime and to the third game against Bethesda Chevy-Chase. The winner of that match got into the Montgomery County Bocce Championships along with Walt Whitman, who beat Richard Montgomery and continued their undefeated regular season.
In the last game Wootton lost, falling to Bethesda Chevy-Chase who advanced to the Montgomery County Bocce Championships. The team still has one more tournament left in the Maryland State Bocce Championships. Coach and Physical Education teacher Steven McMahon said, “I feel confident [in the Maryland State Bocce Championships] because everyone has been improving as the season went on and all the matches have been close.”
The State Bocce Championships are on Feb. 20. They will take place at Hagerstown Community College.
