Hopewell Bocce Ball
Unified Bocce Team Qualifies for Regionals! Valentine’s Playoff Competition- Slideshow and Comments!
On Friday, February 14th,
Hopewell Sports Nation was able to kickoff the Valentine’s weekend by taking in all the action at the Unified Bocce Playoff Competition. Tonight was a momentous occasion for both Hopewell’s Bocce teams, one of which qualified for regionals. Held at Hopewell High School, the invited teams for this playoff game included Beaver, Beaver Falls, and Blackhawk, two teams from Central Valley, West Allegheny, and two teams from Hopewell.
The Competition
The goal of Bocce is to get the larger playing balls as close as possible to the pallino. Each team is given four playing balls and 30 minutes of playing time. The teams rotate back and forth based on whose playing balls are closer to the pallino.
Hopewell’s first competition was a match against others from Hopewell. With an astonishing 10-5 win, team two advanced into the playoff round, where they faced West Allegheny. The Championship Round against West Allegheny was a tight game, with most of the playing balls either canceling each other out or rolling too far. However, on the very last throw, Isabella Ceccarelli made the game point, breaking the tie that would have occurred. The final score for the West Allegheny vs. Hopewell Team 2 was 5-4! Team two for Hopewell includes Eileen Chen, Chris Nguyen, Addy Davis, Bella Ceccarelli, Sky Ross, Bri Inderelst, Jordan Sirianni, Hayden Opatchen, Jason Givens, and Kaitlin Moskes.
Award Ceremony
During the Award Ceremony, Hopewell Team One—Devin Botte, Jake Knobloch, Parker Hoth, Logan Butter, Payton Korker, Chris Shiel, David Rogerson, and Aiden Trasp—placed 3rd in our region, and Hopewell Team Two—Eileen Chen, Chris Nguyen, Addy Davis, Bella Ceccarelli, Sky Ross, Bri Inderelst, Jordan Sirianni, Hayden Opatchen, Jason Givens, and Kaitlin Moskes—placed 1st and will be advancing to regionals at Geneva College.
Competition Comments:
One of the Best Buddies, Annalise Schultz, Said, “Bocce Promotes inclusion and unity in the school where students can participate. It showcases students of all backgrounds and abilities working together as a team to obtain a common goal. Bocce creates a unique, diverse, and engaging environment.”
According to one of our very own players, Eileen Chen, “Bocce is more than just a game; it’s about friendship, teamwork, and adaptability. It brings people together, allowing for new connections and strong bonds. Success and failure aren’t just individual experiences; they depend on the entire team. Since coaches can only step in during timeouts, players must communicate, strategize, and support one another. Every match is different, with changing court conditions and unpredictable ball movements requiring constant adjustment and collaboration. This experience shapes us into better people, offering a sport where physical ability isn’t the defining factor. Unlike other team sports where a single player can dominate, bocce requires everyone to contribute their best, making teamwork the key to success.”
Coaches Comments:
HSN got the chance to speak with Chris Nee, Head Unified Bocce Coach, who said “When the bracket was released we were certainly pleased that both our Blue and Gold teams made it. Unfortunately, due to being the 1st and 4th seeds, we would have to play each other in the 1st match. I felt that our teams were the two best in the tournament. Our Blue team scored 16 points in two games and our Gold team only lost one game all year. Unfortunately for Blue. Gold got out to an early lead and it was too much to come back from. The Gold team had a close match with West Allegheny in the championship that came down to the final roll. Bella Ceccarelli came through by sneaking her ball in to get the 2nd point we needed to secure the win! Our Gold team will continue to practice to prepare for the next round of the playoffs @ Geneva College in March. The winner of that tournament will advance to the state championship in Hershey PA.”
