Even though the winter season is nearing an end, the bocce team is still on a roll, capturing history at Freedom Area High School. This year, coaches Ms. April English and Mr. Steven Mott have led the seven-player team to a season full of excitement and tension.

“I wasn’t too sure what to expect when joining the bocce team this year, but it was an amazing experience. I’m very grateful I got an opportunity to see our team grow day by day,” sophomore Wyatt Boyer said. 

  The team wrapped up their regular-season matches at the beginning of February, and the team wasn’t throwing in the towel just yet. The team qualified for the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) Championships, which Freedom hosted at the high school on Feb. 23. The playoffs hosted a total of seven different schools from across Beaver County. These schools were Beaver Falls, New Brighton, Riverside, Beaver, Western Beaver and Blackhawk.

During the first match, Freedom played the Beaver Falls Tigers and topped them with a score of 6-4. The Bulldogs then took on the Blackhawk Cougars in the Division 3 Championships and beat the Cougars by a score of 8-6. The two wins of the night earned the Bulldogs the Division 3 title and a spot in the state playoffs. 

“It felt amazing to win the Division 3 title,” sophomore Brenna McIlvain said, “It was only our first year, and we already had a title under our belts, so it was something special.”

While many think the Division 3 title was a huge accomplishment, the bocce team hadn’t finished business yet as they went on to compete in the state qualifiers on March 9 at Western Beaver. The team squared off against the Western Beaver Golden Beavers, but they ultimately lost by a score of 9-3. Following the first match, the team took on Hopewell and could not defeat the Vikings, leaving the scoreboard with a score of 7-3. After losing both games, the team had wrapped up their 2021-2022 season. Still, the team made history at Freedom.

The team is hungry for more and cannot wait for next year’s season to come rolling in. The seven-player team will have five of the remaining players back in action next year.

“I plan on returning next year, and I hope to encourage others to join. It’s cool to work and be on a team with the students of Cafe 116,” McIlvain said. 

Midway through the season, the bocce team lost a key player and co-captain of the team, Gabriel Davis, who moved schools during the season, but he came back to finish the season with the Bulldogs. Bocce was something that brought him so much joy and happiness. 

“The season was going amazing until I had to leave Freedom for two weeks. I did not know what was going to happen to the team, but I am glad I will be coming back for another season next year. Our original intent of the team this year was to have fun, no matter if we lose or win, and I want the motive to continue on being that throughout the years,” Davis said.

While many players will return next year, there are three seniors that will be saying their final farewells. These seniors include Gabriel Kelly, co-captain Sara Mengel and two-time senior, Tommy Sommerville.