The Cats welcomed Winston Churchill High School to the Den on Wednesday, Jan. 22, with an optimistic attitude. The home-court advantage shined through, allowing the Cats to take the first set. The Cats continued to pounce on the Bulldogs, securing the second set to win their first-ever win as a bocce program.
The growth and progress of the team began on Dec 5, as WJ bocce kicked off their season on Dec. 5 with a scrimmage against The Academy of Holy Cross. From the get-go, the match was a battle back and forth, with the two teams deciding to shorten the scrimmage by only playing one set. The final score, 13-11, awarded Holy Cross a preseason win in a close match.
The preseason loss gave the Cats a dose of optimism they needed. At WJ, the bocce team hasn’t won a game in five years. Yet, winning a game was one of the last things on head coach Brooke Mastrantuono’s agenda. The Bocce team is mainly focused on spreading an energetic and fun atmosphere throughout the team.
“While WJ’s bocce record may have been unfortunate last school year, for us winning isn’t everything,” Mastrantuono said. “I’m planning to continue the fun atmosphere from last year while also bringing my former experience as a coach to the current squad.”
The Cats began their regular season at home against Quince Orchard High School. The Cats kept the game tight, forcing a third set. Yet, the Cougars got the better of the Cats in the end, as they went on swiping the final set and the match.
The second game was against the back-to-back reigning state champion Wootton Patriots. Wootton took the early advantage against the Cats, winning the first set, as the Cats could not come back from the deficit, losing the match 2-0. The Cats then traveled to rival B-CC but fell short yet again.
The Cats faced QO in another tight battle in the county championship on Sat, Feb 1. The match went into overtime, as WJ lost the final set by one point to the Cougars. QO advances to the semifinals, sending the Cats home after a historic season.
