The bocce team placed second in the Division III group at the state championship Wednesday. Each team is randomly placed into one of four different divisions, with about eight teams per group.

The Vikes first took on the Thomas Johnson Patriots from Frederick County. The team snatched an early lead, going up 5–0 at the end of the second frame. Sophomore Jonah Leonhardt scored to bring the Vikes up to 6–0, but the Patriots responded with two points. With four minutes left, senior Raymond Peters had a knock-away shot to secure the Vikes’ win for a final score of 10–2.

The Vikes’ second round game was against the Catoctin Cougars from Frederick County. The squad got off to a slow start, with the Cougars leading 2–0. The team soon found their momentum, going up 3–2 at the halfway mark. With six minutes left, sophomore Chloe Bautista and junior Fiorella Knowlton-Vera put points on the board, increasing the Vikes’ lead to 5–2. The Vikes kept up their scoring to ultimately defeat the Cougars 10–2.

“We went into the last game sort of thinking we had it in the bag,” junior Lily Goldberger said. “We talked before about how we shouldn’t get too cocky and how to find a balance of confidence and serious play.”

The final game was the Division III championship against the McDonough Rams from Charles County. Halfway through the game, the score was close, with the Rams leading 2–1. Junior Mateo Gutierrez had a key shot to tie the game 2–2. Leonhardt and Peters helped the Vikes sweep the fifth frame, putting the Vikes ahead 6–2. The Rams quickly responded, however, and went on to ultimately win 7–6.

The bocce season is now over, but the Vikes are proud of their undefeated season and second place finish at states.

“We were really sad because our skills were equal to, if not better than, the other teams,” Goldberger said. “But, we were happy that we got so far.”

Mateo Gutierrez is a sports writer for The Black & White.