On Saturday, eight high schools faced off in the 2023 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Bocce Championship at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville.
Northwood High School won the title. Bocce is a corollary sport offered by MCPS. The school system aims to increase sports opportunities for students of all abilities through the varsity sport.
Referees used a tape measure when opposing teams’ bocce balls looked to be similar distances from the pallina.
To play bocce, one player rolls a small ball called a pallina. Two teams try to roll balls as close to the pallina as possible, and whichever team gets closest gets the point.
A team can get multiple points if players get more than one bocce ball closer to the pallina than the opposing team.
High school championship teams included Northwood (first place), Poolesville (second place), Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Churchill, Paint Branch, Quince Orchard, Watkins Mill and Wheaton.
Other corollary sports within MCPS include team handball and allied softball.
