Winners of the Winter Night League Grand Championship team, Just Winter, left to right: Lloyd Smith, Alex Potapoff, Amy Potapoff, Mike Coombs, Cheryl Squillace and Richard Squillace
Statistician Carol Gwilt, left, presents trophy to winners of the Winter Day League Grand Championship team, Thunderbirds, left to right: Alex Potapoff, Ardys Smith, Lloyd Smith, Bev Loding, Richard Squillace and Ron Jacobs.
Pat Milich
It was a great day for a picnic and for celebrating the end of the PebbleCreek Bocce Association’s chilly but challenging 2017 Winter Season. On March 22, hundreds of Bocce enthusiasts gathered on the freshly manicured lawn of Sunrise Park in Eagle’s Nest to bask in the warmth of the sun that did not always make an appearance for the early morning and nighttime players who participated in the January through March schedule of play. We will look back and remember those chilly days fondly come July.
Susie Sunshine was present in all her glory as picnic attendees enjoyed a catered luncheon and waited for Bocce Association President Cheryl Kasselmann to announce the teams that had captured the championships of the Winter Day and Night Leagues.
Waiting proudly in full uniform to claim their trophies were members of the Thunderbirds Bocce Team, who were proclaimed Grand Champions of the Winter Day League. Congratulations to Alex Potapoff, Ardys Smith, Lloyd Smith, Bev Loding, Richard Squillace and Ron Jacobs.
Next, winners of the Night League Championship team, Just Winter, stepped up to accept their trophy. No, you are not seeing double. Some of them are the same players who won the Day League honors. Congratulations, again, to Lloyd Smith, Alex Potapoff and Richard Squillace, as well as Amy Potapoff, Mike Coombs and Cheryl Squillace.
The final Winter League standings, as calculated by the PebbleCreek Bocce Association’s Statistician Carol Gwilt are Tuesday Evening League: 1st Place Bocce Knights, 2nd Place Six Sexy Guys, 3rd Place Hare and Hounds. Wednesday Day League: 1st Place Thunderbirds, 2nd Place Bada Bing, 3rd Place Smoothies. Thursday Evening League: 1st Place Just Winter, 2nd Place U-Nighted 40, 3rd Place Boccelisms. Friday Day League: 1st Place Hare and Hounds, 2nd Place Rolling Thunder, 3rd Place Pallino Posse
Let’s raise a blue and white Bocce scoring stick to our top teams!
So now it’s spring and the new season is underway. Instead of worrying about frost it’s time to slather on the sunscreen and break out the hats and play our very best so that we don’t end up seeing the same faces in the spring champ photos! Go underdogs!
Thanks to Mollie McErlean and her excellent organizational skills things are running smoothly as 58 teams comprised of 531 players and nine new members enjoy the camaraderie and competition on Wednesday and Friday mornings and Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the state of the art Bocce Complex at Eagle’s Nest.
Looking forward to the fall 2017 season, registration forms are in the club slot in the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse hallway. Remember the night schedule fills up fast. Look elsewhere in this edition of the PebbleCreek Post for important dates for the 2017-2018 fall, winter and spring bocce seasons.