Mar 25, 2026 By Eleanor Bailey 6 min read

Coming into the Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Interscholastic Unified Bocce Ball State Championships, Chartiers Valley had nothing to lose.

The Colts had entered the postseason seeded eighth after eking out a wild card berth in the first round of the playoffs. They upended the 2024 state champions during the regional round of competition to earn a berth in the state finals held March 18-19 at the GIANT Center in Hershey. There they unseated the 2025 state winner before beating Haverford, 9-1, in the championship match.

“We were definitely the underdogs,” said Vickie Cushey, who shared coaching duties with Mary Ellen Peduzzi. “We had to go through the last two state champions en route to our title.”

The Colts beat Peters Township, which won the 2024 title, in the regionals. They eked out a win against Blackhawk, the 2025 winner, in the state tournament.

“We are so very proud of the team,” Cushey said. “They worked so very hard to make this happen. It is most definitely an honor and so unexpected.

“Playing and then winning against the top teams in the state made the victory even sweeter. Just getting to states is special in and of itself, but then bringing home the state title just makes the whole experience even more memorable.”

Some 492 teams started the unified bocce season with Chartiers Valley being one of the final eight to reach the state tournament.

The Colts started practicing in early winter and showed marked improvement as the regular season progressed.

The Chartiers Valley bocce team consists of two smaller units – CV 1 and CV 2. Both squads experienced success. CV 1 posted a 7-3 record and earned the No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs. CV 2 finished 6-4 overall and just missed out of a playoff berth because of tiebreaker rules.

“We stayed consistently around third and fourth place within our division and improved with each game we played as we started playing really well down the stretch and went on a roll once playoffs started,” Cushey noted.

During the regular season, Chartiers Valley competed against high school teams from Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, Peters Township, Carlnton, South Fayette and Montour.

During the regional tournament at RIZE Sports in Leetsdale, the Colts competed in the afternoon session with Somerset Area, Richland, Knoch, Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon, Pine-Richland and Gateway. The morning session featured teams from Blackhawk, Albert Gallatin, Fort Cherry, Greensburg Salem, Penn-Trafford, Sto-Rox, Western Beaver and Aliquippa.

Blackhawk and the Colts placed first in their sessions to qualify for the state championships. Chartiers Valley was seeded eighth in the regional after eking out a wild card berth in the first round of the playoffs.

“We made the most of our second chance,” Cushey said

“Our expectations for the state championships were to go into the games with the same mindset we had at regionals. Work together and have fun,” Cushey enthused.

During the divisional round of the playoffs held at the end of February, CV defeated Bethel Park but lost to Peters Township in the championship game.

“Luckily we earned a wild card berth and still advanced to the regional round,” explained Cushey, who is an Emotional Support/Learning Support teacher at the high school.

Sixteen teams competed in the regional at RIZE Sports, a state-of-the-art facility opened in 2023 and dedicated to developing youth and scholastic athletic programs throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Approximately 150 high school Special Olympics athletes, Unified partners (student athletes without intellectual disabilities), coaches, volunteers, teachers, parents, and community members come together in friendly competition.

“Sports are about bringing people together, and RIZE Sports is all about empowering young people to excel – so we were proud to once again host the tournament this year,” said Scott Markovich, general manager of RIZE Sports.

“It’s a beautiful sight watching the community rally around these young athletes working hard to reach their fullest potential and showcasing their talent, determination, and sportsmanship.”

The Colts were determined to avenge their loss to Peters Township, which was the No. 1 seed. They upset the Indians, 9-3, in the quarterfinals.

Chartiers Valley went on to defeat Knoch, 7-4, in the semifinals. The Colts beat Somerset, 6-4, in the regional finals.

Cushey and Peduzzi concurred that the team’s secret to success was “camaraderie, commitment to having fun and hard work.”

That combination again contributed to Chartiers Valley’s success in the state tournament, which included a 5-4 victory over Bald Eagle in the opening round of the competition.

“They all worked together and had fun,” Cushey stressed. “They came together, buckled down and got the job done. Everyone listened to one another and made a number of clutch rolls. We also didn’t give up.”

Cushey noted that resilience when the Colts fell behind Blackhawk, 3-0. Chartiers Valley maintained composure and rebounded to beat the 2025 state champion, 5-4, before securing the state title with an impressive win against Haverford, 9-1.

“We didn’t panic and eked out the victory,” Cushey said of the pivotal win against the Cougars.

When the Colts returned to Chartiers Valley, the squad received a hero’s welcome. Team members including Tony Montana, Ben Heinzl, Logan Vaites, Luke Waldron, Babu Sagdullayev, Katie Daley and Amanda Wyandt, were escorted home to the high school by the borough’s police as well as fire and EMS trucks.

“The community was so proud of us and came out to support us,” Cushey said. She added that a support team of parents and paraprofessionals made the trip to Hershey, too. The group offered a tremendous amount of support and encouragement not to mention snacks.

Additionally, PCN broadcast the championships. The matches and proceedings were streamed throughout the district’s schools as classes were in session when the state competition was held..

“The players were so honored and excited to have won and having the sport televised opened up the opportunity to give more kids the understanding what a Unified Sport is and cheer on the team,” Cushey said.

Facilities, such as RIZE, also offer exposure for the sport.

“Sports are about bringing people together, and RIZE Sports is all about empowering young people to excel – so we were proud to once again host the tournaments this year,” said Scott Markovich, general manager of RIZE Sports.

“RIZE has really embraced this event over the past few years and has given our athletes and unified partners the chance to compete in high class facilities,” said Andrew Fee.

“Together, we’re building inclusive communities where every student can compete and shine,” added the vice president for strategic partnerships for Special Olympics Pennsylvania.

Special Olympics Pennsylvania provides year-round training and competition in 21 Olympic-type sports to more than 15,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities.

Chartiers Valley formed its Unified Bocce team back during the 2022-2023 school year. In that inaugural season, the team finished seventh.

“Three years later, we have a few members from that original team. They are still a part of this. So it was definitely special for those students to get a second chance and this time bring home that state title,” Cushey concluded.