Caleb Gottschall loves sports. He can name every team in every Super Bowl if you ask him a year at random. He’s a team manager for the varsity basketball team and the water boy for the football team.

But the Panther Valley High School student realistically will never play those sports because of physical limitations.

Because of students such as Caleb, a new competition was created through the Special Olympics.

A Unified Sports Bocce Ball team was formed at Panther Valley for students in grades 9-12, and it even has interscholastic competition.

On Tuesday, the Panther Valley bocce ball team played Hazleton. While PV lost the first of the two-game set by an 11-2 margin, it was obvious everyone on both teams not only had a lot of fun but took the competition seriously.

The PV team is coached by Robert Palazzo, supervisor of curriculum, student and community services, and Evelyn Hydock.

Hydock said this is Panther Valley’s first year participating in the program. She said going into Tuesday’s contest, the PV squad had three wins and five losses. Besides Hazleton, they also played games against Mahanoy Area.

She said it was organized through the Special Olympics and is for students in grades 9-12.

Although she admits she never played bocce ball, she said, “When I saw it was part of the Special Olympics, I said, ‘I’m in.’  ”

Palazzo said he’s thrilled with the program because “it allows Special Olympic athletes to work with partner athletes in a PIAA approved bocce ball sport.”

Over 100 spectators viewed the PV versus Hazleton game. Even the Panther Valley Panther mascot was present.

Two officials, Paula Jones and Nicole Pollinger, watched as the competitors rolled green or red balls on the court. So serious was the competition that the two referees said they had to undergo training to qualify for the positions.

The game was played on the gym floor of the Panther Valley Middle School, in a 40-foot by 90-foot area surrounded by interlocked PVC pipe.

Other members on the Panther Valley team besides Gottschall are Gabriella Maldonado, Jacuelyne Annan, Colleen Knepper, Alex Damron and Bradley Barlett.