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Jan 8, 2026 By Jonathan Guth 3 min read

Aaron Scott has coached a multitude of sports during his tenure at Uniontown Area High School, but he is enjoying his latest venture as the head coach of the unified indoor bocce team.

Scott, a Uniontown graduate who teaches physical education at the high school, didn’t have a great deal of knowledge regarding the sport when he accepted the job, but he is learning and relishing every moment.

“This is one of the coolest things I’ve coached in the four or five different sports I’ve coached,” Scott said. “It is very positive and the kids really get into it. This is our first year doing it. (Uniontown athletic director) Harry (Kaufman) approached me during the summer about it, and I said, ‘Heck yeah, let’s do this.’ It is a process but the kids are learning and really enthusiastic about playing.”

The Red Raiders lost their last match to Albert Gallatin on Wednesday at A.J. Everhart Memorial Gymnasium, but the support was present for both teams, as it was the first unified bocce match contested in Fayette County.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be able to offer this exciting opportunity for our students,” Kaufman said. “I would like to thank the UASD Board of Directors and Administration for supporting this program and allowing our student-athletes to participate in such a fun activity. Also, a big ‘thank you’ goes out to Mr. Aaron Scott and Miss Annalia Paoli for coaching the team and helping them learn the game.”

Kaufman encourages the community to view a match in person. Uniontown hosts California on Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. inside the A.J. Everhart Memorial Gymnasium.

Ironically, Paoli was a star softball player at Albert Gallatin before her career at Ohio University. She teaches in the Uniontown district and is a certified educator in special education.

“Annalia has been great,” Scott said. “She is certified in special education and really helps these kids. The team needs a ratio of 60-40, either way, for the Special Olympians and non-Special Olympians. We are fortunate enough where we have four Special Olympians and five non-Special Olympians.”

Nikki Williams, like Scott, was approached by a school administrator in regards to starting a team. She teaches life skills at Albert Gallatin, and has the Colonials off to a 2-0 start.

“This is brand new for everyone, and we are trying to spread it throughout Fayette County,” Williams said. “Our superintendent (Chris Pegg) and director of special education (Jared Plisko) asked if we would like to start a team.

“We are in a league of seven teams and play each team once. We are part of the Fayette/Greene County league. There are playoffs and the state tournament is contested in Hershey. We heard during the match that Uniontown had a broadcast set up, and our kids were excited when they learned about that.”

The Red Raider Athletics Network (RRAN) carried the match with Joshua Scully and Don Bell on the call.

“It was great having Scully and Don covering the match,” Scott said. “The kids really enjoy that. We also had the basketball team here, and they have supported us since we started. We are still learning how to play on the different courts, but we have practices and everything to keep improving.”