Raiders return to Prep A final
By: Justin Feil
Alyssa Fares won a state softball championship as a freshman but was robbed of the chance to compete for a second straight title when she came down with mononucleosis at the end of last year.
The Hun School junior is hoping to make up for it when the Raiders play at defending champion Peddie 4 p.m. today in the Prep A final.
"I was at every game that week that I was out from school," Fares said. "I was at that final game. It hurt.
"It was so tough to watch those games. I wanted so badly to be in there. I was supporting my team being there. That was the most important thing to me."
It will mean a little more to the Raiders that they’ll have Fares’ glove at shortstop and her bat in the lineup. She has two things that make Hun a better team skill and experience.
"This is the first season she’s made it through without getting hurt or being sick," said Hun head coach Kathy Quirk. "Freshman year, she broke her thumb. She did play through the season with it. Last year, she sprained her ankle early and then ended up with mono and missed whole playoff season. She’s ready to play these playoff games."
Hun reached the finals for the third time in Fares’ career with a 4-1 win over Blair on Thursday. The Raiders were 3-0 against the Bucs this season and improved to 10-5 overall.
"It’s the most competitive game we’ve had with them all season," Quirk noted. "We knew we had beaten them twice and knew it would be tough to beat them a third time. We keep records of each game and where we pitched them and we tried to pitch around the big hitters and make them hit to the opposite field.
"They wanted another chance at Peddie. They know the day we went to Peddie, they know we didn’t play our best."
Hun today will be looking to turn around a 10-0 loss to the defending champion Falcons. That disheartening loss April 18 helped change the Raiders season. Then below .500, Hun has lost just once since the game.
"It was definitely tough in the beginning of the season," Fares said. "Coming from winning a state championship your freshman year, you always have high expectations for the year to come. Then starting out 1-4 wasn’t that great. You always have high expectations for your team. We all got along so great. We’re all there for each other. It was a question of everyone coming together as a team.
"It took a little bit of time, but we definitely found a way to dominate. I think we’re going to do that in the finals."
Even though she missed playing last year’s tournament games, Fares might have more experience than anyone on the team. Before she ever played for Hun, she was already a part of the team when older sister Alana played in a support role. Now, it’s younger sister Alexa who is following in her sisters’ footsteps.
"I did the same thing Alexa is doing," Alyssa said. "I did scoreboard. I did bat girl. I tried to do what (Alana) did."
Those early years around the program gave her a taste for the tone and the level of excellence to which the Raiders are accustomed. It helped her step in as a freshman and start to contribute quickly.
"I think she knew the competitiveness we have," Quirk said. "She’s altogether different from her sister. She’s a highly competitive athlete. She’s really energetic and very spirited and does a nice job."
It’s easy for Fares to stay upbeat about the Raiders. They’ve come full circle since a rough opening act this year and she has a chance to win two state titles in three years. This one might mean even a little more than the first one.
"I think it would be a different feeling," Fares said. "I have been here and it is my junior year. As a junior and being able to give girls my insight and sharing my capabilities with them and my experiences, it would be nice to share it with the younger girls. And we could give the seniors something nice to depart with their senior year."
The Raiders know they can’t afford a repeat of their first performance against Peddie. Hun is playing far better these days than when the teams met the first time.
"To beat Peddie," Quirk said, "we have to play excellent defense, and hit the ball, and have excellent base running. The first time we played them. . . we’re just not the same team we were then."
Added Fares: "We definitely try to use it. It’s a loss. We always talk about you learn from your losses and mistakes. We’re going to do better. We’ve been working toward this all year. I think it will be a better game. We’ve been preparing and trying to learn from our mistakes."
The Hun team no longer resembles that mistake-prone team that opened with losses in four of their first five games. It is playing its best at just the right time.
"We did play well Thursday," Quirk said. "We played good defense. I don’t think we had as many hits obviously as the other (15-7 win over Blair) game. We had key hits and bunted the ball well. We moved people around when we needed to."
Hun is hoping to finish up the season on a strong note when it faces Peddie today. For Alyssa Fares, just the chance to finish a season that she started and played through is something in itself. Adding a state title would just be a bonus.
"Just being well throughout the whole season is amazing," she said. "I’ve been plagued each year. First, my freshman year I had a broken hand. Sophomore year, I sprained my ankle in the beginning and then got mono which put me out.
"It was so devastating. I love softball and love being a part of the team. Just playing this year is motivating enough. It’s exciting being in finals."