Full slate to aid NephHope
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
An away mid-afternoon game on a Saturday normally wouldn’t be well received by the Robbinsville High School softball team, but the Ravens are excited about a unique opportunity that will bring them good competition for a good cause.
At 3 p.m. on Apr. 6, the Ravens will take on Toms River East at Manalapan High in a benefit event to raise money for the NephHope Foundation. NephHope was set up by Curtis Wyers, the Robbinsville athletic director, who had a son and a daughter with the rare kidney disease, nephronophthisis.
”Being that it’s for Mr. Wyers, we’re proud to be there,” said Robbinsville senior Lauren Fischer. “And we’ll make the most of it and have fun.”
Admission will be charged throughout the day that will feature seven different matchups at Manalapan, where Robbinsville resident and RHS girls basketball coach Chris Hoffman is in his third year as softball coach. When Hoffman came to Manalapan, he started an early-April softball event. In the last two years, it went to benefit Jackson Liberty High coach Laura Borrelli in her recovery from a rare leg bone tumor.
”We talk about life skills and different things that are more important than softball,” Hoffman said. “I told them about Laura, and the kids don’t get enough credit. They came up with it. I told them some things that Mr. Wyers and his family are going through. They’re great kids at Manalapan and they came up with it. There have only been six or eight teams when we started and now there are 14. It’s kind of growing and hopefully in the future we can make it bigger.”
Hoffman begins each September to look for a cause for the event with Manalapan athletic director Phil Ricci, and Hoffman didn’t have to look far to find this year’s benefactor.
”When I got hired (at Robbinsville) that’s when Curtis’s family started off with his son having the kidney issue,” Hoffman said. “He wasn’t around a lot because he was doing a lot of stuff with his son.
”We’ve raised some money with some other people. This is the perfect situation for us to do this and help another family in need. Manalapan is a great school and they try to give back, all the school teams try to give back. It’s not a lot of money, but every bit helps.”
Manalapan will sell refreshments, T-shirts that have been donated by NJ SpiritWear of Hamilton that bear the tournament lineup and cause, and hold 50-50s, with proceeds from all sales going to NephHope.
”It’s awesome,” Fischer said. “Mr. Wyers has meant so much for the school and softball team. We’ve all had close relationships with him. I’ve worked with a few fundraisers for his family and we’ve gotten close. We’re thankful we’re in the tournament and thankful we get to give back to Mr. Wyers since he’s done so much for us.
”He’s pretty much always at every single game,” she said. “He makes a conscious effort to come to our games. Since he shows constant support for us, we show constant support for his organization and everything he works for.”
Wyers’ son has already had a kidney transplant, and his daughter may also need one. The Ravens are happy that they can help in any way, as several other teams at RHS have done through the school year.
”I think it’s nice to have that connection between Chris coaching basketball at Robbinsville and being able to coach softball at another school. My kids love Mr. Wyers. There’s a young child involved and that touches everyone.
”Curtis Wyers is the best AD. He takes care of us all the time. I have no idea how he does his job and manages what’s going on with his family.”
Fans coming to support the cause will get the added bonus of what is expected to be a terrific game between a pair of potential top-10 teams in the state. The Seton Hall-bound Fischer and Toms River East’s Jordan Weed, who has signed with Boston College, headline the showdown.
”There’s a lot of good games,” Hoffman said. “The Shore Conference is one of the toughest when it comes to softball. Robbinsville will be top 10 in the state. Toms River East is always in the Group IV final. I know Robbinsville has Lauren Fischer back and Toms River East has Jordan Weed. This game might go on for hours these kids are so good.
”We scrimmaged them last week and we’re an above average Shore Conference team and we couldn’t touch her. The Toms River East coach has been there since I was a kid and she has over 300 wins.”
It is a good early test for the Ravens, who aren’t backing down from playing anyone in a season that will begin with title hopes.
”We’re looking for the best competition out there,” Fischer said. “We want to be one of the best teams so we want to play the best teams. Getting in an early good game will helps us.”
Cabarle is confident that her team can compete just fine if it takes care of the ball and focuses at the plate. It will be a good early test for a Ravens team that is looking for its second state championship in three years. Last year, they lost in the state championship, but reached that stage without a senior in the lineup.
”We have great leadership this year from Becca Freeman, Lauren Fisher and Christine Levering,” Cabarle said. “They’re tremendous leaders, but to fill the shoes of Nicole Piet and Lauren Hunter who played shortstop and third since freshman, it’s tough. I’m confident in our senior leadership that it’ll work out.”
More than the game, though, the Ravens are looking to raise awareness about a rare disease that has hit home. And they are happy to use their talents to help NephHope in its fight for a cure.
”It is for such a good cause,” Cabarle said. “The only that matters is the outcome for the Wyers family. It’s so much bigger than Robbinsville softball.”