This year’s Pope High School football game to serve as a fundraiser in honor of former player Matt Hobby is Sept. 18.
That’s when the Greyhounds will play host to River Ridge at Matt Hobby Field, which has been renamed in honor of the player who died at the age of 17 from Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer.
The proceeds from the game will benefit the Rally Foundation, which raises awareness and funds to research pediatric cancer
Hobby died shortly after graduation in 2006 after a three-year battle, and the Pope football community became actively involved with the non-profit to continue his legacy.
When pre-season football practice begins in July, Pope coaches select a player who will wear Hobby’s former jersey No. 70 for the season.
That player is “a teammate that best exemplifies Matt’s qualities,” and he is announced in front of the rest of the team.
Reader Carrie, who sent us news about the this year’s Matt Hobby game, tells us that her son, a Pope graduate, is recovering after getting the same Ewing sarcoma diagnosis.
Now a student at Auburn University, he was treated while on medical leave last year but she reports that “thankfully, my son is currently NED” (no evidence of disease).
“But it is very sad that his treatment was the same as Matt’s was 20 years ago—it hasn’t changed in 30 years! Of course, medical advances have helped with side effects and duration, but it is disheartening that there haven’t been more advances in treatment—look how far technology has come in 30 years!”
You can learn more about Matt here and the annual fundraiser here.
Related:
- Walton football falls to Roswell in Corky Kell+Dave Hunter Classic
- Former Wheeler football coach named Pope assistant principal
- Race car driver from Walton HS honored as ‘positive athlete’
- Kell wins state baseball championship; Pope finishes as runner-up
- Atlanta Braves legendary manager Bobby Cox, East Cobb resident, dies
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