Nearly half of the state’s Top 20 high school girls bowling teams hail from the Shore Conference, so whenever league member Howell enters a tournament, the Rebels are likely going to be undaunted.

“Every week we bowl against the best talent that is out there, so when we come to a tournament we are used to that,” Howell coach Bob Wetzel said. “We are not going to see anything new because we always see the best, so we expect that from ourselves and the kids.”

Please click HERE to watch video highlights from the tournament

The Rebels opened the campaign with an impressive performance in the Marisa Tufaro Classic, qualifying with a three-game pinfall of 2,628 as the top seed for the best-of-five baker format finals, where the Rebels swept Old Bridge to win the team title.

“It’s a great start to the season with a great tournament,” Wetzel said, noting his team rebounded from a slow start. “We shot high 700s in the first game and they came around and started really executing what they needed to do.”

Sophia Raucher (631) and teammate Kayleigh Germadnig (572) paced Howell with the highest series in the tournament, while Old Bridge’s Gianna Blamer opened the competition with a 565 set.

Raucher also had the high game of the tournament with a 275, followed by Woodbridge’s Isabella Ramos (221) and Brick’s Regina Gardner (219).

All proceeds from the event, which also served as a toy drive, benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, a nonprofit that assists pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

The foundation designated Hands of Hope for the Community and Hackensack Meridian Health JFK University Medical Center, both of Edison, as the beneficiaries of the hundreds of toy donations the tournament generated.

Please click HERE to view a photo gallery from the tournament

Woodbridge head coach Amanda Small founded and runs the tournament, which over its first two years raised more than $6,000 for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

Established in its namesake’s loving memory six years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to fulfill its mission.

The nonprofit has also spearheaded multiple initiatives resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies, and other items for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.

In addition, the foundation has awarded 42 college academic scholarships totaling $29,500 in Marisa’s name to high school seniors and an additional 20 scholarships for elementary and middle school students to attend a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum.

Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa Tufaro lived with a medical condition that restricted her from some physical activity, but never prevented her from bowling.

Marisa, who died in 2017 at the age of 13 from a rare form of cancer following six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant, enjoyed her time at Stelton Lanes in Piscataway and at Milford Lanes in Delaware during family vacations.

Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and attending hundreds of doctors’ appointments, Marisa was an Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities.

Competing in the Marisa Tufaro Classic holds special meaning to Wetzel, whose Rebels participated in the inaugural event in 2018 with a bowler on the team who was thriving after undergoing a successful heart transplant.

“We once had a girl that had (a cardiac defect) like Marisa,” Wetzel explained. “Thank God she made it through and everything is great. But this means a lot to me, as well, because the work (the foundation) does is necessary and I see firsthand the medical benefits and everything, so this is a great tournament.”

The defending Group IV champion, Howell entered the campaign No. 2 in the entire state, according to NJ.com’s preseason rankings.

The Rebels returned three starters from a team that finished undefeated and ended a two-decade state title drought. Conference foe Brick Memorial, the defending Group II champion that is also coming off an undefeated campaign, opened the season atop the state rankings.

“We know that we are not the best but we are really good and on any given day a team can come up and get you, so you have to be on your game and focused on every shot,” Wetzel said, noting the competition at the Marisa Tufaro Classic featured state-ranked Brick, Barnegat, Old Bridge and Woodbridge.

Howell, Old Bridge, Woodbridge and Brick were seeded one through four for the baker format finals, during which Howell’s team captain rebounded from a slow start to the tournament to help carry the Rebels.

“She came back and bowled in the bakers and crushed it,” Wetzel said. “Everything is about the team for us.”