Redlands Educational Partnership hosts basketball fundraiser with Harlem Wizards in Wildcat Gym

By AILEEN JANEE CORPUS

“A high-flying, slam dunking, rim-rattling basketball show is coming to town!” said the email sent to Redlands East Valley High School students the day before the Harlem Wizards basketball game.

In an effort to raise funds for the Redlands Education Partnership, REP hosted the Harlem Wizards for a fun and friendly game of basketball versus Redlands Unified School District staff on Friday, April 22 at the Wildcat Gym.

Both sides of the gym were packed with students, family, and staff members from the various Redlands schools including Franklin Elementary School, Crafton Elementary School, Kimberly Elementary School, Redlands High School and REV.

“It was fun for the kids,” said REV senior Arnie James Corpus. “[The Wizards] got the crowd going and I think people who came got a good show.”

Hailing from Fairfield, New Jersey, the Harlem Wizards, not to be confused with the Harlem Globetrotters despite both teams’ similar comical antics, was originally found by Howie Davis who had “a passion for the merger of sports and entertainment,” according to the Harlem Wizards website, and have five different team units: Broadway Unit, Showtime Unit, Swoop Unit, Rocket Unit, and Assembly and Special Events Unit.

For the REP game, the crowd saw the Broadway Unit of the Harlem Wizards which included Eric “Broadway” Jones, Arnold “A-Train” Bernard, Devon “Livewire” Curry, Lloyd “Loonatik” Clinton and Leon “Space Jam” Sewell.

The players who played on behalf of the REP Rebounders were Redlands teachers, classified employees and administrators. The team captain was RUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano. Bill Berich, REV history teacher and recently retired head basketball coach, was the coach for the REP Rebounders.

“My favorite moments of the game were watching the staff and the Wizards play, but also, honestly and most important, was just seeing those faces in the crowd having a good time,” said Sabrina Thunderface Mercado, AP Secretary from Cope Middle School, who was the shortest player on the team at 4 feet and 11 inches.

Mercado says she volunteered to play because she “thought it would be fun for my 19-year-old son to see his Mom out on the court playing ball with The Harlem Wizards. He loves basketball.”

The referees of the game included Redlands East Valley High School’s new athletic director, Chad Blatchley. Brandon Ford, sociology and career foundations teacher and softball coach, Ted Ducey, badminton coach and earth science teacher and Ryan Parson, teacher, also represented REV. RHS Advanced Placement Teacher and Volleyball Coach Nathan Smith joined the high school teacher players.

“The game itself was a lot of fun and I hope it raised a lot of money,” said Smith, “I would play it again.”

Middle school staff players were Mercado, TeAnna Bermudez and Kiele Pratt from Cope and Matthew Villalva from Moore.

“Joining in on the fun, especially after the last few years we’ve had, where people couldn’t hang out with each other, students weren’t in school like normal. It was great to have some normalcy return to us all,” said Mercado.

Elementary schools staff players included Jennie Dyerly from Crafton, Jeff Stamners from Cram, and Natalie Wood from Judson and Brown, Carolyn Bradshaw from Kimberly, Scott Ferguson from Lugonia, John Smith from from McKinley, Damion Sinor from Mentone and Jeff Doolittle from Mission. Franklin Elementary had Rebecca Acosta, Erick Nowak, Katy Swift, Leah Timpe and Alexis Padilla participating in the game.

Numerous sponsors supported the game including Pacific Dermatology Institute, Redlands Police Officers Association, Redlands Community Hospital, Maupin Physical Advisors, Welsh Insurance Services, Neal and Joyce Waner, Holiday Inn Express, Trader Joe’s and Chick-fil-A.

As soon as one team got the lead, the other managed to tie the game again, but despite this pattern throughout the majority of the game, the Harlem Wizards left the Wildcat gym triumphant.
The Redlands Educational Partnership website has more information on their programs and donations.

Before the game started, Jamel “The Voice” Thompson, brought by the Harlem Wizards, played music to hype up players and audience members. Thompson and Redlands East Valley High School announcer Kirk Escher watch the Harlem Wizards warmup. (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/Ethic News photo)

Teachers from some of Redlands’ elementary schools took part in the game, and mascots from Cope middle school and Clement middle school stood in front of the crowd while watching the court. (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/Ethic News photo)

The REP team is seen standing in a line while high-fiving their coach Bill Berich as he runs past them with his name being announced. Berich is retiring this year from being Redlands East Valley High School’s boys’ varsity basketball coach. (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/Ethic News photo)

Both the REP Rebounders and the Harlem Wizards leave the Redlands East Valley High School basketball court while waving to the fans. The game ended with the Harlem Wizards magically winning. (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/ Ethic News photo)

Chad Blatchley, one of the referees of the game and Redlands East Valley High School’s athletic director, watches the game as the bleachers are packed with families, students, and staff. (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/Ethic News photo)

With the Harlem Wizards already having a lead of eight points, their player Devon “Livewire” Curry attempted a backwards half court shot, and when the ball fell in the hoop, the players and crowd alike erupted into cheers. (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/Ethic News photo)