Long Beach and Harrison Central baseball teams come together to raise money for one Red Rebel student-athlete

Harrison Central Junior Cole Hogue was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. When the news broke, Long Beach and Harrison Central immediately started to think of ways they could help.

On Tuesday the teams played one another, but before the game there was a barbeque benefit to support Hogue and his family during this difficult time.

The benefit was put on by Smoke and Geaux Barbeque with plates starting at $10. All money raised was donated to the Hogue family.

WXXV sports director Jevan McCoskey had the chance to speak with both head coaches before the benefit and game on Tuesday and they both spoke on why doing this was an easy “yes”.

“The lineage between Long Beach baseball and Harrison Central goes back way before me” said Bearcats head coach Garrett LaRosa. “I know that anybody who was in this position would do the same thing. It’s a terrible thing and we just hope that we can help them out in some way.”

I think when you do things right, regardless of unfortunate news, people bond together to do whatever they can to benefit those that deserve it,” said Harrison Central head coach Neil Frederic. “This kid is…he is just a special kid, man.”