The first time Gavin Barnett broke his collarbone was when he was roller skating, the second time he was skateboarding, and mountain biking was the third time. 

Barnett said, “The fourth time was during [the] first home game of the season [on Aug. 25, when] I tackled somebody and the person landed on my collarbone.”

Due to his injury, Barnett is not able to participate in games and practices, which he has been doing since he was 14 years old. 

“A lot of my close friends inspired me to play because I always wanted to but never got the chance [when I was younger] –  high school made it a lot easier to join.”

Barnett will be benched for the rest of the football season and will receive surgery on his collarbone Sept. 29. The surgery will help his collarbone stay in place with screws and plates.

“[Barnett] breaking his collarbone again has caused us to have even less guys to rely on. He was one of our starters,” JV coach Mr. Michael Ardito said. “He’s a good player to have on the team – he’s a team player.”

Barnett is not the only one affected by his injury. His teammates said not having him on the field impacts the team’s ability to succeed in games.

“We really need him in our defense,” Teammate Christopher Aguayo said. “He’s a really great person, he always gives great positivity. Everyone on the team and I really appreciate him.”

“It gets me conditioned,” Barnett said. “[The football team is] a big family basically and I hang out with my friends every day.” 

On the sidelines, Barnett still supports his teammates by bringing them water during their games. He goes to every practice and game to watch his teammates and become a better player. 

Barnett said, “My favorite part about football is the family aspect about it.” 

by JULIA LEVERON HIDALGO & REILYNN ROUX