The first football games of the season are supposed to be about the excitement — the nerves, the cheering, the touchdowns, the boys running onto the field, and watching them do something they’ve worked so hard for And there was so much of that yesterday.

But then, in a matter of seconds, none of it mattered anymore.

Our 5th grade Enumclaw Jr. Hornets game was cut short after one of our young athletes suffered a serious injury and had to be airlifted to Harborview.

On the very last play of the game, he had a hard, unexpected fall during a tackle and rolled and landed weird pushing his helmet into his chest and straining his neck. His body went into fight or flight mode and He immediately told those around him that he couldn’t move and that he was scared. He was unable to move . Paramedics were called and the choice to airlift him to Harborview was quickly made.

It was, without a doubt, one of the scariest moments I’ve witnessed in all my years on the sidelines of the Jr. Hornets fields.

The athletes were scared. The families were scared. And for a little while, football was the absolute last thing anyone cared about.

We came together from both sides of the ball in a silent stadium And we prayed.

Then last night, we got the news we had all been desperately hoping for.

This strong, brave, tough teammate was cleared to go home after regaining movement and receiving reassuring imaging results. ❤️

I don’t think any of these boys will forget yesterday.

They went into their first game thinking about football and left learning something so much bigger. These aren’t just the kids they line up beside on a field.They’re teammates.

They’re friends. They’re each other’s people. They’re family And when one of them needed them, everyone stopped and prayed.

Now, I’m asking our community to help us surround this family a little more.

While the news we received last night was the news we prayed for, this terrifying moment of uncertainty also comes with a significant financial burden. Being airlifted from the field and receiving the emergency care needed to make sure he was safe comes at a tremendous cost.

This family should be able to focus on their son, his recovery, and being together — not on the financial aftermath of one of the scariest moments of their lives.

So let’s rally. Let’s come together.

Let’s surround this family.

And let’s help take some of that burden off their shoulders.

If you’re able to contribute, every dollar helps. And if you aren’t, sharing this and continuing to keep this brave young athlete and his family in your prayers means just as much.

One team. One family. ❤️