‘Just a great kid.’ Many gather to honor Washington Union football player killed in crash
Ernesto “Neto” Garin is being remembered as a person who always had a smile on his face and was there for others.
Those were the traits honored Friday at John Ventura Stadium, where at least 500 gathered to pay respects to Garin.
The 16-year-old Washington Union High School student and football player was killed about 6:35 p.m. Thursday when, according to the California Highway Patrol, a big rig ran a stop sign and hit a Dodge pickup with the teenager inside.
The crash happened at Walnut and Jefferson avenues, just down the road from the high school in Easton in rural Fresno County.
Teammates, classmates and friends used index cards to jot down their thoughts and remembrances, some saying “Love You Neto,” “Fly High,” “Fly 40 High” (for his jersey No. 40), and “A happy heart makes the face, but heartache crushes the spirit.”
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The cards were affixed to a display board set up along the home sideline.
A friend wrote on the card “Neto, Fly High. You are so loved and will forever be missed. I will miss your laugh, smile and jokes. You will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace.”
Washington Union coach Paul Holland remembered Garin as a person who was “always upbeat.”
“He’s the type of kid that if you’re his parent, you’re proud to call him your son,” he said. “He’s the heartbeat of our team. We took it really hard because he’s that guy ... the guy that is going to smile and always be there for a teammate.
“The kid was loved by a lot of people. Him and my daughter are best friends. When we first moved into the school district, I think she was in the sixth grade and he was her first friend and they were still friends to this day. He was just a kid that everyone gravitated to.”
The Panthers’ nonleague game against Kingsburg was canceled Friday, but some of the Vikings players showed up to pay their respects while wearing their uniform jerseys.
Garin’s teammates, family and friends gathered in a circle at the 40-yard line as the No. 40 jersey laid on the grass.
Panthers senior quarterback Lawrence Stell said Garin was a hard worker.
“Dedicated to the team,” he said. “Anything we needed, he was always there for us. He always kept a smile on his face. Never had a bad attitude. He was a good dude.”
Washington Union athletic director Jeff Freitas recalled a moment just before the season-opener against Lemoore when Garin needed to turn in some final paperwork.
Garin came through. Like always.
“He was talking about how excited he was for this year,” Freitas said. “He couldn’t wait, and I said, ‘Make sure you get this in,’ and he said, ‘I’ll have it right back in, Coach.’ And the next day he had it there. Big smile on his face. That was Ernesto.
“Just always a smile on his face. Just a great kid. You can always count on him bringing that smile every day. That is what I’ll always remember about him.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 9:33 PM.
