‘Still in shock.’ Madera High coaches, players remember teammate killed in motorcycle crash
It was the unfortunate news Madera High coach Kenneth Paolinelli will never forget.
He received a text early Wednesday morning from Madera principal Robyn Cosgrove to give her call her.
“Completely out out of the blue — it’s never good; can’t be anything good,” Paolinelli said.
“It was the worst of the worst news you can get.”
Madera senior and student-athlete Roberto Lopez-Arellanes, 19, had been killed in a solo motorcycle crash Wednesday morning.
Officers were called to the scene on Olive Avenue near Sixth Street in Madera just after midnight where they found Lopez-Arellanes, who died from his injuries in the crash.
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Paolinelli said he talked to Cosgrove just before team workouts at 6:15 a.m. He broke the unfortunate news to the players after workouts were completed.
“It was definitely an emotional morning all around,” he said. “(Wednesday) was super emotional as soon as we finished our workouts. I’m at a loss for words. I never dealt with anything like this. I have a hole in my heart because I hurt for the kid, I hurt for the family and I hurt for his teammates and for others, and all my coaching staff.”
Lopez-Arellanes enjoyed the weight room, Paolinelli said, because he wanted to keep getting stronger.
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That was on the minds of his teammates Thursday morning when they returned for workouts. They spent time afterward sharing memories with about Lopez-Arrellanes and writing letters to his mom.
Football has always been a part of Lopez-Arellanes’ life.
He arrived in Madera from Mexico about three years ago and was determined to be a football player.
He made that known to Paolinelli.
“He showed up at football practice and couldn’t speak any English,” he said. “He was telling me he wants to play football and I’m like, ‘You know what kind of football this is? This is American football, you know?’
“He’s like, ‘Yeah, I know what it is. I want to play.’”
Lopez-Arellanes played for the Coyotes the past three seasons as a defensive lineman and had aspirations playing at a junior college to continue his football career.
That is why, Paolinelli said, he was often in the workout room.
“He just loved the game and wanted to learn more,” Paolinelli said. “He was that type of kid. He had his own aura to him. He was a trendsetter. He dressed how he wanted to. Once he started getting really strong in the weight room, you can tell a lot more cutoff shirts (he was wearing) and showing off his muscles. He was a good looking kid. He had a good six-pack. He was popular. ...
“It’s an absolute tragedy what happened to him. We have a heavy heart. It’s shaken our whole town, our little community and our school. Just thoughts and prayers going out to his family. I can’t imagine. I tell the kids, they are like my kids. I’m still in shock over it all.”
Paolinelli established a Gofundme account to help the Lopez-Arellanes family.
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