From the York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record
Wrestlers show support for a former champion
Dallastown’s wrestlers shaved their heads to help inspire a former athlete.
By DAN CONNOLLY
Daily Record/Sunday News
Friday, January 7, 2005
Neil Barnes figured he’d shave his head once this intense bout of chemotherapy had made the majority of his hair fall out.
He thought he’d still have a little time, the strands seemed to be hanging on a little longer than expected.
Then he received a phone call on Wednesday night. Apparently the wrestlers at Dallastown Area High School ” Barnes’ alma mater ” had shaved their heads in tribute to the former state champion after reading in the York Sunday News that Barnes planned to have a head-shaving party.
And most of the wrestling coaching staff, including head coach Dave Gable, were following suit, with a hair-shaving party at Gable’s house Wednesday night.
By Thursday night, more than 30 of Dallastown’s 38 wrestlers and every assistant but one had shaved their heads.
“I thought I had enough hair to make it last for a while,” said the 29-year-old Barnes, who learned in early December that he had acute lymphocytic leukemia. “(But) I had to get my head shaved now, to show my support for their support.”
On Thursday evening at Red Lion Area Senior High School, Barnes showed up with a clean pate and a hospital mask over his mouth to watch the Wildcats lose a 27-25 nailbiter to the arch-rival Lions.
He’s in the midst of chemo treatments, but he wanted to be at the big YAIAA Division I clash.
“This is my life, this is what I live for,” said Barnes, who coached many of Dallastown’s current wrestlers as a junior high assistant. “I figured I’d take a small risk to enjoy this. It is who I am and it boosts my internal morale.”
Also, Barnes’ nephew, Red Lion senior heavyweight Brandon Barnes, shaved his head.
“He is the person that inspired me to wrestle,” Brandon Barnes said. “I’ve looked up to him my whole life.”
And so did many of the Dallastown wrestlers, who were in awe of the state champion turned head coach at Millersville University.
“Neil was the most charismatic of any coach we’ve ever had,” said Dallastown senior Ryan Scott. “He’d make you high in bad times. He was a role model for all of us.
“I’m just proud to stand in his presence.”
Scott said he and about five of his fellow wrestlers decided to shave their heads at Scott’s house on Monday evening. About three others did it at their own houses that night.
Matt Johnson brought clippers into school and did some barber’s work after practice Wednesday and Thursday.
“I stayed about an hour and just shaved kids’ heads,” Johnson said.
It was a sign of team unity, said Gable. And it made him proud of his boys.
“I think it’s real neat,” he said. “It shows how much he means to the program. Obviously we can’t suffer for Neil, but they can show that we care, that we all care.”
As for Barnes, he was blown away by the sentiment.
“All in all, I am very, very touched that everybody would shave their heads,” Barnes said. ” I’m not sure I would have done it for myself.”
Reach Dan Connolly at 771-2062 or [email protected].
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