True support system
FREEPORT — Garrett King's message is stern, sobering and to the point.
“Pay attention to your body. Get routine check-ups. Take your health seriously,” Freeport's junior quarterback said.
“You never know what might be going on.”
King said he felt “nothing out of the ordinary” when he visited the doctor for a routine check-up early last week. He was surprised when his doctor referred him to another medical check-up two days later.
The latter visit is when he learned he had testicular cancer.
“They wanted to put me in the hospital and do surgery the very next morning,” King said. “I asked for a little time.”
King was to be a first-year starter behind center for the Yellowjackets. He wanted to experience that feeling one time this year — and did so in a scrimmage against Knoch last weekend.
“Just one game wearing the uniform. I had to have that,” King said.
He is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday. King's prognosis is positive. His cancer has not spread and there is a possibility he could avoid chemotherapy treatments.
Even if he can't — it's business as usual for Freeport football in his eyes.
“After he found out about the cancer, he came to practice and addressed the team,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “We developed 'King Strong' headbands we're going to wear under our helmets in his honor.“Garrett's been coming to every practice. He's helping (sophomore) Zach Clark, now our starting quarterback, get ready. He'll have to miss one game (post surgery), then he's planning on being on the sidelines and with the team the rest of the season.“For a high school kid to get news like he got, to go through all that, and still want to move forward with his teammates the way he is ... that's a special kid,” Gaillot added.King admitted the reaction of his teammates was “pretty solemn and quiet” when he told them of his cancer diagnosis.“But the support I've gotten from the team and the school has been overwhelming,” he said. “I get texts from kids every day, asking how I'm doing.”Zach was quarterback for Freeport in the JV scrimmage against Knoch. He is a good friend of King's.And while Zach did not get any scrimmage time with the varsity, he had no problem with it.“I didn't ask for any varsity time, nor did I expect to get any,” Zach said. “That scrimmage was all about Garrett. That's the way it should have been. That's the way I wanted it.”Zach will be behind center in a game with the varsity for the first time Friday night, when the Yellowjackets host Deer Lakes.“I will be 100 percent ready to go,” Zach said. “I totally respect and appreciate the way Garrett's been helping me. He's showing me what to look for and has been prepping me.“At first, I was concerned for my friend when he told us the news. Then I slowly realized ... 'Hey, I'm the quarterback. I better take this seriously.'“The guys in the huddle are treating me great. It's as if I'm Garrett out there. Nothing has changed,” he added.Gaillot said that King has already transitioned into other ways to help the team.“His presence at the games will be a tremendous help to Zach,” the coach said. “He'll see things from the sidelines that Zach won't. I know he's gonna help his progress.”King is taking care of his own progress as well.He plays on Freeport's lacrosse team and plans to play next spring. He also plans to return to quarterback the Yellowjackets his senior year.Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Jameson Taillon — who underwent testicular cancer surgery in May of 2017 — sent King a video with words of encouragement.“A friend reached out to the Pirates and got word of my situation to (Taillon),” King said. “That video helped my outlook a lot. He went through the exact same thing and he's fine today.“This isn't about me. It's about Freeport football. Our team is still on track. Zach's gonna get the job done. So will the team. We all will.”
