It was a sad day at Bishop Moore High School as students, teachers and coaches mourned the loss of senior Joe Skinner.
Skinner, an outgoing 17-year old with a promising baseball future, passed away early Saturday morning in Dallas.
“Joe was our rock. He was one of our strongest players on the field but probably one of the strongest kids I know off the field," Hornets coach Tony Mehlich said. "He cared for his teammates, cared for the community, cared for Bishop Moore, his classmates and his family."
Skinner, a UCF baseball signee, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in early December. After chemotherapy treatments didn't yield significant improvement, Skinner was scheduled to undergo an experimental procedure known as CART T-Cell Theraphy. He died from an infection before the procedure could take place.
“Why God? Why now?," senior shortstop Justin Moran said. "Why can’t he be with us at graduation or at states?”
Skinner's parents were at Bishop Moore for a memorial service Monday morning. The baseball team was back at practice Monday afternoon preparing for a region semifinal game Tuesday night against Lake Highland. A ceremony to honor Skinner is scheduled to take place before the 7pm game.
Players said the mood on campus was somber and reflective as they described the legacy of Skinner both on and off the field.
“I would tell people I go to Bishop Moore, I play for Bishop Moore – they’d be like, oh, that’s Joe Skinner. I’m like yeah, that’s him, he’s on our team so he definitely has that lasting impact,” senior catcher Eric Forbrick said.