Plant joins those reaching out for Wharton’s Fisher

Posted Sep 29, 2009 by Bill Ward

Updated Sep 29, 2009 at 11:53 PM

Plant head coach Robert Weiner used the platform of the Tampa Tribune/TBO.com Game of the Week to send well wishes to Xavier Fisher.

Fisher is the Wharton High School player who suffered a broken neck in Friday’s loss to Armwood and will be out the remainder of the season. He has to wear a halo to stabilize his injury for three months.

“I speak, I’m sure, on behalf of all coaches and players in Hillsborough County that we want to send along our prayers to Xavier Fisher,” Weiner said. “The tragedies [Wharton has] gone through in the past two years, it’s a really sad thing. We hope nothing but the best for him. We have that film and we know it was just a football thing and it just happens, but we just want to tell his family and tell him that whatever we can send out in terms of thoughts and prayers, that we do and I know the whole football community in Hillsborough County does.”

You can see video of Weiner’s well wishes here: http://www2.tbo.com/video/2009/sep/29/plant-football-coach-robert-weiner-thou-66997/video-sports/

Others in the football community have reached out to Fisher, including Tampa Bay Tech. Head coach C.C. Culpepper spearheaded an effort to raise money for a scholarship fund for Fisher, who Wharton coach David Mitchell said would have been a Division I prospect, but who likely won’t play football again.

Anyone interested in donating money to the fund should contact Mitchell at Wharton by calling (813) 631-4710.