Former Paso Robles High School football player dies in car crash
A former Paso Robles High School football player was killed in an out-of-state car crash Sunday.
Johnethon “Johnny” Aviles, of Paso Robles, and Christopher Castillo, of Tustin, were killed in a crash near Tabor College in Kansas over the weekend, according to a statement from the college. A third passenger, Jonathan Medina, also from California, sustained serious injuries.
All three students played football for the Tabor College Bluejays, according to the team roster.
“The Tabor College community is devastated by the tragic loss of Christopher Castillo, Johnethon Aviles and of the significant injuries sustained by Jonathan Medina,” Tabor College President David Janzen said in a news release. “We extend our prayers to the Castillo, Aviles and Medina families, asking for comfort, peace, and God’s presence during this unimaginable time.”
Tabor College is a private Christian college located about an hour north of Wichita.
Aviles, a junior at Tabor College, was a running back for the football team, according to the roster. Before that, he was a student at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.
He was also a Paso Robles High School Bearcat, where he played offensive tackle and nose guard for the football team, according to MaxPreps.
According to the Kansas City Star, state troopers responded to a crash at 3:51 a.m. on Sunday just south of the college campus in Hillsboro.
An investigation into the incident appears to be ongoing, according to local media reports.
Central Coast mourning loss of ‘kind young man’
On Monday, Paso Robles High School football coach Matt Carroll said the campus is already mourning the loss of Aviles, who he described as a “kind young man” with a great sense of humor.
Aviles was on the team from 2015 to 2017 when Carroll was a defensive coordinator for the Bearcats.
He said that many current players remember Aviles because he played football with their older brothers.
“Johnny was a great teammate and friend,” Carroll said. “He brought a positive attitude every day and was known for being tough.”
He added: “Johnny was loved and respected by his team and coaches.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 11:47 AM.
