MUSD athletics honor fallen athlete

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Matilda Torres Toros football players run out of their tunnel holding the jersey of Rafael Barragan Donan, a junior varsity football player who died earlier this month in an accident.

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Under the glow of Friday night lights, the Madera community came together to honor the life of a young athlete taken too soon.

Rafael Barragan Donan, a beloved sophomore at Matilda Torres High School, was remembered twice for the impact he left on friends, teammates, and the entire community.

Before kickoff at the Madera versus Madera South Stadium Road Showdown football game on September 12, spectators at Stallion Stadium looked skyward as the Bulldog Blitz Skydiving Team descended, carrying a flag displaying Rafael’s football number, 17.