The one guy who most wanted to play in the Gators’ two shutout losses this weekend couldn’t even kick a ball.

Injured men’s soccer midfielder Wes Whitt sat out a 2-0 defeat to Humboldt State (7-11-1, 3-9-1 CCAA) Friday, and then missed Sunday’s 3-0 loss to rivals Sonoma State (15-2-1, 13-0 CCAA).

Thanks to a hernia, he’ll miss the next two games, too—and then the rest of the Gator season, which is the next two games, barring a miracle.

The Gators (7-9-2, 4-7-1 CCAA) now sit five points from a playoff berth, with two road games left: against CSU Monterey Bay on Friday and Cal State Los Angeles on Sunday.

“This is a bummer for me as I’ve had pulled muscles before, and though they hurt, I could still play,” Whitt said. “But with [a hernia], the only way you can fix it is by going under the knife.”

A hernia is as common in soccer as faking an injury to win a free kick. But there’s no faking an inguinal hernia like Whitt’s, where the intestine pops out of the protective tissue that’s supposed to contain it.

In all, hernias of various kinds claimed 16,742 American lives from 1995 to 2005.

It takes weeks to recover from the surgery. Whitt should know—he had one before, when he was 17.

He picked up his latest against Chico State two weeks ago—around the same time his team began to slump. The Gators have not won in six games.

“I felt something [during the Chico game], so at half time I checked,” Whitt said. “I looked down, and it was all popped out.”

The team doctor gave Whitt a pain killer and allowed him to play on, but suggested he had surgery as soon as possible.

“I think that [playing with a hernia] rips it even more,” Whitt said. “It definitely did, but I’m never going to tap out. It’s not my style.”

Whitt said he’ll have the operation for the gruesome injury during Halloween week.

Also out for the remainder of the year is Gator leading scorer Dylan Glass, who pulled a hamstring.

Glass and Whitt had formed a formidable attacking partnership at the beginning of season, recording 11 goals and six assists between them while helping the Gators to a winning record.

Gator head coach Joe Hunter said his team has struggled without the duo.

“Without the horse, we don’t have a lot to draw on right now,” he said. “But [we’ve] got to find a way. We’ve told [the team], ‘You want to talk about sports character? It’s not when you’re doing well, it’s right now.’”

To fill the void, Hunter has shifted players into different positions.

Juniors Jake Beverlin and David Rodriguez made their season debuts. Bobby Maeda assumed Whitt’s position in midfield, while Mirza Dedic and Luke Terry still search for their first Gator goals.

Though Whitt’s season is over, he’ll still be out on the sideline, offering advice to his stand-ins and generally urging the Gators to salvage what’s left of their season.

“I think the team’s coping well,” Whitt said. “I personally think I’m a motivator out there, and what I’m trying to do now is be their biggest supporter. I’m at every practice, I pull guys aside, I talk to them and help them out as much as possible.”