Anyone who watched on television saw Tom Brady go down in a heap with his knee injury, and we all had that sinking feeling that the Patriots’ season – which looked to be so promising – had changed beyond recognition.And we all watched last Monday as Rodney Harrison was driven off the field at Gillette Stadium – perhaps even forever – in the Patriots’ big win over the Denver Broncos.Sadly, injuries at the professional level are rarely view from the human point of view. They’re always seen as impediments to the team’s overall success.Be honest. Your first reaction, when Brady went down, wasn’t “oh, that poor kid!” It was “Oh, no! Matt Cassel.”I know. Because that was mine.But we treat athletes as commodities at our own peril. Because sooner or later, these injuries hit home in a much more personal manner. And even though I wasn’t at the English-Salem game last Friday, it was hard not to feel a chill go through me when I heard about the injuries to Julio Arzu of English, Melikke VanAlstyne of Salem and Cameron Smith of Classical.If you’ve been around this business any time at all, you learn that one of the things you actively root for when you cover a game is that nobody gets hurt. I’m not talking about the incidental bumps and bruises that occur from activity. By the middle of any season, everybody’s hurting.That’s just the nature of the game.I’m talking about potentially serious, lasting injuries such as the ones Arzu, VanAlstyne and Smith suffered Friday. Nothing gives you a worse feeling than watching a kid being taken off the field with a significant injury.”It’s devastating,” agrees English coach Peter Holey. “And it’s even more devastating when you’re talking about a senior (such as both Arzu and VanAlstyne).”We’ve had colleges looking at Julio,” said Holey, “but the other side of it is that we’ve been in the weight room since the Monday after Thanksgiving last year, and he’s been right there. He’s worked very hard.”Through last Friday, the work paid off, too. Arzu had become an integral part of the English attack, and was having a monster game against Salem when he was hurt.So was VanAlstyne, who – even as a sophomore – was one of the scariest runners in the Northeastern Conference. He was having a stellar season this fall – and a terrific game Friday – when he injured his shoulder.Smith, having a fantastic season for Classical, isn’t just the team’s feature running back. He’s also the only holder on the team – and his absence had a direct bearing on Friday’s loss to Peabody.As of today, neither Holey nor Classical coach Tim Phelps is really sure about their players. On the other hand, it appears as if VanAlstyne has dodged a bullet.VanAlstyne injured his shoulder, but he didn’t break it, according to coach Scott Connolly ? and he hopes to be back in action Saturday night when the Witches host Peabody.While Arzu’s injury may not be as severe as it first looked, it’s likely he’ll miss a few games. Holey hopes he’s healthy enough to play on Thanksgiving.As for Smith, Phelps just doesn’t know. He’s had an MRI – which Arzu still needs – but he’s not sure what the results are.But the sight of seeing them taken off the field leaves you cold. These aren’t pros. They’re kids, and they play this game with no guarantees.Injuries can not only disrupt their futures, they completely destroy their presents. Even if Arzu is back on the field for Thanksgiving, that leaves three games in between that he’ll never get back.The Red Sox just went through a playoff series without Mike Lowell. And however nice a guy Lowell is, your overriding thought, as the team struggled through the American League Championship Series, wasn’t about how unfortunate it was that he couldn’t play. All you could think was, “gee, they could USE him because (David) Ortiz isn’t hitting, and Lowell’s clutch.”Now, I’m sure that Holey would much rather have Arzu on the field when the Bulldogs go up to Gloucester next Friday night than on the sidelines watching. But that