You can't blame Ryan Hoskins for feeling a bit melancholy this week.
Hoskins, whose defensive play helped Carson High to the Sierra League football championship this past fall, will be putting on a uniform for the last time Friday night when the Blue meets the Silver in the annual Sertoma All-Star game at Nevada's Mackay Stadium.
"It kind of sucks," Hoskins said after Monday's practice at Carson High. "I'd do anything to play four more years. I know I'll miss it.
"It's nice to be out here, though. I'm glad I made it. I've been wanting to play in this game ever since I was a freshman. 'I used to think what if I could be in that game?' It's pretty cool that I'm in it now."
So, it's safe to say that Hoskins would like nothing better than to play well and go out with a win.
The last time he played football was in November when the Senators lost a 14-7 overtime thriller to Galena. The memories and disappoint from that game still linger.
"I'm not going to give up or blow it off," Hoskins said. "This is my last shot. It would be cool to go out that last game with a win. I would have liked to play Reed for the regional title."
And, as luck would have it, he'll be playing alongside several Galena players this week.
"I thought it would be a lot tougher; some kids trying to prove something to everybody. It (the practice) was cool."
Hoskins' attitude isn't surprising, especially to his coach.
"You get to play with your friends and guys you've played against for a couple of years," Carson coach Blair Roman said. "It's kind of special in that sense. It gives you a little added incentive."
The 6-foot-2 220-pound Hoskins hasn't played football in nearly eight months, but thanks to wrestling and some off-season running he made it through the first practice with some energy to spare.
"The last three or four weeks I've been running every other day," Hoskins said. "I'm not as strong as I was during the season."
Hoskins admitted that he passed on college football because he didn't feel he was big enough. He may not think he deserved to play or deserved a chance to play, but his presence in the game is well deserved. He chalked up 66 tackles and five sacks en route to earning all-Sierra honors.
"Ryan was one of our unsung heroes," Carson coach Blair Roman said. "He didn't get a ton of publicity. All the coaches noticed.
"He's a tough kid. He's very physical and strong. He's not afraid of going up against kids that weigh 100 pounds more. He's a good inside pass rusher."
And, Hoskins has made himself into the player he is, according to Roman.
"He's a self-made athlete," Roman said. "He's not a natural athlete. He works extremely hard. He's very coachable. You show him something, and he learns it; incorporates it into what he's doing."
Hoskins will be learning a new sport when he goes to the University of Nevada in the fall. He's decided to take up rugby.
"It looks like fun," Hoskins said. "I've never played. I'll learn it I guess. I have friends that play rugby at UNR and they say it's pretty cool."
If he approaches rugby like he approached football, Hoskins may make a name for himself in another sport.