When Carson took the field for its football game against Hug Friday night, many of the players did so with heavy hearts.
The kids and the city lost a special friend Friday morning when Al Teixeira died of cancer. Al Teixeira, the son of former mayor Marv Teixeira, coached many of the current Carson football players during their Pop Warner or Little League days.
"He didn't want any visitors toward the end," Carson coach Blain Roman said Saturday afternoon. "The kids that played for him signed a card, and Ron Pacheco who is very close to the Teixeira family, brought it over.
"I told the kids (Friday afternoon) that Al had passed away. It wasn't a big shock. I don't know that the kids officially dedicated the game to Al, but it was definitely an inspirational thing for our players."
Roman had named Teixeira the first winner of the inaugural Milan Tresnit Award, which was to be given to a community member who supports high school and youth sports in the area. The announcement was supposed to come at the Carson Hall of Fame function, but Teixeira was unable to attend.
Roman said that Teixeira would be honored at a football game later this season.
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And, while we're on the subject of Nevada football, look for Carson stars Jon Parker and Dylan Sawyers to get even more attention from college recruiters as the season goes on.
Parker, as I've chronicled here before, has a standing offer from UNLV. Roman said that in recent weeks, Nevada is showing more interest in the 6-foot-4 230-pound Parker. According to Roman, Nevada likes Parker as a possible tight end.
Sawyers, only a junior, has already been called the most versatile player in the state by MaxPreps. Hey guys, what took you so long to notice?
Sawyers is excitement on two legs. He is a bonafide threat to take the ball to the house every play as a runner or receiver. He showed sensational vision in carving up North Valleys and Hug the last couple of weeks.
I know that Cal and Nevada already have shown some interest in him, and no doubt other schools will get into the picture if they aren't there already.
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Former Carson football standout Josh Peacock intercepted his first college pass Saturday in a loss to Denison University.
Peacock had three tackles and two pass deflections.
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Former Carson goalie Brandon Briggs has posted a 3-2-1 record between the pipes for the Boston University soccer squad.
Boston was 3-2-1 entering Saturday's game against Brown, and Briggs had played in all six games. He had posted two shutouts and had a 1.34 goals against average.