A little over two years ago, Stephen Carrera didn’t know if his football career was over before it hardly had begun.
A Fourth of July fireworks accident the summer before his sophomore season led to the amputation of two fingers on his right hand. The natural righty had to learn how to do basic tasks left-handed, never mind thinking about getting back on the field.
But Carrera was playing varsity football before that season was over. And now he’s a leader on and off the field for one of the -Public League’s top programs, looking forward to playing in college.
With Jaiden Padilla — Taft’s all-time leader in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns — sidelined Saturday, Carrera shouldered the load for the Eagles. The senior ran 18 times for 83 yards and two second-half touchdowns in a 21-14 Public League Red win over visiting Amundsen.
“It means a lot to me,” Carrera said of his journey. “Being in that situation where I didn’t know if I was going to play [again] or not. With the offseason and everything, just recovering, grinding, doing my hardest — just coming to now, it just feels like it paid off.”
At 5-6 and 170 pounds, not much comes easy for Carrera in a time when college coaches are looking for bigger backs. But he has a game-day visit scheduled with Division II Ohio Dominican and interest from some other Division II and III programs.
Taft coach Zach Elder hopes some college gives Carrera a chance.
“There’s never a moment where he’s not giving 110%,” Elder said. “He made a couple runs today where I don’t think there was anything. One run there, he drops his shoulder and tries to run over everybody. He’s 5-6, and he plays like he’s 6-4, 240.”
The Eagles (3-1, 2-0) had other heroes, as well. Senior receiver/cornerback Jaiden Salmeron caught an 11-yard TD pass from Logan Rioman in the final minute of the first half and had a tackle for loss to end Amundsen’s final drive with 1:01 remaining.
“That kid is special,” Elder said of Salmeron. “He had a supporting role last year, and he’s really kind of the main man this year. When he was a sophomore, I told guys on our staff he has the best catch in our program history, and it’s in practice. He’s making some OBJ [Odell Beckham Jr.] over-the-shoulder thing, spinning.”
Another Eagle to watch is junior linebacker/running back Diesel McFadden, a three-star prospect with an Illinois offer. McFadden had three carries for 14 yards to spell Carrera, including one on which he tossed aside a defender like a rag doll. He also was a disruptive force on defense.
“It fires us up a lot,” Carrera said of watching Salmeron and McFadden. “Just making good plays, the whole sideline, the stands, everybody’s just going crazy.”
Amundsen (3-1, 1-1) was playing without five injured starters, including veteran quarterback Elmir Gjeka. Backup Smith Beeson was effective, going 12-for-16 for 94 yards with touchdown passes to Wyatt Perry and Adam Vucic and one interception.
“We asked other guys to step up today, and they did a really good job,” Vikings coach Nick Olson said.