The Carter name in Carson City is synonymous with athletic excellence. It comes with certain expectations however, and maybe even a little pressure.Levi Carter is the fifth Carter to play high school football at Carson, following in the footsteps of older brothers Josh, Paul, Seth and Luke. Older brother Caleb was a cross-country and track standout for the Senators.“I don’t really feel any pressure,” Carter said before Thursday’s practice during Carson’s bye week. “I don’t get frustrated with pressure. There are definitely expectations, though. I hear it from all my brothers, especially Luke. He’s telling me I better live up to them (expectations). Luke just got back from Afghanistan, and he told me I better be kicking butt.“I’m the first lineman in the family. I’m doing something nobody has done before. Everybody else was a linebacker or played a skill position.”Paul Carter, a former state wrestling champ and football standout, admitted the expectations are there.“Yeah, in our family it’s (sports and football) is definitely a point of pride,” Paul Carter said. “From my standpoint, playing and now coaching at Carson, it’s nice to see my younger brothers involved. My dad was also big on extracurricular activities. He wanted us to be involved so we would stay out of trouble.“I think Levi is doing a phenomenal job. When he was younger, it didn’t seem like he was interested in some sports.”Carter played three sports last year — football, wrestling and track & field.Carson coach Blair Roman said that Levi is more than holding his own when it comes to upholding the family tradition.“He’s done really well,” Roman said. “Obviously he’s a two-year starter. He’s one of our junior linemen who came a long way. He worked tremendously hard in the off-season and bulked up to 215. He’s solid muscle.”Carter, a starter at guard last season, was moved to center this year for a few reasons, according to Roman.“He’s smart,” Roman said. “The center in our offense has to make a lot of calls and adjustment. He’s also very athletic. He’s played as well as anybody in the league at that position. He did a really good job in the Reed game.”And, he can snap the ball well, which is a must in Carson’s shotgun offense.“I can snap the ball a little more consistently,” Carter said when asked why he thought he was moved from guard to center. “We had some problems there last year. I started working on snapping during spring ball. I think I’ve contributed more on offense because of my snaps.“He’s had a couple (snaps) that were low,” Roman said. “That’s going to happen. I think by the middle of the summer he was confident snapping the ball.”Carter has also made some nice contributions on the defensive side of the ball. Through six games, he has 19 tackles, including two sacks.“I like it (playing both ways),” Carter said. “Last season I didn’t really play defense. It’s a nice change from offense. I can throw people around and grab them where I want and kill somebody who has the ball. Defensively, I feel like I’m playing pretty well. When I play I get quite a few tackles.”“He’s very aggressive,” Roman said. “He’s a solid defender.”Carter, like many of his teammates, hope to play at the next level. He’s getting some interests from Hastings College in Nebraska, and he’s getting some interest from a school in Washington.“I’ve put together a highlight film with coach Roman,” Carter said.And, although Carter will graduate in June, there are two more Carters on the way, Abel and Asa. The latter is on the CHS freshman team. Abel is at Carson Middle School.“Abel,” Carter said when asked who the best athlete in the family is. “I’ve never seen anything that he can’t do.”
