Former greats enter CHS Hall of Fame

Three former Carson High football standouts are the newest members of the Carson High Football Hall of Fame.

Matt Teixeira, Clint Treadway and Scott Witter were honored at Carson High’s annual Kick-Off Dinner at Marv Teixeira Pavilion at Mills Park Saturday night.

Also honored was Mike Plattsmier, former football booster club president. He was the recipient of the Milan Tresnit Award.

Witter might be the youngest recipient, having played for Shane Quilling in the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

“I’m not sure if I am,” Witter said. “Amazing how time flies by. Last night was my 10-year reunion, but I would rather be at the dinner.

“I had no idea. Coach (Roman) called and I said thanks. I was ecstatic. I think I’m the first player who played for coach Quilling to get inducted.”

Witter had 31 catches for 506 yards and four scores as a junior. Stats were unavailable for his senior year, but he did have two TD catches.

During his junior year, he had three catches for 118 yards in a 42-41 loss to South Tahoe, and the next week he had four catches for 133 yards, including a game-winning 40-yard TD catch to give the Senators a 34-33 win over Wooster.

Witter, after a two-year career at Santa Rosa Junior College, came back to the area in hopes of walking on at the University of Nevada. That didn’t materialize, and he played a year of semi-pro arena football.

After that he started coaching his brother, Ean, a wide receiver and kicker for the Senators. He eventually was asked to join the CHS coaching staff. He spent a lot of time with the freshmen and JV squads before moving up to join Roman’s varsity staff where he works with wide receivers. He has been with the varsity for three seasons.

Now, he works on the same staff as his old high school coach.

“It was weird at first,” Witter said. “I’m offense and he’s defense. He came over and asked me if I needed him to do something. We talk a lot. I still call him coach Quilling.”

“He is a great kid,” Quilling said during a recent break at practice. “He was one of the best receivers in the north. He had a great work ethic. He was a good leader; somebody you could count on.”

Teixeira graduated in 1977, playing two varsity seasons for John Giianandria. He played center both years, making all-state his senior year.

“I played on a team that was 5-4,” Teixeira said. “I was surprised that Blair even considered me. I don’t know if it was because of my involvement in the community or what. I’m excited and honored.

“We were 2-8 my junior year. We played a tough team from down in the Bay Area (Cubberly). They had Leo Nomellini’s son. He had legs the size of tree trunks. We went to Gorman and got our butts kicked. I’d never seen a team like that.”

The senior year was much better. Carson lost close games to Gorman, Las Vegas and Wooster. All three were by a score or less. The only bad loss was to Reno (by three scores).

“We very easily could have been 8-1,” Teixeira. “We were a blue-collar team. We had fun. We played hard. We beat up every team except Reno High.”

Teixeira never played after high school. He was a Pepsi Cola All-America selection.

“I weighed 165 pounds,” he said. “Not many schools were interested.”

Teixeira did some Pop Warner officiating to stay active in the sport, and he attends most, if not all, Carson games. His son, Noah, played two years of center for the Senators.

Treadway played for Bob Bateman from 1994-1997, seeing action as a center his junior season and tackle his senior year.

“I found out six or eight weeks ago,” Treadway said. “Coach Roman let me know what was going on.

“We were a tough, scrappy group. We made the playoffs my junior year, but missed I think by a game my senior year. All of us bought into the program. We played hard and were a very physical team. That was the philosophical thing that coach Bateman preached, and I think we embodied that.”

Treadway said he remembers several games, including a 20-6 win against arch-rival Douglas. The Senators clinched their first playoff berth since 1987.

“We had to get that win,” Treadway said. “It was great to go down there and beat them. Bart Dover was one of my best friends, and he made some unbelievable plays.

“I remember the Reed game where we got beat in the first round of the playoffs, and I didn’t play especially well. Normally you don’t want to remember games where you lose, but it was fun being in the playoffs.”

Dover rushed for 154 yards against Douglas, including touchdown runs of 45 and 27 yards. The second touchdown came on a sweep around right end with 9:47 left in the fourth quarter and put the game away. Dover rushed for 86 yards in the fourth quarter alone.

Douglas returned the favor the following year, thumping Carson and qualifying for the playoffs.

Treadway, who’s good friends with former QB coach Kiko Vega, said he makes a few games a year in Carson.

“I live over by Damonte Ranch, so when they are at Damonte I usually catch them,” he said.

Plattsmier’s son, Blake, was a starting quarterback for Roman for two seasons, and recently graduated from Stetson University, a D-1 school in Florida.

The elder Plattsmier was the president of the football boosters in 2008 and 2009. He’s a fixture at home games, standing along the fence around the 15-yard line.

“Coach Roman called me recently (about the award),” Plattsmier said. “I was a little surprised.”

Plattsmier said the installation of the turf field as well as a permanent snack bar were critical back then.

“The new field was a big hit,” he said. “It helped start the run and the snack bar was a big help. Before that we had a trailer.

“Blair or one of his coaches were always at meetings. That helped, the communication, so we could understand what they needed for equipment and uniforms.”

Plattsmier said the Senators’ success helped the program get more support, and he’s thrilled about the string of league titles.

“I try to go to every home game,” Plattsmier said. “I’m a supporter. I just love the game of football.”