Garrett’s defense a key to Carson’s success

Peter Garrett is the linchpin of Carson High’s defense.

Garrett, who leads Carson High’s boys soccer team into the NIAA state semifinals today at 6 against Cimarron-Memorial at North Valleys High School, makes sure everything goes smoothly in the back row; makes sure the wheels don’t come off defensively.

He does it with a skilled, yet physical style of play. The CHS junior, who has scored three goals this season, is a perfect fit for the position.

“My freshman year I played JV, and Mehdi (Saami, varsity coach) wanted to move me to the back, and I’ve been back there ever since,” Garrett said prior to Thursday’s practice. “I’m pretty happy back there. Playing midfield is a lot, you control where the passes go. On defense, you control the field and the defense.

“I’m not hung up on scoring goals. I have three (all on headers). I go really hard on defense. I got quite a few fouls last year, but I haven’t had any this year.”

Garrett said it’s important to have bigger, physical guys in the middle of the defense. Garrett and Sal Rodriguez were a formidable duo in the middle of the back line, but Rodriguez missed the last half of the season with a foot injury.

The Senators, as a result, shuffled players in and out of that position alongside Garrett. The team has used both Guillermo Perez-Morris and Brian Llamas to team with Garrett, Christian Martinez and Osvaldo Gomez.

“Without Sal, I’ve had to adjust to new players back there,” Garrett said. “Christian plays hard, but he’s not real big. Osvaldo and Guillermo are small (and skilled). Brian is aggressive on the outside. I’m trying to do more out there.”

“Without Sal, Peter has really stepped up,” CHS coach Mike Alvarez said. “I remember when I first met him, I noticed the drive he had to succeed, He has been the glue of the defense. He really came into his own last season.”

Garrett. who has been playing soccer since he was 8, is a smart player.

“It’s not just about kicking the ball and scoring goals,” Garrett said. “Coach (Frank) Martinez has really helped me a lot. It’s from playing a lot and studying. I watch a lot of soccer on television, and coach Martinez tells me things to look for.”

“He is a thinker,” Alvarez said. “He has pretty good instincts; when to kick it out and when to play it to open up space.”

And, seldom has Garrett made a bad decision.

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Garrett lived in Kona for approximately 10 years. He’s been in Carson City since the sixth grade.

“My family had a business over there, and when we decided to come back (to the mainland), my mom (a Carson High grad) thought that Reno was too big. That is how we ended up in Carson City.”

Garrett participated in both swimming and soccer, excelling at both.

“I started swimming when I was 4,” Garrett said. “I swam until I was 11. I was ranked in the 10-and-under age group for two years in a row. I was first in in the state of Hawaii (overall). When I was 11, I made the zone championships.

“When I was 11, I’d play half a game of (club soccer) and then go to the pool for practice. I was younger, so the coach didn’t mind.”

Garrett, who stopped swimming for a couple of years, picked the sport back up his freshman year at Carson. He was trying to balance swimming and club soccer, and it got to be too much, so he dropped swimming.

Judging by his play the past two season, he definitely made the right choice.