Football: Carr driven after U-turn
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BELLEVUE - Phil Carr was on the road to nowhere.
Bounced between his troubled mother in California and aging grandmother in Federal Way, Carr lacked direction and discipline as a young teenager. Track helped keep him from running into any major trouble, except in the classroom, where he was speeding toward disaster.
In Carr's eyes, no one really seemed to care, especially the father he believed he couldn't count on, so why should he bother going to class every day or doing homework?
Kehran Carr cared. Kehran (KEY-ron), Phil's uncle, knew what it was like growing up without a father figure. He was raised by his mother and a grandfather and joined the Navy when he was 17, leaving a promising athletic career behind because no one ever told him how good he could be.
Uncle Keh wanted to make sure Phil knew how successful he could be at whatever he wanted to try. Phil's older brother, R.C., already lived with him and his two sons in their Bellevue apartment. So, three years ago, Kehran brought Phil into the fold to begin his sophomore year at Bellevue High.
"I believe it's hard for a (single) woman to raise a young man," Kehran said. "A man needs to be around to help raise a young boy. Women give love, but it's hard for them to give discipline."
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Today, Phil Carr is driven to succeed. He proved to be a quick study in football, which he hadn't played until 10th grade. A cornerback, he was named KingCo 3A Conference defensive player of the year last fall after giving up only six pass receptions all season. His grades steadily improved and he completed his graduation requirements. College scouts took notice - Oregon State talked of a scholarship - but Phil fell short of qualifying. Following Uncle Keh's never-give-up mantra, he chose to attend Eastern Washington as a Proposition 48 student, meaning he cannot play as a freshman while concentrating on academics. If he does his part in the classroom, he'll be given a football scholarship in 2002.
"It's amazing what he's accomplished," Bellevue Coach Butch Goncharoff said.
For Carr (5 feet 10, 175 pounds), the wait until 2002 will be agonizing. He's getting a football fix this week in Kennewick as one of 68 senior graduates preparing to play in the East-West All-State Game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lampson Stadium. There will be more high-profile players on the West roster, but few who have tackled adversity the way Phil Carr has.
For Carr, the U-turn wasn't immediate. He was withdrawn and angry when he first came to live with Kehran.
"To tell you the truth, I was a wreck when I came to live here," Phil said. "Uncle Keh made me sane. He's the kind of person who feels what you go through in life is what you make of it. There are certain situations you're just going to have to deal with. You can give up or you can keep fighting. He taught me how to deal with those situations."
Two years ago, Kehran's oldest son, Kehran II, was killed with his girlfriend in a car accident, leaving a 3-year-old son, Kehran J. (now 5), who will move in with Uncle Keh this summer.
"That was pretty devastating," Phil said. "When Uncle Keh didn't talk to me about something, that's who I talked to. He (Kehran II) really helped me out. It was a blow to this family."
A blow Uncle Keh could weather in part because of the other children. R.C. recently completed his second year at the University of Idaho and should be on the football field for the Vandals this fall. Yohanns, Kehran's youngest son, will be a senior this fall at Bellevue, where he's a standout in football and track. Jovanna Hale, a niece who also was part of the Carr household the past couple of years, graduated with Phil this year and is headed to college as well.
"The Lord's been good to us," said Uncle Keh, a regular at Bellevue football games. "He took my son, but I've been blessed, so that's OK."
Phil Carr plans to make the most of his blessings, beginning with the chance to play in the All-State game. He said he wants to enjoy the experience, but wants to prove he's one of the best cover guys in the state, then continue down that road of success.