PHOENIX — Evan Carter is already part of history.
First, he was the second-youngest player to ever start and bat third in the first game of a World Series.
Then he became the fifth-youngest player to hit cleanup in a World Series game.
His Texas Rangers teammates have dubbed him, “The Little Savior.”
And his high school coach, Ryan Presnell, isn’t a bit surprised.
Presnell started hearing about Carter way back – way back is relative here – when he was just a sixth-grade student.
“We knew he had something special, honestly, the first time we saw him,” Presnell said.
Carter’s natural talent was evident, but the coach could also see character.
“He was just a kid you’d want your daughter to date,” Presnell said.
Carter is still a kid.
He’s only 21, not that far removed from his playing days with Presnell at Elizabethton High School in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
So maybe it’s not surprising that at West Side Elementary School in Elizabethton, students are wearing red and blue Rangers gear to class all week.
Presnell said at a recent Friday night football game, with the team in a heated race for the district championship, folks in the stands were also holding their phones in their hands watching Game 1 of the World Series.
“I joked that somebody probably at the MLB Network is looking at their schematics and going, why are there 12,000 Rangers fans in Carter County, Tennessee. We don’t understand this. But it’s totally turned a corner and everybody’s fully bought in,” Presnell said.
Carter doubled twice and drove in the first run of that game, by the way.
It’s easy to understand why Elizabethton is on board the Texas Rangers bandwagon now.
And it’s a familiar ride.
Presnell isn’t just Carter’s former coach.
He also played high school football with Jason Witten.
Elizabethton is also where the Dallas Cowboys legend grew up.
In fact, Elizabethton High School is on Jason Witten Way.
“We love our Dallas Cowboys and Jason Witten. And now we’ve got the Rangers and Evan Carter, so it’s been really special to see all that play out,” Presnell said.
Asked about his hometown, Carter told WFAA, “It’s a small town so everybody supports everyone, you know.”
“They really root for you and that’s awesome, and you hope to be able to give back to them soon,” he added.
Elizabethton is only about five hours northeast of Atlanta, so Presnell is admittedly a Braves fan.
Much of the town is.
Or maybe was.
“I’m doing something I said I’d never do as a sports fan, and I’m a two-team man now,” Presnell said. “And I’m having to brush up on my Creed music. I haven’t heard Creed since college.”
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