Saint James School remembers student athlete Carter Carroll: Neal Posey & Keith Lucky speaks
The Saint James School community is mourning the loss of one of their student athletes.
Senior Carter Carroll died on Jan. 20 during a hunting trip, marking the first time in more than 25 years a current Saint James student has passed away.
Head of School, Dr. Larry McLemore released a statement in wake of the tragedy:
“Carter was a kind, funny, and engaging young man who lit up every room he was in and built up everyone around him. He was a person of strong character and a great student and athlete who loved his classmates and teammates immensely. While we are heartbroken, we can be uplifted by the outpouring of love and support, which is a true testament to the positive impact Carter made in his life. We deeply appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers as the Saint James family joins together in love for Carter’s family, our students, and our faculty.”
Head baseball coach Keith Lucky and head football coach Neal Posey spoke Friday on their coaching experiences with Carroll and his impact on this school.
Carroll played shortstop and pitcher for the Trojans baseball team. Lucky said the team thinks about him everyday and wants to play for him this upcoming season.
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“I been getting the guys back in routine in preparation for the season and everyday we’re thinking about Carter,” Lucky said. “We know much he loved Saint James, all his teammates and he loved baseball. So that’s been our mantra for this season, let’s go out there and do what Carter loved and play hard.”
”He was an incredible student and phenomenal baseball player. He was a leader on this team and there was nothing bad I ever heard about him. Outside of baseball the young man itself we’ll miss more than anything.”
Carroll played wide receiver and defensive back on the football team. He recorded a touchdown and interception during his football tenure.
Posey explained how hard it is to lose a student like Carroll, emphasizing his amazing personality and the impact it had on his peers.
“Everybody who had a run in with Carter just loved him,” Posey said. “The school has gotten love support from areas everywhere, like Holtville and Prattville. Carter was always in a good mood, always light hearted and making Jokes. It’s hard to lose him. It’s going to be a hole in the Saint James community for a while.” The baseball team will wear a patch of Carroll’s jersey No. 2 on their caps this season. The baseball season opens up Feb. 15 and coach Lucky expects great things from this group.
”This tragedy has been so hard on us because this team was such a tight knit group,” Lucky said. “They are all like brothers and I think we are going to pull together this year. Some guys are going to step up this year in Carter’s honor and I expect us to do well.
Jerry Humphrey III is a sports writer for the Montgomery Advertiser who covers area high school sports, Auburn recruiting and Alabama State athletics. Follow him on Twitter @jerryhump3.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Remembering Saint James student athlete Carter Carroll: Coaches speak
