Daily Journal Sports File Serra midfielder Nick Carrara does it all for the Padres. Not only is he the team’s best playmaker, he’s also their most dangerous option on set pieces. He’s scored 10 goals this season.

And that’s exactly what happened. Carrara drilled a shot to the upper corner to clinch the Padres’ 3-1 win last Tuesday, perhaps their biggest victory in recent memory. Two days later, Carrara had a goal and two assists in a 5-0 win over Valley Christian. For his efforts, Carrara is the Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Week.

“He’s our most complete player,” Padres coach Jeff Panos said. “Overall he does everything well.”

Especially scoring. Carrara has 10 goals this season, none bigger than the two he had against the Wildcats. Serra lost to S.I. in the teams’ first meeting, but was intent on getting payback. It represented a breakthrough in many ways, as the Padres beat a top-tier WCAL team. With the score 1-1, Carrara made a run onto the ball after Kevin Rogers sent a free kick to the penalty area. Carrara tapped the ball in for a score, then delivered the dagger several minutes later to ice the outcome.

“I wanted to seal the deal,” Carrara said.

A playmaking midfielder, Carrara scores most of his goals on set pieces. Whenever Serra has a corner or free kick, Carrara is always a threat to put one into the net. The 6-foot-2, 160-pounder uses his height and leaping ability to win balls in the air. Carrara will play at San Jose State next season, either as a recruited walk-on or via scholarship (Carrara said he’s trying to work out a deal for scholarship money). One thing is for certain: Carrara plays the game at an intensity few can match.

“When there’s a 50-50 ball, I feel it’s mine,” Carrara said. “My game is to win the ball, then settle it and take shots from far out or work towards the goal. When I get one on one I like to take players on and beat them.”

Before the season started Panos told Carrara he would have to play consistently strong in order for the Padres to have a successful season. Carrara was expected to lead by example, on and off the field. It’s a role Carrara doesn’t take lightly.

“Coach told me the season goes through me,” Carrara said. “I want to lead the team and be a good player because I have some great teammates. I think this is our year to do something special.”

Carrara, 18, is intent on leading the Padres to the Central Coast Section playoffs, and possibly advancing a couple of rounds. It would represent another breakthrough for a team that has shown improved on-field discipline. In Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Bellarmine, Carrara showed his determination by repeatedly creating space for himself and getting shots on goal. Late in the match Carrara simply out-muscled a defender and put a strong header on frame. It took an incredible effort from the Bellarmine goalkeeper to preserve the Bells’ win.

It’s no coincidence Carrara displays tremendous soccer instincts. Carrara comes from a soccer family. His dad played at the junior college level; he has a cousin who plays at San Jose State; and his older sister, Andrea, a former Carlmont High standout and Daily Journal girls’ soccer player of the year, earned a scholarship to play at the University of the Pacific.

Carrara said he had 15 family members and relatives at Saturday’s game, and he’s always thankful for their support. One of Carrara’s first soccer memories came at age 10. He was playing in the championship game of a 12-and-under tournament. Of note was the fact that Carrara was not only the youngest one in the match, but the smallest. How ironic then that Carrara scored the game-winning goal — on a header.

“I hit my growth spurt a little later, in sixth grade,” Carrara said. “By the eighth grade I was 6-foot, and I kept on growing for the next few years.”

And so did his game.