As I checked out the Las Vegas Optic Web site, the lead of Robertson's 41-0 win over Cobre in the Class AAA football playoffs hit me like a cold splash of water.
“Benito would have been proud of you guys.”
That’s how a public address announcer at Cardinal Stadium congratulated the Robertson football team — 41-0 winners over Cobre — as it left the field Saturday afternoon.
All I could do was stare at that for a while. I knew who "Benito" was - former Cardinals lineman Benito Lemos. Sad to say, I did not know he was the victim of a shooting, and the suspect of the case, Richard Baca, claims self-defense. I'm not going to vouch for Lemos, but it saddens me to see a young man, who was an example of what athletics can do for you, not realize the potential he had.
I wrote a story about him when he was a senior on the team that won it all in 2005. It was a story that highlighted some of his struggles to become the person he was. Yes, he had his brushes with the law and the powers-that-be at Robertson, but he became a beacon of light because of how he turned himself around into a good student and an even better leader.
I can't imagine what it's like to be a teammate of his right now or to be a part of the Cardinals faithful right now. Given the unfortunate incidents over the last couple of years, you would think they could enjoy a moment when the program is righting itself and shedding the images of the last couple of years.
It's sad from a sports writer's perspective because you're not supposed to outlive high school student sources you cultivate.
I've already seen that with two people
Capital's Jessica Hines
And now Lemos.
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