Carrasco was a three-sport athlete at Lawrence from 2003 to 2007, serving as the Lancers' starting quarterback for three years. After attending junior college for a year, Carrasco joined the fledgling Anna Maria football program in 2009.
He never made it to the Amcats' inaugural season, however, because he wasn't doing his part in the classroom. Carrasco obtained a commercial driver's license and never thought about a career in sports.
Then one phone call changed everything.
"One of Audate's defensive coaches, a good friend of mine, Chris Morales, just reached out, and I was already volunteering at Lawrence Pop Warner," Carrasco said. "I was doing 14U football, and they asked me if it was something I was interested in. I quickly jumped on it."
After two years coaching football, Carrasco became a varsity baseball assistant coach for Julio Ramos, and continued under Alberto Abreu in 2023. Then Abreu left and a vacancy emerged.
"When [Carrasco] got into coaching, we always talked about like 'Man, will a Lawrence head position ever open up?' " assistant baseball coach Joshua Valerio said. "He was always like 'I don't know, man, I don't know if I could deal with two seasons, two sports.'"
Carrasco thought about what his dad, William Carrasco Sr. -- who died in 2023 from health complications -- would want him to do. Carrasco realized it was best for him to put his name in the ring and honor his dad in doing so.
One day, Valerio received a text.
"He's like 'I got it, I got the job,' " Valerio said. "And the rest is history, man. We've just been plugging away, just getting these kids ready. We're just trying to change the culture at Lawrence, just bringing a different vibe. Something good, something positive."
It took less than one season for Carrasco to reposition Lawrence in the Merrimack Valley Conference.
For the first time since 2013 the 13th-ranked Lancers (12-6) clinched a share of the MVC Large title with a 4-0 win over Central Catholic on Monday.
The first thing that came to Carrasco's mind was his father. He said it would have been a blessing for his dad to see him in the leadership role.
Of course, the players had a significant role in the Lancers' quick turnaround, too.
Junior righthander Jayden Minaya has posted a 6-1 record with a sub-1.00 ERA. After two years of pitching out of the bullpen, Minaya has rounded into form as the Lancers' ace.
"He's pushing us more, setting us to a higher standard than we were before," Minaya said of Carrasco. "Since he came to the school, he kind of knows what we need."
For most of the season, junior infielder Jose Sanchez was hitting above .500, carrying the offensive load. His OPS of .994 and slugging percentage of .525 lead the Lancers, as do his 20-plus hits.
"I don't know if I've seen a kid in high school go line to line the way that this kid does," Carrasco said. "The way he controls the barrel in the zone at this level, it's impressive."
The Lancers' strong suit is their defense. Sophomore Anderson Silverio controls the hot corner, where he's made more than his share of jaw-dropping plays.
Nearly all of the roster is of Dominican descent, which means Spanish is often spoken in the dugout. The only player who can't speak it fluently, ironically, is Minaya, which the rest of the team gets a laugh out of.
The language barrier doesn't restrict Minaya in the slightest, however.
Under Carrasco, the player-to-player camaraderie is flourishing, a central reason Lawrence is enjoying a level of success it hasn't experienced in more than a decade.
"It goes back to me being fortunate to inherit this group of kids," Carrasco said. "They're growth-minded, not only on the field but academically and at home. They all just got it all going for them, and I can't really say it's always been like that here."
▪ Teams are claiming league and division titles as the season winds down: Xaverian won the Catholic Conference for the third straight year, Weymouth captured the Bay State Herget Division, Norwell clinched at least a share of the South Shore title, Lincoln-Sudbury won the Dual County Thorpe crown, Taunton clinched the Hockomock Kelley-Rex, St. Mary's earned at least a share of the Catholic Central title for the first time since 2009, and Shawsheen finished off an unbeaten Commonwealth schedule to win the league title.
▪ The last day of the regular season is Monday, with MIAA tournament brackets set to release Wednesday. Preliminary round games can begin as early as Thursday ahead of a hectic two weeks to crown five new state champions.
Friday, No. 1 Xaverian at No. 9 King Philip, 4 p.m. -- A marquee, top-10 nonleague matchup as each team prepares for the tournament.
Saturday, Boston City League Championship, 11 a.m. at Boston College -- After Friday's semifinals between English High and Boston International, as well as Latin Academy and Brighton, the final matchup will be set. English has won the last two City championships.
Sunday, Donny Fredericks Memorial Tournament, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Braintree -- The second day of the tournament, which honors the longtime Braintree coach and umpire who died last May, features host Braintree, BC High, Plymouth North, and Westwood, with the final set for 1:30 p.m.