Birmingham plays with heavy hearts

Birmingham essentially played the first half of Friday night’s nonleague season opener at Newbury Park with heavy hearts because three former players were involved in a serious car accident just a week ago.

Try as they might to remain focused on the task at hand, and perhaps move forward, the Patriots trailed Newbury Park, 28-0, at halftime as brothers Darick and Darnay Holmes, recent transfers, impressed in their debut for the Panthers.

Alex Manu, 18, and Isaiah Hastings, 19, were killed in an accident in Sylmar last Friday night. Another alumni of Birmingham, 18-year-old Eldridge Salguero was seriously injured in the collision and remains in critical condition.

Salguero’s younger brother, junior Sterling Salguero, started for the Patriots on Friday and changed his jersey to No. 1 in honor of his sibling. Similarly, junior Travon Wilson changed his uniform to No. 25 in honor of Hastings, who is his cousin.

“Regardless of the final score tonight, this team is a bunch of winners in my book, just to be out here, on the field, and playing hard in the memory of our past players,” Birmingham Coach Jim Rose said before the opening kickoff.

Twitter: @SeanCeglinsky