Marvin Martinez, 16, was a junior at Benjamin Davis High School.
"It's difficult to lose him," said Martinez's aunt Alina Valle. "I can't talk about it because I just start crying. Soccer was his passion. He's been playing since he was little boy."
On his bedroom dresser, there are trophies of a champion. Martinez was named the 2012 special teams MVP for the Davis Football team. His dream was to one day play for A&M. He recently took a trip there with his coach.
"Anything to do with a soccer ball, he was there. He always wanted to play," said Martinez's teammate Joshua Sanchez.
On Wednesday, Valle said Martinez, his brother Rubin Martinez, 13, and another 18-year-old friend, who was driving, were on their way to dinner. Police say the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed when he hit a curb, took out a fence and hit a tree.
Marvin Martinez had on his seatbelt and died. Police say Rubin Martinez and the driver were not strapped in. They were ejected from the car and survived the crash.
"Rubin still doesn't know. He keeps asking about his brother. My sister hasn't found a way to tell him," said Valle.
Thursday, Martinez's friends gathered at the crash site and place flowers, candles and a cross to remember their friend who was taken too soon.
The Martinez family is finalizing the funeral arrangements at Earthman Cemetery on I-45. No further details were available.
Find Foti on Facebook at ReporterFotiKallergis or on Twitter at @FotiKallergis
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