Houston ? When David Carr was a high school sophomore, he was a backup for his junior varsity team.

So the Houston Texans quarterback marvels at 15-year-old brother Derek Carr’s poise in leading Fort Bend Clements to a playoff berth in his first varsity season.

“I just can’t believe that he’s 15 years old out there doing that stuff with high school seniors, and he’s been pretty impressive,” David said.

There’s no way for Derek to avoid the comparisons to his famous brother. After all, he plays the same position and is the spitting image of David – right down to the deep blue eyes and tousled dark hair.

But at 6-foot and 165 pounds, he’s quite a bit smaller than his 6-3, 230-pound brother.

Despite the similarities, Derek feels strongly about making his own path. He chose the jersey No. 5, shying away from his brother’s No. 8.

“I thought not wearing his number might separate me from him a little and let me make my own name,” Derek said.

He’s done a good job of that so far in throwing for 1,250 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Rangers (8-2). The Houston-area school takes a four-game winning streak into Friday night’s game against Brazoswood in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

Derek, who played on the freshman team last season, wasn’t expected to start this season, but a preseason injury to another quarterback thrust him into the role. He said making the move to varsity was a bit daunting at first.

“I feel more confident in myself now,” Derek said. “At first there were some throws that I was a little hesitant at making, but I’ve grown stronger to know myself and trust the offense.”

Clements coach Jeff Hulme has been pleased with his work so far.

“The thing that I’ve been impressed with more than stats is the way he’s handled himself,” Hulme said. “He’s come out and there’s been a lot of pressure on him just because of his last name.”

David, who was the NFL’s No. 1 pick in 2002, attends Derek’s Friday games and often has him over beforehand to go over plays and give him pointers, something Derek says he “could never get tired of.”