MARCH 24, 2017
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HIGH SCHOOLS, RECREATION & SIGN-UPS
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Liberty football coach leaves for Del Oro by Nate Smith Correspondent
After guiding the Liberty High football program for the past four seasons, head coach Jeff Walters is returning home to Del Oro High School, taking over for departed coach Casey Taylor. Walters, a 2004 graduate of Del Oro, led the Lions to consecutive playoff berths in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, earning the school’s first-ever playoff victory in 2014. His overall record at Liberty was 22-21, including 14 wins in his first two seasons. This occurred at a school that had not experienced a winning record since the 2005 season. “I am so incredibly honored to have represented and worked with the community of Brentwood,” Walters said. “The Liberty staff, students, parents, coaches and, most importantly, my players embraced the ideals of athletics as a vehicle to finding the best versions of themselves. It was such a dream come true, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity.” He now steps in for storied Del Oro coach Casey Taylor, who left in January to take the head job at Capital Christian. Walters has continued his personal relationship with Taylor over the years, and he is excited to follow his path with the Golden Eagles. “My respect level for (coach) Taylor is
Press file photo
Liberty head football coach Jeff Walters has resigned to take over the Del Oro position. He spent four years with the Lions, including two trips to the North Coast Section playoffs. as high as anyone could have,” Walters said. “Not only will he always be my coach, but he has been the greatest mentor and friend. We always exchanged text messages before and after games, and his influence is unquestioned. What Casey and his staff were able to accomplish was to elevate a strong program in the Sacramento area and make it elite on a statewide level. They did this the right way –
putting character, brotherhood and academics ahead of winning. They built something truly special.” Walters has also maintained his strong connection with the program, in which he played quarterback. He was a guest speaker at one of the team’s game-day character breakfasts in early October of this year, heading up to Loomis on his bye week to
speak to the team about chasing greatness. He now takes over a program that has won back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section titles and five section titles this decade. Since 2004, the Golden Eagles have posted 10 seasons with double-digit victories. “To be going home is still something that is sinking in; it’s a flood of emotions right now,” Walters said. “But what makes Del Oro such an amazing place is so much more than the football field. It is the entire culture of the Loomis area, and to me, that is the most exciting thing about this move. We have an incredible group of athletes and coaches for 2017, and I can’t wait to work with them. The energy is palpable, and I can’t wait to see what the season holds!” Stepping into a storied program and a legacy that stretches all the way back to the school’s opening in 1959, Walters makes it clear that the intangibles will be what drives this team and what marks his upcoming tenure at the head of the program. “We are going to continue to use football as a vehicle for life, character development and, most importantly, civic pride,” said Walters. “We will continue to be known as an ultra-prepared group that is detailed in its assignments and plays the game in a way that brings pride to our community. Most see Coach page 22
Heritage, Freedom track teams stand out in Pittsburg The Heritage boys’ track and field team and Freedom girls’ squad both took home third-place finishes at last Saturday’s Eddie Heart Invitational at Pittsburg High School.
Heritage The boys’ squad, fresh off a win at the Marsh Creek Invitational on March 11, picked up 48 team points at the Pittsburg event, good enough for third place behind Clayton Valley (86 points) and Pittsburg’s 115, while Liberty finished fourth with 44 points. Aaron Hanible (300-meter hurdles) and Aaron Jackson (triple jump) both won their events for the Patriots. Hanible finished in 39.84 seconds, while Jackson won with a jump of 43-04. Jackson also finished third in the 400 meters in 51.35 seconds and Hanible finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.84 seconds. Xavier Williams was impressive in the 110-meter hurdles, taking second in 15.78 seconds. He also finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles in 43.01 seconds. Gavin Palmer was also a Heritage standout in the pole-vault event, ending the day in third with a 9-06 effort. Other top finishers included Hasan Williams, finishing fifth in the 100 meters (11.37 seconds) and in the 200 meters in
23.55 seconds.
Freedom The Freedom girls found themselves in a respectable third place at the end of the event, trailing second-place Carondelet by a point and league-foe and eventwinner Deer Valley by seven. The girls were led by a pair of winners, with Rhianon Vertin-Hawkins and Jiana Cortero winning the 1600 meters and 3200 meters, respectively. Vertin-Hawkins blazed to a 6:24.38 finish, while Cortero won in 12:26.16. Freshman Jessica De La Rosa (3200 meters) was the lone Falcons’ competitor to finish in second place, trailing her teammate in a 14:19.34 finish. Vertin-Hawkins finished third in the event in 14:30.56. Genevieve Ilaiyan was also impressive in Pittsburg, ending her day in third in the 1600-meter event in 7:18.09. Kamilah Denny also finished third in the 100 meters in 13.19 seconds and fourth in the 200 meters in 27.21. Hannah Smith rounded the Falcons’ top performances at the event with a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:46.84. Other local winners included Liberty’s Kenroy Higgins, taking the 200-meter race in 22.86 and Freedom’s Javon Brown winning the 800-meters contest in 2:14.31.
Photo courtesy of Liberty High School
Signing off Liberty High soccer player Andrea Corona recently signed her letter of intent to play for University of California, Merced. She was instrumental in helping the Lions win two North Coast Section Division I championships in three years. In 20 games this year, she scored two goals, had one assist and tallied 13 steals, according to Maxpreps.com. She plans to major in kinesiology.