WAC Preview: Los Banos’ Walker ignores chatty cornerbacks, blossoms into top wide receiver
David Walker has won most of the physical battles on the football field, especially when cornerbacks have been forced to play man coverage on the 6-foot-3 receiver.
In the past, though, smaller and less-talented foes could level the playing field by pestering the Los Banos High School standout with their mouths and bravado. The chattier they were, the more frustrated and angry Walker would become. He’d even lash out at coaches.
Walker said his lack of focus and short fuse were to blame for the Tigers’ shortcomings last season.
Los Banos (9-3) won the Western Athletic Conference championship but had its Sac-Joaquin Section title hopes dashed by Sonora in the Division IV semifinals.
With a strong cast returning, including quarterback and WAC Offensive Player of the Year Adam Herrera, Los Banos again has its sights set on that elusive section championship.
From his sophomore year to where he is now, that’s the turnaround you want to see as a coach. He has made strides in being better in the classroom, being a better citizen and being coachable.
Dustin Caropreso
Los Banos coach, on senior wide receiver David Walker“I feel if we don’t go all the way to state, we can probably win sections,” Walker said. “We need to work as a team and not let each other down. When we start bickering back and forth and not playing our game like we know how to, that’s when we start losing games and falling short.”
He’s had that same conversation with the man in the mirror. While Walker is wildly talented on the field, he acknowledges his temperament hampered his development.
“I’ve grown up a lot. I don’t mess around as much,” Walker said. “Last year, I used to bicker back and forth with the coaches. Now I don’t do that.
“I don’t let things get to me as much. I think I got caught up in the moments and didn’t know how to control my temper at that time. Now, when (opponents) talk, I just let them talk.”
Walker showed his poise and potency at the Modesto Junior College Passing Tournament, where a Downey defensive back tried to unnerve Walker with presnap taunts and by jamming him off the line.
Walker answered with his hands, closing the tournament with a touchdown reception. He ran a fade route, using sprinter’s speed to create separation and his basketball prowess to win the jump ball.
“I showed (my maturity) on that last play,” said Walker, an all-league selection last fall after totaling 13 touchdowns and 880 yards of offense. “You have to play through adversity sometimes.”
That’s a scene Los Banos coach Dustin Caropreso hopes to recreate time and again this fall. Caropreso said the coaching staff has tweaked its Spread offense to better utilize Walker’s ability.
The senior is a legitimate 6-3 and 210 pounds, which means he’s big enough and strong enough to compete with physical cornerbacks and the inevitable double team.
He’s also been clocked at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
“When you got a guy that stands 6-3, runs 4.6 and can make plays, that’s what makes him stand out amongst other kids out there,” Caropreso said. “Are there other guys with just as much talent? Sure, but I like my chances with a guy of his caliber.”
Fresno State and Sacramento State have shown interest in Walker, but for now, he’s committed to the cause: the Los Banos fans are starved for a section championship.
The Tigers own two section banners, but have produced nothing in 24 years.
“Since I’ve been here, two of my first three years, we were in the semifinals. So we’ve been close,” Caropreso said. “This year, we’ve got the guys to compete, if everything falls into place right. If we stay healthy and we get put in the right division, we’ve got the nucleus to compete for that blue banner.”
Caropreso was a player on Los Banos’ last section title team in 1991.
“It’s been a long time. The last time we won, I was on that team. That’s something I preach to the kids – it’s something special,” Caropreso said “Only one team gets to do it in every division. We’ve been close, but I tell the kids, ‘There’s nothing better than playing for that blue banner.’”
James Burns: 209-578-2150, @jburns1980
This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 3:57 PM with the headline "WAC Preview: Los Banos’ Walker ignores chatty cornerbacks, blossoms into top wide receiver."