Pitman High School Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Class

Although Pitman High School has only been around for 22 years, it already has a rich history. In October, nine individuals and two teams will be recognized for their incredible accomplishments during their time at Pitman as part of the school’s second Hall of Fame class.

This year’s inductees include athletes Taylor Clute, Bradin Hagens, Austin Keaton, Vince Perez, Katie Staack, Lyndsay Sutterley and Jasmine Washington, announcer Abe Rojas, former athletic director Dave Walls and the 2005 varsity football and 2014 women’s volleyball teams.

Individuals and teams will be honored at a Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m. in Larsa Banquet Hall. Tickets, which are $100 each, include dinner, dessert, beer and wine. There will be dancing, cornhole, competitions, raffles and silent auctions to benefit the Pitman Development Foundation (PDF), which raises funds to build needed athletic facilities on the mostly new campus. The PDF is also seeking sponsors for tables and events through Friday, Sept. 27, and for donations of prizes, raffles and flowers. For tickets, sponsor information or to make a donation, call Renne Pacheco at (209) 678-6550, Mike Staack at (209) 604-6884 or Madison Curtiss at (209) 252-5304.

The Pitman Hall of Fame was established in 2018. The inaugural class included athletes Colin Kaepernick, Anthony Harding, Spencer Snodgrass, Lesley Young and Tiare Jennings, former manager Rod Hollars, former sports director Jim Parker and announcer Craig Rojas. New classes were to be inducted every five years, but unforeseen circumstances delayed the latest induction class until this fall.

Taylor Clute, Class of 2007

Taylor Clute dominated the pool during his four years at Pitman High School. He was the first PHS athlete to be named an All-American (2006), the first athlete to be nominated for the Heisman from Wendy’s High School (2006), and the first athlete to qualify for the Junior Olympics (2006) due to his success in the sport of water polo. Additionally, he was a two-time First Team All-League honoree.

Clute still holds numerous school records in water polo, including single-season records for goals scored (194), interceptions (95), forced ejections (43) and sprints won (60), as well as career records for goals scored (211), assists (51) and forced ejections (85). He earned a scholarship to play water polo and competed in water polo at Long Beach State.

Bradin Hagens, Class of 2007

Bradin Hagens was a three-sport star for Pitman High School. He earned eight varsity letters — two in football, four in baseball and four in basketball. He also earned four all-league honors and was the first Pride male athlete to receive all-league honors in three sports.

As a basketball player, Hagens was a key part of the Pride teams that advanced to the sectional semifinals in 2006. He was a member of the 2005 football team that won the Central California Conference title.

After spending two years at Merced College, Hagens became the second Pitman baseball player to be selected in the MLB draft when he was selected in the sixth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2014, still with the D-backs, he became the only Pride alumnus to make his MLB debut. Hagens still plays professionally as a reliever with the TSG Hawks of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Austin Keaton, Class of 2008

Austin Keaton was a multi-sport star who competed in football, basketball, and baseball for the Pride. Widely regarded as one of the best athletes to ever step foot on the Pitman High School campus, Keaton won all-district awards in baseball and basketball (twice).

Keaton was a leader on the 2006 boys basketball team that reached the sectional semifinals. Until last season, he was the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,212 career points.

He went on to compete in baseball and basketball at the college level at Culver-Stockton College and is currently the boys’ varsity basketball coach at nearby Hilmar High School.

Vince Perez, Class of 2008

Vince Perez helped lay the foundation for Pitman’s wrestling program to become one of the best in the area. He was the first Pride wrestler to win a league championship, a sectional runner-up, a divisional champion and a state medal. He earned an eighth-place state medal in 2006 and a seventh-place medal in 2007. His career wrestling record of 141-24 still stands as one of the best individual performances in Pitman wrestling history. His success on the mat earned him numerous accolades, including a pair of first-team all-league, first-team all-district and Pitman Wrestling MVP honors.

Perez coached the Pride for eight years before becoming the head wrestling coach at Whitney High School in Rocklin.

Katie Staack, Class of 2009

Katie Staack is the only athlete in Pitman history to earn 12 varsity letters after competing at the varsity level for four years in water polo, women’s basketball and swimming. Staack led her teams on the field and in the pool to a total of four league championships and was a four-time first-team all-league honoree. She consistently ranks in the top three in school assists and games played in women’s basketball, and in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and multiple relays in swimming.

Lindsay Sutterley, class of 2008

Lindsay Sutterley was Pitman High School’s top water polo player in the late 2000s. She led her team to three straight league championships from 2005-07 and three straight sectional quarterfinal appearances. She was a two-time league MVP and was named to the all-district team twice. She still holds various school records, including goals scored in a season (122), steals in a season (98), career goals (311), career steals (306) and career wins (77).

After graduating from PHS, Lindsay continued to compete in water polo on scholarship to UC Davis.

Jasmine Washington, Class of 2011

Jasmine Washington is considered one of the best basketball players to ever play for Pitman High School. A four-year starter on the varsity team, Washington still holds the school records for points in a game (34), steals in a game (15), free throws made in a game (14), steals in a season (146), career steals (303), and career free throws made (410). She is also one of only two women’s basketball players to score 1,000 points in her career (1,099). She is a two-time league MVP, two-time All-District, and three-time All-League selection.

2005 Football Team

Pitman’s 2005 football team set the standard for all future teams on the field. Led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, running back Anthony Harding and an aggressive offensive line, the Pride averaged over 400 yards of offense and nearly 40 points per game.

Pitman defeated cross-town rival Turlock 35-34 in overtime when Harding converted a two-point conversion to secure the win in the closest Harvest Bowl to date. The following week, Pitman defeated Golden Valley 49-34 to secure the CCC title. They won their first-round play-in game 35-14 against Lincoln of Stockton before losing to West of Tracy 27-22 in the quarterfinals.

Several athletes from this team went on to compete at the college and professional levels.

2014 Volleyball Team

The 2014 Pitman girls volleyball team is considered one of the most successful teams in the school’s athletic history. They finished the season with a 44-2 record and won the program’s first Division 1 state title and the NorCal championship. They were runners-up at the state tournament. Their accomplishments led head coach Kristen Pontes-Christian and many others to call the group a “Dream Team.”

The Pride were led by seniors Maddy Halteman, Lindsey Vander Weide and Ashleigh Phelps, along with freshmen Middle Blocker and Whitney Barnes. More than half of that team went on to success at the varsity level.

Abe Rojas, presenter

Abe Rojas was the voice of the Pride from 2002-2022. Synonymous with Friday Night Football, Rojas was in the commentary booth for every home football game at Pitman for the past 20 years. His patented “Touchdown Pride” call resonated throughout Joe Debely Stadium, and his passion for the game was heard on every call he made.

A true philanthropist in the city of Turlock, Rojas was involved in youth sports as a basketball referee, softball referee and coach. He also served as a trustee for the Turlock Unified School District for 13 years and is also a member of the Stanislaus State Hall of Fame (Class of 2011) for his philanthropy.

Dave Walls, Sporting Director

As a coach and athletic director in the Turlock Unified School District for 27 years, Dave Walls has made a lasting impact on the student-athletes at Pitman High School. Walls spent time as a basketball coach and history teacher at the school, but his lasting impact will be remembered for his role as athletic director.

With his larger-than-life aura and motivational speeches, Walls became a formidable role model for the Pitman athletes and coaches he led. Integrity, respect and a commitment to making someone better were fundamental elements of Walls’ leadership.

Walls served on numerous committees of the Sac Joaquin Section office and was often the voice of pride at the section level. His hard work and dedication to his position as athletic director was also recognized by the section office in 2022 when he was named the Sac Joaquin Section Athletic Director of the Year.