Shafter Commander teams make championship history

The Shafter Commanders youth football and cheer organization, for ages 6-14 and part of the GEYFC league, made history this Saturday as their freshman, sophomore and varsity football teams each won the National Division Golden Empire Youth Football Championship for the 2024 season.

President and headv arsity coach Fortino Valdivia, who also has helped coach Shafter High's varsity football team for the last nine seasons and is the co-chair of the Shafter Recreation and Parks District, said, "We were confident they were going to win that we had everything pre-made. We pre-printed shirts and had hats made with a championship logo. When they won, there were tears of joy and excitement. Some of the players had been in our program for eight years and were overcome with emotion that they finally won a championship and got a ring."

Valdivia noted that the varsity team played exceptionally well. "In every aspect of the game, they did really well from where we started to where we ended. It was a huge improvement, and we played well as a team. Our offense and defense played well, and even our special teams did well."

The freshman team went from a one-win season last year to champions, while the sophomores had one of the program's most dominant seasons, scoring 499 points and allowing only 68 points.

"Our JV team was just three points short of being in the finals as well. They had a tremendous season. Our sophomore head coach, Louie Torres, who has been coaching for 24 years, finally got his championship win."

Valdivia shared that thorough preparation was key, with teams studying their opponents and arriving well-prepared to bring home the championship for the Commanders and Shafter. On the Friday before the game, everyone gathered to share a meal and say a prayer for the teams.

Reflecting on the competition, Valdivia said he was proud of the teams' progress, saying, "Of how much progress they all made to get to this point and how dominant they looked on the field when they played at their highest potential. Our coaching staff got them prepared to play extremely well. We have great coaching this year at all four levels."

Valdivia highlighted how the Shafter community came together to support the teams. Shafter High hosted the tournament, and varsity football players were on the field as the Commanders took the field. "Head coach at Shafter High football Jerald Pierucci was instrumental in making it special for the Commanders that evening," he added.

Looking ahead, Valdivia hopes the Commanders will continue to be a strong feeder program for Shafter High football, emphasizing team success over individual recognition.

He expressed gratitude to parents and the community, saying, "It's truly a blessing to have parents and community support in any successful program, because it makes it easier for the players to have success on the field, so I want to thank them for that."

Next, an All-Star game awaits, with coaches selecting five to six players from each team to play for in the game this Saturday.