Former Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders tight finish Jason Witten retired following the 2020 NFL season. After 11 Professional Bowls and two All-Professional picks over 17 years, Witten retired with the second-most receptions and receiving yards by a good finish in NFL historical past. His 271 video games performed is probably the most by a good finish in league historical past.
However that did not mark the top of Witten’s relationship with soccer. Now, he is in one other chapter, this one together with his two sons.
Lopsided win:A Virginia highschool soccer staff received a playoff recreation 104-0. That is not a typo.
What’s Jason Witten doing now?
Witten formally retired in March 2021 in signing a one-day contract with the Cowboys following the top of his one-year cope with the Raiders. Earlier than his official retirement, Witten signed on to teach highschool soccer with Liberty Christian Faculty in Argyle, Texas, north of Fort Value.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The newest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and extra.
“I believe one of many issues about highschool soccer is that you just do all of it,” Witten mentioned in his first press convention in August 2021, per the Denton File-Chronicle. “You learn to do laundry, wash jerseys, refill water bottles and take pads out to the sector. It’s been an incredible expertise for me. I embrace the complete course of. I revere the sport, and I’m not going to cheat it.”
Previous to his arrival, Liberty Christian wasn’t a soccer powerhouse. The Warriors had managed simply two successful seasons within the earlier 5 years. A 2-7 file in 2020 was one of many worst seasons in years.
They’d endure one other two-win season in Witten’s first 12 months on the helm, this time 2-8 in 2021. The Warriors then moved down from the Texas Affiliation of Personal and Parochial Colleges (TAPPS) Division I right down to Division II for the 2022 season.
That change turned issues round. The Warriors received 9 video games in a row earlier than falling to the All Saints’ Episcopal Faculty within the TAPPS Division II quarterfinals 37-20. Senior quarterback Jacob Vaughan led the turnaround with 2,377 yards passing together with 25 touchdowns to simply two interceptions. Vaughan’s stellar season earned him a spot on the 2022 Whataburger Tremendous Workforce honoring 40 Texas highschool soccer gamers.
The Warriors’ 10-2 turnaround season earned Witten TAPPS District 1-5A coach of the year honors. That efficiency garnered consideration from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, which was searching for a head soccer coach after former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer accepted a university job with UAB.
However Witten returned to Liberty Christian for an additional season with a brand new wrinkle: each of his sons, CJ and Cooper, made the varsity squad.
Good timing:Girl makes ‘one in 1,000,000’ drive-by catch throughout Texas highschool soccer recreation
The Witten household and Liberty Christian shine in 2023
This fall’s seen the Warriors attain new heights beneath Witten.
Liberty Christian’s offense is averaging 46 factors per recreation this fall, punctuated by an 85-13 win over Fort Value Christian. Senior quarterback Cole Welliver’s thrown for two,436 yards and 39 touchdowns in simply 11 video games. Working again Chase Garnett’s diversifying the assault with 124 yards per recreation and 22 touchdowns this fall.
However the protection is on one other stage.
Final fall, the Warriors gave up simply over 14 factors per recreation and the protection notched two shutouts the entire season. This fall, Liberty Christian’s protection is permitting lower than six factors per recreation. The unit’s tallied 5 shutouts in 11 video games and has given up greater than two touchdowns simply as soon as all season.
In the midst of that protection? Junior linebacker CJ Witten.
LA Bowl:HS soccer recreation attracts 1000’s to SoFi Stadium, house of Rams, Chargers
CJ’s been a pressure in 2023. He leads the staff in complete tackles (64), tackles for loss (9), and sacks (5).
“It’s simply been nice for me to have the ability to form of hit pause and to be part of each step of that journey with him by highschool,” Witten informed the Fort Value Star-Telegram. “I’m not there to carry his hand, however on the identical time, it’s simply been very rewarding to to see him develop and turn out to be a frontrunner and acquire confidence.”
The youthful Witten – Cooper – is chipping in as nicely. The freshman defensive again is third on the staff in tackles however has performed just a little little bit of all the pieces. Two interceptions, two compelled fumbles, and three blocked subject targets aren’t unhealthy for a first-year starter.
The excellence on offense and Witten-powered dominance on protection has the Warriors primed for a playoff run. They beat the Tyler Grace Cougars 56-7 Friday night time within the TAPPS Division II quarterfinals. They await the winner between All Saints and Legacy Christian Academy Saturday night time to see who they will play within the semifinals subsequent week.
Friday night time’s win places Liberty Christian at 12-0, probably the most wins in a season since 2007. That fall this system went 12-1 and received a state championship.
“It’s household, you understand?” Witten mentioned to the Star-Telegram. “You bought to get youngsters to consider that they will win, consider that they will have success, consider within the energy of staff and what it might probably train you. I believe our gamers know that we love them, and each teaching level that we give, is to assist them be the very best model of themselves.”