Walters’ return key in victory for VHS

Sam Walters led The Villages High School with 34 points in the season opener Monday night, pushing the short-handed Buffalo past Vanguard to a 57-44 win.

 Rachel Stuart, Daily Sun

OCALA — Welcome back, Sam. Behind a double-double effort from junior forward Sam Walters, The Villages High School boys basketball team opened its season with a gritty 57-44 road victory over Vanguard on Monday in Ocala.

Walters, who played for VHS his freshman year before a one-year departure to Montverde Academy, made his return a memorable one by tallying a career-high 34 points and 11 rebounds to lead a shorthanded Buffalo squad — dressing just six players — to a win in which it never trailed.

“It feels great to be back and helping this team win,” said Walters, who is ranked as the No. 26 prospect nationally in the Class of 2023 by the recruiting outlet, Rivals. “I love playing with these guys. I wanted to come back because I felt like I had some unfinished business here, and tonight was a good start for that.”

Read this story and many others in Tuesday's edition of the Daily Sun.