LAKE COUNTY ? Jared Templeton”s sister said he was a protective brother and that he”d do anything for his friends.
“He was trying to better himself and everybody else,” Christa Wade said of her younger brother.
Templeton, 21, of Kelseyville died early Wednesday morning.
He was riding passenger in the front seat with driver Heather Thompson, 22, and passengers Zachary Walston, 23, and Kathleen Riley, 21, when Thompson lost control of the vehicle around a curve on Highway 20, California Highway Patrol reported. The car ran off the road, hit a tree and plunged into Blue Lakes. All the occupants except Templeton got out of the submerged car.
Walston, Riley, a Blue Lakes woman and a truck driver jumped in the lake in an attempt to get Templeton out, but they couldn”t dive deep enough in the cold water.
The Upper Lake Fire Department pronounced Templeton dead after a dive team couldn”t get him out and crews removed the car from the lake, CHP reported.
Templeton”s step-mom, Peggy Johnson, said Templeton was signed up to go to Mendocino College where he wanted to play football and maybe work toward becoming a Fish and Game warden.
She thinks he could have gone pro.
Johnson said he was a loving person.
“He hated to see anyone in pain,” Johnson said.
Johnson said Templeton was funny and fearless. He would do back flips off the front porch and loved snowboarding and abalone diving. Ten-mile beach was his favorite place, Johnson said.
He specialized in cooking steak, Johnson said.
“He frequently gave his dad heartburn,” she said.
Templeton had just gone to Disneyland at the end of the year with his high school friend, Johnson said.
Johnson said Templeton could play the drums well and fit in some time to play with her on the keyboard and his dad on the guitar and mic.
One of his favorite things was sports.
“The town of Kelseyville is absolutely devastated,” Kelseyville High School varsity baseball coach Lou Poloni said. “I”ve known him since the fourth grade. He was in the same grade as my son Kyle.”
A 2007 Kelseyville High School graduate, Templeton played three sports for the Knights, who were the Indians until the school changed mascots in his final year.
“Probably the most gifted athlete that went through here in quite some time … God-given talent,” Poloni said. “He was the most honest, straightforward person I”ve ever met. If he wasn”t playing well, he”d look you straight in the eye and tell you that … although at 6-foot-5, I”d have to look up at him.”
Poloni coached Templeton in football, basketball and baseball.
“In Junior Little League one year I drafted Kyle first and then I got Jared with another pick in the first round,” Poloni said. “It was over after that. I pitched them 1-2. We dominated.”
Templeton”s best season at Kelseyville came during his senior year in football when he helped the Knights finish second in the North Central League I standings. He made one of the more remarkable catches in Kelseyville – and perhaps Lake County history – in a 20-14 victory over Willits (the photograph appeared on Page 1 of the Record-Bee”s Oct. 28, 2006 edition).
“He had real good natural ability,” former Kelseyville High varsity football coach Stan Weiper said. “He was a real factor for us that season. He made some huge catches for us. That one against Willits was a super catch. He really had the ability to go up and get it.”
Templeton earned All-League first-team honors for the Knights that season as a wide receiver, catching 23 passes for 577 yards and five touchdowns. He was also among team leaders in all-purpose yardage (second) and scoring (third). Templeton also led the Knights” defense with five interceptions.
“It”s just hard thinking about it,” Weiper said of Templeton”s death. “It makes you take stock of what”s important. It reminds you really quick about how precious life is.”
Weiper briefly coached Templeton in basketball, calling him up to the varsity level along with Joe Gatlyn as sophomores.
“He did real well for me, I remember we were in a tournament and he played great,” Weiper said.
Longtime Kelseyville High baseball coach Steve Olson, now the school”s athletic director, said the news of Templeton”s death came as a huge shock.
“He was a really likeable kid,” Olson said. “My sons (Paul and Ben) were really close to him. This has hit them hard.”
Olson last talked to Templeton in early December at the Stokes Basketball Tournament in Kelseyville.
“He had a nice disposition,” Olson said. “Just a real nice kid.”
Poloni said Templeton and Mike Ramey, another former Kelseyville graduate, recently dropped off a load of wood at his house.
“It was just two weeks ago,” Poloni said. “I don”t think you could find somebody who didn”t like him.
“It sucks losing a kid like that,” Poloni added.
Templeton is the son of Dan Templeton and brother to 30-year-old Wade, Jason Templeton, 29, and Joe Templeton, 19.
Mendo Lake Credit Union in Lakeport has a fund set up in Templeton”s name to help the family with funeral expenses.
“He”s really going to be missed a lot by everyone,” Johnson said. “But in particular by his dad.”
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37. Contact Brian Sumpter at rbsports@aol.com or call him directly at 263-5636, ext. 35.
