Del Oro football player dies in Rocklin crash

One month after celebrating an improbable high school football championship, the community of Loomis was grieving Sunday the traffic-related death of a member of the title-winning Del Oro Golden Eagles.

Senior Ronny Andrews played on the Del Oro football team that made history by overcoming a 2-6 start to win the CIF State Championship. Andrews died in a car accident Saturday night, school officials said.

“Ronny was a good kid, really well liked,” said Del Oro coach Casey Taylor. “He was a team guy, a glue guy. For this to happen, it’s so sad. I know he enjoyed his football experience. It’s just so sad, a shame.”

According to the Rocklin Police Department, which didn’t release the victim’s name, a lone vehicle traveling north on Park Drive near Villa Serena Circle lost control and struck a tree about 10:45 p.m.

Officers discovered the driver of the car already dead. A passenger was taken to a hospital but was expected to survive, police said.

Rocklin police asked any witnesses to contact them at 916-625-5400.

At Del Oro High School, coaches and administrators are scheduled to meet at the Loomis campus on Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, to discuss bringing in counselors Tuesday to help students deal with grief.

Andrews, a 6-foot-1, 220 pound guard and defensive tackle, was described as an inspirational player, on a team that staged a ferocious seasonal comeback. It finished 10-6 with an eight-game winning streak that culminated in a title.

The team crowned its journey with an upset 16-6 win over undefeated Camarillo High School in the CIF State Division II-AA finals at California State University, Sacramento, last month. It was the first time in history that a team with six losses went on to win a CIF state title. Days later, Del Oro players, coaches, faculty and fans basked in a community parade.

This story was originally published January 17, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Del Oro football player dies in Rocklin crash."