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Rival Schools Team Up To Repaint El Dorado Hills Rocks In Honor Of Former Coach

EL DORADO HILLS (CBS13) - The well-known rocks in El Dorado Hills are st the center of another painting controversy. This time over a tribute to a beloved football coach. But today controversy turned into a show of community.

The Oak Ridge/Folsom rivalry is fierce. So when a tribute to former Oak Ridge football coach Jason Clark was painted over with the opposing team's logo, it was a call for a timeout.

Asst. coach Mark Watson said, "Somebody that would do that is stupid."

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Clark died in January 2019 from complications related to pneumonia, leaving behind a wife and five children. He was a loving father and mentor to many on and off the field.

"Jason believed in people...he is the guy when you talked with him, he talked to you -- about you," said Watson.

He left a lasting impression on the entire community. That's why Friday morning when students at Folsom High heard the rocks memorializing him had been painted over they took action.

Folsom student Isabel Beccera said, "All of our class was so disappointed our name was on the rock-so we were like, 'we can't have that.' So we went and got supplies at Walmart and painted it."

They teamed up with Oak Ridge students.

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Oak Ridge student Tessa Roeder said, "It was really the community coming together for the good, really."

By 1 p.m. Friday, the teens had made it right. Clark's widow, Andrea, a Folsom High grad herself, heard about it before the paint had even dried and was thankful.

"Our support and team and our tribe has just come out in tremendous ways for us since Jan. We literally couldn't be doing it today without everybody's support," said Clark.

From a scholarship fund to a so-called blackout of his t-shirts at the game, it's something the entire community is proud of.

"I think it shows teamwork and community spirit and everything both teams stand for," said a Folsom parent.

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