PITTSFIELD — Four years ago, when Jim Ziter took over a doormat Taconic Football program, he brought along a sizable crop of underclassmen on the varsity roster.

That original roster in Ziter’s first year didn’t include the name Devon Walker. He was a freshman in the stands watching the Braves Week 1 victory over St. Joseph. On the field were a bunch of his classmates and friends, guys he grew up playing football with.