'Palmer's a firecracker:' Son of Florida softball coach Tim Walton sparks turnaround for Buchholz

Buchholz boys basketball embarked on a magical season in 2024.

At 17-10, the Bobcats are hosting a regional playoff game for the first time since 2015 and won more games than in any season in at least 15 years.

The success can be attributed to the final chapter of a Gainesville family synonymous with athletic excellence:

The Waltons.

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Palmer Walton, son of UF softball head coach Tim Walton and former Oral Roberts basketball star Samantha Walton, is averaging a team-leading 16.7 PPG for the ‘Cats.

In addition, he leads the squad in rebounds, steals, blocks, free throw and three-point percentage.

Harris sparks change

Palmer has seen three coaches in four years, but he proclaimed the Bobcats found the right man this season in Elliot Harris.

The former Santa Fe coach captained the Raiders to their first state title game appearance in 2021 but lost in OT to Pine Crest, led by future NBA top five picks – the Thompson twins (Amen and Ausar).

He retired after that season, but Buchholz Athletic Director Ron Brooks coaxed him out.

“I wondered why he’d want to coach again, but then I realized really quick how much he loves the game,” Palmer said. “He’s really helped me out.”

Palmer added that Harris asks him for his opinion in timeouts. The coach noted that he and Palmer make a good combo due to their mutual and fiery passion.

“Palmer is a firecracker. He can get as animated as I can,” Harris said. “He leads by example. He’s not much of a talker, but you know he’s going to go out there and ball.”

The real basketball mind of the family

Much of that Palmer’s dedication and devotion comes not from Tim, but from Samantha – the former D-I star.

“She’ll just yell at me. I’ll take it, but then I’ll realize ‘oh man, she’s right,’” Palmer said. “Most of my shooting stuff is through her. She tells me how I can be the best shooter.”

Samantha said she spends most games on pins and needles, especially when Palmer struggles shooting.

“I know too many things to just sit and enjoy the game,” Samantha said.

As a true basketball mind, Samantha said she receives the most satisfaction when Palmer is moving without the ball and directing others on offense and defense.

“We talked about being smart with the ball, without the ball on offense, on defense, in transition,” Samantha said.

Samantha usually sits in the top corner of the Buchholz side at Bud Seymour Gymnasium. She takes videos of much of the game, which she said helps keep her getting too rowdy and earned her the moniker of “team mom.”

Family presence keeps Palmer focused

For nearly every game, Tim has accompanied her, despite a grueling practice schedule for softball.

Tim attended 25 of Buchholz’s 27 games this season. Palmer’s sister, Camden, recently graduated from UF and also attends all his games.

The senior believes all this family support helps him play better.

“It keeps me motivated, especially when my shot isn’t falling,” Palmer said. “Just to get some advice when I’m walking to the tunnel and walking out.”

As a coach, Tim knows when teams hold good or bad chemistry, and he acknowledged Harris instilled great chemistry into Buchholz.

“It doesn’t matter who comes out of the game. They’re all equal,” Tim said. “Watch them on the bench. They’re rooting for each other.”

As Harris said, Palmer sets the tempo for that attitude. In the Walton house, Samantha instills it in him. Whenever they leave the house, Samantha tells her kids to first be a good teammate.

“I’ve instilled that in him, but he also has a good basketball IQ,” Samantha said. “He understands it doesn’t matter who scores the most points. We need points from anyone to win.”

Black and gold runs through the Walton blood

Tim has coached Florida since 2005 and won two Women’s College World Series. As such, the Waltons have become dedicated members of the Gainesville community.

“When I got the job here, I got a five-year contract, and we didn’t do Florida Prepaid since the two softball coaches before me were fired,” Tim laughed. “To have the ability to live in one place as a Division I coach is a very rare thing.”

Orange and blue runs through the Walton blood first and foremost, but a very close second is black and gold. Each of the Walton children attended Buchholz, with Brooks playing baseball and Camden basketball and swimming.

With Palmer graduating in May, Tim said he doesn’t know what he and Samantha will do.

“We’ve gone to Buchholz sports for 10 consecutive years,” Tim said. “I’m not usually one to sport anything for any school besides the Gators, but it’s going to be weird to not put on the black and gold.”

Tim and Samantha have at least one more opportunity to don the black and gold as fourth-seeded Buchholz hosts fifth-seeded Forest Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Class 6A-Region 1 Quarterfinals.

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Palmer Walton, son of Florida softball coach Tim Walton, helps Buchholz