An Army Ranger from Dana Point died Saturday in Wardak province, Afghanistan, the Department of Defense has reported.

Sgt. Tyler N. Holtz, 22, died from wounds suffered during heavy fire with insurgents. As he led his men in an assault against an enemy position, he was shot, according to a release from U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Holtz was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.

Holtz enlisted in 2007 after graduating from Mater Dei High School and served as a rifleman and Ranger Team Leader. This was his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.

Already decorated for his service, Holtz was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart and Joint Service Achievement Medal.

He played as an offensive and defensive lineman during his four years at Mater Dei, the kind of player Coach Bruce Rollinson said he built his program around. Since the weekend, Rollinson said he’d heard from several of Holtz’s former teammates.

“He led by example,” Rollinson said. “No task was too tough. Anything we asked him to do, he just took off and did it.”

As a high school junior, Holtz began to talk about his plans to go into the military. With Holtz’s passion, Rollinson said he knew the young man would be successful.

“It’s a cliché, but he’s the kind of guy we’re very lucky was defending our country,” Rollinson said.

Holtz attended a Mater Dei game last year and met with the coach as the team prayed afterward in the campus’ grotto.

“He was so happy,” Rollinson said.

Holtz is survived by his parents and three brothers.

Contact the writer: ckoerner@ocregister.com or 949-454-7309