Joey Montoya insists he’s a fan of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s new playoff format. But the waiting was killing him Friday night.

Montoya got some good news Saturday night when it was confirmed the Hillmen would host a first-round playoff game. Placer will face Foothill Friday night at LeFebvre Stadium after landing a No. 3 seed in the Division IV-A bracket.

The Hillmen will rarely admit to peeking ahead on the bracket, but should they win two playoff games, Lincoln could be awaiting in the section semifinals. The Zebras escaped LeFebvre with a victory last month — Placer’s only loss this season.

“We definitely want a rematch,” senior Conner McKenzie said Friday night. “We’d like to find out who the better team is when it really counts.”

The road to a potential rematch with Lincoln will not be easy. Foothill features one of the top tailbacks in the section – Shavonce Raiford. He’s rushed for 1,610 yards in just nine games, averaging 161 yards per game and more than 8 yards per carry.

The only team to hold Raiford under 100 yards this season? That would be Dixon. The Rams won the Capital Valley Conference for a second straight season and are the No. 2 seed in the IV-A bracket. If both Placer and Dixon win Friday, the two teams would meet in Dixon on Dec. 4. Last year, Placer edged Dixon in the section semifinals.

While Lincoln is a favorite in the IV-A bracket, Sonora and Whitney are intriguing darkhorse teams. They’ll meet in the first round Friday.

The Mustangs, who are coming off an impressive 28-14 win over Rio Linda on Friday, will get a sneak peak at life in the Pioneer Valley League on Friday. Foothill and Center are slated to join the league next fall in realignment.

Placer, hosting its first playoff game since 1982, is fired up for the postseason. The loss to Lincoln put a chink in an otherwise brilliant regular season. The postseason is a chance to wipe the slate clean and go after the prgram’s first section crown since ’82.

“This team has a great bond, which I think can take us far in the playoffs,” McKenzie said.

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Don Verlin’s latest milestone as the University of Idaho basketball coach came in the Vandals’ first action of the season.

The Del Oro graduate guided Idaho to its biggest victory in at least a decade Friday night. The Vandals stunned defending Mountain West champion Utah to open the season.

“It’s a good win,” Verlin told the Salt Lake Tribune. “Any time you can come here and win – when they’ve won 82 percent of their games since they opened the Huntsman Center – it’s a great win for our basketball program.”

Verlin should know. He spent much of his coaching career as an assistant at Utah State where he battled the Utes, both on the court and off the court for recruits in the state.

Last season Verlin, whose twin brother Ron is a longtime assistant coach at Pacific, led Idaho to its best record in 15 years in his first year at the helm. Look for Idaho’s veteran squad to be dangerous in the Western Athletic Conference.