Hillmen of 1980 set the standard at LeFebvre
Former Placer stars reflect on undefeated run to state banner
The 1980 Placer High football team was and is the best team in the school’s history. That season concluded with the Hillmen going undefeated with a 12-0 record, winning the Sierra Foothill League title, winning the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title by defeating a powerhouse Ponderosa High team 35-8, and a week later being crowned the No. 1 Division II team in the state. Over four years of high school football, this squad was 42-1. Led by co-head coaches Tom Johnson and Bill Miller, Placer rolled over its early season opponents but saved their best performances for the final three games of the season. In the regular season finale, the Hillmen trounced arch rival and perennial power Nevada Union 30-7. Hosting Manteca, Placer demolished the visiting Buffaloes 36-0 in the section semifinals. In the section championship game, the Hillmen thoroughly outplayed visiting Ponderosa for a 35-8 win. Little did anyone sitting in the stands that chilly November evening know that Placer would not host a playoff game for 29 years. Tonight, Placer will play host to visiting Foothill High for a first round playoff game, ending the long drought. That team was a veritable collection of all-stars. Robert Holscher was the SFL Defensive Player of the Year. The hard-nosed defense also included Kevin Wallace, Guido Metzler, Carl Hanley, Terry Spivey and Phil Sparling. Offensively, Dennis Peck, Bob Crosthwaite, Wayne Davis, Jim Foehr, Jerry Mitchell, Jordie Cassell and Scott Ditty spearheaded a punishing attack. Tom Johnson, co-head coach and defensive coordinator, felt that “This was the most athletically gifted team I have ever coached.” “At every position we had excellent speed and the ability to pursue to the ball,” Johnson said. “We weren’t the biggest team, but we were very strong and had so much athletic ability.” This team’s success in 1980 was no surprise. As freshmen, the 1980 class went 9-0. During their JV campaign the Hillmen were 10-0. Their only loss in four years came during a semifinal playoff game against Ponderosa in ’79. Reflecting back 29 years ago on his senior season , Kevin Wallace, one of the finest linebackers in Placer history and still a local resident, was asked to spend a little time discussing football. Instead, he spoke effusively on the bond that was formed between players and between coaches. “I can’t say enough about Bill Miller and Tom Johnson,” Wallace said. “I have no words to express my appreciation to those two. Whenever I think of them, a big smile lights up my face. They were exceptional coaches and they shaped so many lives in a positive manner” Scott Ditty, the quick guard, in Miller’s offense, now lives in Utah where he is a high school PE teacher and football coach. Tonight, his team will be playing for the 4A state championship. “Our coaches taught us life lessons,” Ditty said. “They are lessons that I still use today in my personal life and lessons that I try to impart to my team. We were taught to handle adversity. In football, adversity is around every corner, and we were coached on how to handle it. In life, just as in football, there will be adversity; I feel I can handle setbacks because I played football at Placer. Coaches Miller and Johnson stressed that our team was a family. If you didn’t try your hardest, you were letting your family down. Our formula for success: teamwork, unity, enthusiasm and hard work are all life lessons that I have carried from football and hope to pass on to my players.” Tonight’s home playoff game comes full circle with 1980. Joey Montoya is Miller’s grandson and no doubt the life lessons discussed by the 1980 squad will be learned by the 2009 version of Placer football.
Fast Facts on the Hillmen of '80 · Scott Ditty spent 15 years in Hollywood making a living as an actor. He is best remembered as a prison guard in the star-studded action movie, “ConAir.” · Their only loss in four years was at the hands of a Ponderosa High team led by running back Bryce Ogelsby who would go on to star at the college level. · Under coaches Johnson and Miller, the Hillmen wore uniforms identical to the Green Bay Packers. · The football team would charge out onto the field with the theme song to “Peter Gunn” blaring. · From 1975 through 1981, Placer won five CIF championships. Ponderosa won two. · Throughout the 1970s and early ‘80s, the Placer players would shave their respective heads before the start of the season. It was a sign of team unity.
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I love reading how good that team was;they were good. A bunce of gentlemen as well,if I remember correct. But, I played on the defense that shut them out and held them to under 100 yards total offense. And now I'm a huge Hillmen fan.
robeaux, who did play for? I don't remember being shut out.... Glad your a Hillmen fan now though.
Mission Viejo,you beat us 6-0 on an int.for a td.I put up 4 of your guys at my house and hung out w/ your team afterwards. We got beat in our playoffs;underachieved.But did beat the Orange County champions and almost beat you;so I guess those are our highlights.
Mr Krizman- Great article, enjoyed the nostalgia. But I think several players from the first 3 championship teams would beg to differ with who was the best, especially the '75 squad. I noticed that you talked to Coach Johnson, who I believe was Co-Head Coach for DEFENSE. I am curious as to what Co-Head Coach Miller for OFFENSE would say. No knock on the '80 squad, nothing but respect for that team, as we're all members of the same Hillmen family and kudos to them for their accomplishment. This discussion as to who is/was the 'best' has come up before in all good fun amongst our championship teams.
In fact, the first 3 championship squads only had the benefit of 11 games to play during their reigning seasons, whereas the 80 squad had an extra game in which to play a SoCal team. And congrats to the 80 squad for winning it. The '75 squad that went 11-0, had quite an Offense, and hard to top such players as: Craig Riggs, Dave Grayson, Rex Casbeer, Russ Phillips(RIP), Eric Hilderbrandt, Russ Nickles, Randy Kennedy, Bob Bradley, Scott Moeller, Brett Brown and Frank Pinguelo. Let's see...the '75 Offense scored a total of 325 pts in their regulaar season play, while the Defense only allowed 70 pts. Further, in the playoffs, the Offense scored an additional 72 pts, while the Defense only allowed 12 pts. That was 52-6 against St.Marys at LeFevre Stadium in Auburn and 20-6 against Manteca at Guss Schmidt Field in Manteca....continued
...continued
That made the total points scored by the '75 Bill Miller-led Offensive juggernaut 397, while a strong Tom Johnson-led Defensive unit only allowed 70 pts for the entire season!! That averages out to almost 37 pts per game scoring while only allowing 6 pts per game.
Again a great article and Kudos to the '80 squad for their accomplishments. But again the first 3 championship teams laid the foundation for the '80 and '81 squads. BTW, you just might want to interview Co-Head Coach Offense Bill Miller as to what his opinion might be on the comparison, as several team members question the overall validity as to who is the 'best'.
TO THE 2009 HILLMEN GOOD LUCK TONIGHT IN THE CIF PLAYOFFS AND KEEP THE WINNING TRADITION GOING. WE'RE ALL BEHIND YOU...Placer Alum
A quick clarification....there was only 58 pts allowed in regular season play by the '75 Defensive squad, with an overal 70 pts for the year.
Again, great article and good luck to the 2009 PHS team in the CIF playoffs tonight against Foothill.
Son of Placer
You're right. The teams before paved the way to 1980's championship, as did the team before you.
The Placer program was built on a great foundation.
As a member of the first State Championship Team, thank you for setting us up for success.
The 1977 team still holds the record for shutouts in a season. I imagine we fared better on the defensive stats. :)
OH SOOO BITTER SWEET TO COME BACK 29YRS LATER AND SIT AT THE BLEACHERS AGAIN( CLASS OF 82) AND TO SEE MY SENIOR @ A HOME PLAYOFF GAME....LOVE YOU MY #58. "LEAVE NO DOUBT" YOU ARE A CHAMPION. AND TO MY NEPHEW #22 YOU HAVE ONE MORE YEAR TO CONTINUE THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOO...GO HILLMEN."THERE IS NO DOUBT WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS"
robeaux, wow how cool that you played for MV. I would love to talk to you for a while. That was a real Def battle I had three sacks in that one, our OLB Phil Sparling had about 4 or 5. MV is a great program then and now!
To all the Hillmen bros, Hard to say who was the best between the three undefeated teams but I will say that 75,76 and 77 created a legacy for the rest of us even in 79 and 80 we up to you guys and we kicked @#$@# because we wanted what you guys had and were not going to let you down. When I tell people about my HS football I never talk about 1980 alone without bragging about the other title teams. I believe that at a place like Placer each year the team plays for all who came before and all who come after. That's the beauty of being an Hillmen!
Dowaa:
What's up with you?
I haven't seen you in years and waht a great article about you and the 1980 team...
You and Kevbo!
It's pretty cool to have a winning team again.
Further...the 75 team starting defense averaged only about 2 quarters of play. The opponents had been so thoroughly spanked by the half time that it was not civilized to subject them to the sheer brutality of the Placer defense, whom, it would be prudent to note, simply defied opposing offenses, denied territory, and put an average of 1 starting offensive player out of the game, per game.
In our workouts, our defensive practice was not complete if less than 5 players were not in on a tackle. That play had to be repeated before we were rationed our share of raw meet and homework.
Surely I boast, and don't ever call me Shirley, but seriously, the 75 team would rather rip out your lungs as talk to you. It was just good and healthy sport. The 59 points that we gave up was due to our 2nd unit spending most of the time on the field. Our scores at half time put us no less than 25 points ahead of our opponents, so who knows how low can you go if we had stayed in the game. Who cares either?
We were all part of the 80 success, but those guys were the bomb no doubt about that! But someone put it well, we always spoke in terms of we. It was never the 75 team without the others included. One just has to be inside the picture or outside. It was sweat, blood and excellence that made this happen, and a tenacity that possibly still goes un-paralleled.