Hillmen headed to title game
Wild fourth quarter rally lifts Placer
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Video by MaxPreps Sports
The Placer High football team is improbably headed back to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title game. Dalton Dyer did a double-take when he heard the play call from coach Joey Montoya late in the fourth quarter. But the Placer High senior made no mistake with the first pass attempt of his varsity football career. Dyer's halfback pass to Cameron Southward on fourth and 7 set up his 3-yard touchdown run one play later. Asher Gotzmer then dashed around end with the decisive two-point conversion as the Hillmen fought past Sonora for a 15-14 victory. "I don't think I've ever run faster," said Gotzmer, who outran a pair of defenders to the corner of the end zone. "We were just fighting for another week and we weren't going to let them take it from us." Placer will face undefeated Modesto Christian next Friday in Stockton in the Division IV title game. The Crusaders beat Central Catholic Friday. Placer won its first two playoff games in decisive fashion. Sonora proved a worthy foe from the opening kickoff. The Wildcats hogged the ball, running 68 offensive plays in the game. The Hillmen ran 40. The Wildcats were in good shape after a punishing 85-yard drive that drained nearly eight minutes off the clock. Brendon Kamler came down with a deflected pass in the end zone and Ryan Emeral booted the extra point to give the visitors a 14-7 lead with 7 minutes, 20 seconds left in the game. The Sonora defense stalled Placer's ensuing drive at midfield, but Montoya went to his bag of tricks on fourth and 7. Dyer took a handoff and sped to the right, pulling up and throwing a spiral to a wide-open Southward, who hauled the pass in for a 44-yard gain. "I can't believe he called that," Dyer said. "I'm so happy right now I can't even talk." The Wildcats had two more shots at a go-ahead score. They drove into Placer territory, but Placer's Aaron Maddox broke up Emerald's fourth down pass. After the Hillmen went three-and-out, Sonora had one last chance. But Jarrad Weaver ambushed Emerald, knocking the ball out of his hands and recovering the fumble to ice the victory. "When you're in there and you know you've got your brothers behind you, I just love it," Weaver said. Southward put Placer in front midway through the second quarter, taking a slant pass from Collin Burnett 17 yards for a touchdown. Sonora answered immediately to tie the score just before halftime.
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This sucks!
WOW!!!!
Sorry I couldn't be there but it is my brother's 60th birthday party. What a great team, great coaches and great heart!
Dr Bill Kirby
Who the hell is Raymond73 and what a lousy comment.
Dr Bill Kirby
Hmmmm...I thought it was 15-14.
Anyway, I was listening on the radio and thought Placer blew it when they couldn't hold the ball for the last 2-1/2 minutes of the game. Scary!
Big congrats, Placer. I guess the old Hillmen can still play up and win like they used to. :)
I believe the score was 15 to 14 thanks to Montoya's gutsy 2 point play. Let's go HILLMEN!!!!
2 great games hillmen win and do comes back from down 35-7 to beat folsom...what a nite for football in the foothills
Great Job Hillmen!
Go get a ring you have worked hard and it is your time!
Amazing!! Great call going for 2 placer; also d.o doing the same in their house!hey dalton great pass!!! What a great friday night. Hey "RAYMOND" its o.k sweety. need a hug??? Let's see the studs in green@gold close the show and bring home a section title! Great play calling joey!
What an awesome game a dogfight from beginning to end!
What an awesome game tonight! Placer is one step away from the Title. Can I see ring's in the near future? Watch out Modesto, because here we come! And Aaron Maddox, I am so proud of you. Go get them PHS.....Bring that Title home.
"It's great to be a Hillmen!"
Both Placer and Del Oro had very close games but they both won.
Way to Go!
raymond, you shouldnt have used your IQ in your user name. This is High school football. Win or lose, nothing sucked about it. IT IS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY!!!
CONGRATULATIONS! What a tremendous game; so glad I could be there. What a night for the Foothills. Take heart and have a great game next week...Go Hillmen!
Congrats Joey and to ALL the Hillmen.....GREAT, GREAT WIN--what a nail biter it must have been!!! You have done an incredible job since coming back to Placer Joey....I believe that this year's season finally puts all those past naysayers in their place. You have proved that 'once a Hillmen....always a Hillmen'!!!
Keep up the good work--
Great Job Placer! Two awesome games last night. both very close! and both teams prevailed.
I wasn't there, but heard from friends that all of auburn was there! those that weren't were listening on the
radio or calling friends (such as me) to find out the score every 10 minutes. While we are faced with many challenges
today, it's these moments that "Leave No Doubt!" and "It's DoAble" that give us all a simile and something pleasant to
think about. Good luck next week!!! Next weeks win would be a great early Christmas present for us all.
Congratulations Hillmen!
What a great game. We are so proud of you guys and so happy for you. You have worked so hard this year.once
You have proven once gain what a TEAM can do when all of you have the same goal in your mind and in you heart.
You believe!
Sonora's coaching staff was very complimentary of all of you. They said they knew they were in for a fight from the moment they watched film on us and to go win the next one.
Way to go Hillgals!
Oh Cleveland_Steamer Why the long face? WE ARE GOING TO THE SHOW!!!!!! Like we said before...at Placer we LEAVE NO DOUBT!
I WISH I WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO LEAVE A COMMENT - SORRY HILLMEN FANS. I WOULD CORDIALLY LIKE TO INVITE THE LIKES OF RAYMOND73,CLEVELAND,CALITEX,NOCALZEB, BOOZER21 AND THE REST OF YOU HATERS, TO GO HOME AND STAY THERE.SO SAD THAT YOU FIND IT NECESSARY TO BE NEGATIVE ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL TEAM.GO SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN,YOUR TEAM,YOUR COMMUNITY IN WHICH EVER WAY YOU CHOOSE;WE DON'T CARE.YOU CONTINUE TO LITTER THIS SITE W/ TRASH;IT'S UNCALLED FOR & UNWANTED.GO DRINK & COMPLAIN SOMEWHERE ELSE.BY THE WAY,MY USERNAME IS MY NAME(ROB),MY SON'S # IS 62,I PLAYED FOR MISSION VIEJO AND I LOVE THIS TEAM.I PLAYED A LOT OF BALL IN MY DAY AND I'LL SWEAR TO MY SAVIOR THAT THIS IS THE BEST CHARACTER TEAM THAT I'VE EVER BEEN AROUND.THESE YOUNG MEN DESERVE YOUR SUPPORT.IF YOU'LD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT NEGATIVITY,I'D BE HAPPY TO LISTEN AND TRY TO HELP.NOW,STOP TRASH TALKING OR GO HOME.
Sorry Bruiser but I was RIGHT AGAIN. Great job Hillmen and Coach Montoya's guts and belief in his players and that Half back option with Dalton will be forever embedded into my sports HIGHLIGHTS at any level. LEAVE NO DOUBT AND GO GET MODESTO CHRISTIAN AND BRING HOME A CHAMPIONSHIP!
PLAYERS AND COACHES:THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU! THIS SEASON HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE. YOU'VE CREATED MEMORIES THAT WE WILL ALL CHERISH FOREVER. IT IS TRULY SPECIAL WHEN YOUR HARD WORK & DEDICATION TURN INTO THIS KIND OF SUCCESS. BUT IT'S YOUR HEART,CHARACTER,AND TEAM UNITY THAT HAS TURNED YOU INTO CHAMPIONS. YOU'VE BROUGHT PASSION TO FOOTBALL FIELD AND ALL OF OUR LIVES.YOUR SCHOOL,COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU.THANK YOU AGAIN.NOW GO OUT THERE AND HUMBLE MODESTO CHRISTIAN;IT'S YOUR DESTINY - NOT THEIRS. GO HILLMEN!
Great game HILLMEN! You have the hearts of Champions and proved it tonight by not allowing the small errors to get you down. You shook them off quickly and came back more ferocious than before. The biggest shout goes out to the Placer LINEMEN! Your heart and stronger than your size play and protection of Colin allowed the execution of each play. Excellent play Colin, Gotzmer, Dyer, Klem, Southward, McKenzie and all others who's names escape me...Great job Coach Montoya! Balls the size of an elephants for sure but with these players you had faith in their ability.
You guys deserve the Section Championship match with Modesto Christian. A Championship will be hard fought and earned but that is what really makes the victory sweet. Joey Montoya will give you the plan and your heart will decide the game. Leave no doubt! 100% the whole game...The Whole Game and NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER QUIT... NEVER!
Much respect to the PACER and WHITNEY nation for your awesome support.
Hey AJ! How about writing up a story about our D-Line before the season ends? Those boys play their hearts out day in, and day out. We would like to see them get at least a little credit. Sonora had the most deceptive offense I've ever see, next only to our Hillmen. Our D-Line was able to shut them down better than even Lincoln did...and we know well how good Lincoln's D-Line is!!!! How about it Auburn Journal?
oops I misspelled "seen" ... maybe I took too many shots to the head over the years?
one more thing (for now) Thanks to all the "other"fans who came out in support of our boys! On the Placer side I saw Colfax, Whitney, Lincoln, and our Friends from Grant. Thanks for all your support! Hope to see you in Stockton! Grant...See you tonight! Go Pacers!
Congrats Hillmen. Great athletes step up when their number is called, And you gotta love a coach that has the balls to call it. One game to go. Good luck in Stockton
What an incredible season for this team! Congratulations on your victory in a very tough battle. What an awesome show of support at the game last night. You guys have played your hearts out and will be remembered as one of the greats in Hillmen history. Hillmen fans, let’s bring a huge crowd down to Stockton on Friday.
BTW- Whoever that guy was that Hijacked the after game speech- COOCOO! Dude, get some help! Sober up.
It must have been very difficult for the coaching staff to say "I gotta guy" when all of you played your hearts out...
Love you guys!
richcrane,
You don't know anything about the guy. Leave it...
@robeaux the best way to handle the haters is to just skip right over it.its actualy pretty funny when you think about it! Come next saturday morning I would love to read how our section title is a fluke or some other drivle.bring the haters because( we) know that none of it can take away what these young men have been doing. Great job d-line!!!! I was having a hell of a time trying to find the ball all night and I didn't have someone blocking me! The line and the as a whole did great! "Your studs"
"Coming Home" to watch the guys take it to Sonora was incredable. The Hillmen pride is as strong as ever! Thanks for picking up the torch and taking it into the next decade. Being a Hillmen on that state championship team in '80 was something that I and my bothers in arms that year will remember the rest of our lives. I for one, am proud to see the championship ways return. Take it to'm next week guys. We're all with you in Spirit. Once a Hillmen, Always a Hillmen!
Mitchell
Ballaholic: YOU CRACK ME UP!!!!! Hillmen is plural, isn't it? "it's great to be A HillmEn?? Well, I figure you must be beside yourself with excitement! :-)
Of course Colfax sat on the Placer side...we wear GREEN as well. Actually, it's more enjoyable getting a "Front View" of your outstanding marching band and it's closer to the snack bar and you have a better view than the "starter kit" stands on the other side!
GOOD LUCK HILLMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn’t agree more. It was a great game! I’m so proud of these boys and Coach, M. It took serious antlers for the coach to make a call like that. Hillman, you have so much to be proud of. I can’t wait to go to Stockton. I hope many fellow auburnites go and support these boys. Congratulations.
Easy Robeaux, I havent bad mouthed placer, read my posts in the past couple weeks. In fact I stayed off of here because Lincoln's season was over, so I let the Placer fans do their thing here w/o comment from me as it should be. I stated several times Placer is very good and hope they pul it out, check it out for yourself. Your referring to stuff from the regular season game, its called completitive spirit. Lets be honest there was plenty of griping from both sides on that one, you cant deny that. Once my team was out, I gave Placer thier just due, so pop a xanax, relax and congrats to placer and good luck on next game. That being said, clown poster keyon will never get the same admonition form me.
Are people really bashing eachother on a newspaper's webpage comment section? About high school sports?
Anyway --- Way to go Hillmen, Way to go! Goodluck next week Green and Gold!!
Robeaux- RIGHT ON!! And Edv3rd you are RIGHT ON!! Just ignore the haters and go get your ring, and don't let anyone try and tell you they never talked smack, or called it 'competitive spirit', cuz it wasn't. Nuf said. This here Whit fan was at your game and it was unbelievable! I saw two great teams playing their hearts out and it could have gone either way. The Hillmen have played hard all season and they've got one more game to get it done. When you walk out of Linc-S HS on Friday, LEAVE NO DOUBT to the Modesto Christian team.
CONGRATS HILLMEN!!!
PS- farnorcalzeb, dudette it's cool cuz I want nothin' from you. BTW thanks for all the laffs this season, and it was all just 'competitive spirit'...LOL
Well I finally got done reading!!, Absolutely Fantastic game fellas, the electricity in the stadium was there all night, and at the end it really showed why you want to play at home. Yes, it took some real Antlers on a couple of those calls!! " WE GOTTA TEAM" and a superb coaching staff, from Joey on down, these guys are really doing a great job. From the mouth of Coach Bill Miller, down on the field after the game, "This was a huge WIN!!!" What a neat neat story all the way back to three years ago. Well time to get to work guys, we are taking the show to Stockton on Fri. See you all there, Team, Coaches, Band, Cheer, Alumni, and Fans. what a package!!! PHSJAZZ1978
PS, Bruiser must have lost our address??
Correction: Weaver's first name is JERRAD. Way to go Placer!! You have shown yourselves to be first class citizens both on and off the field. You are so fortunate to have such an INCREDIBLE coaching staff! Keep working together, and play your hearts out next week!!
Good Job Placer! Way to keep on representin' the PVL! Finish strong boys!!!!
How is Placer dealing with the snow and school closures? I can't imagine practicing inside on the basketball floor is a very effective way to get ready for a very good Modesto Christian team. Maybe they can come down the hill a bit and use the empty fields at Whitney or Lincoln. :^)