The Placer High boys basketball team already owns a couple of tournament championship trophies this season. The Hillmen would gladly trade both of those for the chance to raise the Kendall Arnett Tournament title in Earl Crabbe Gym this week.

On Monday, the annual Kendall Arnett Tournament will tip off for the 68th time. It’s the longest running boys basketball tournament in California and the highlight of the season for the Placer players.

“I’ve been coming and watching it since I was a kid so to play in it now is a dream come true,” Placer junior Darren Centi said. “As a team we’re really focused on it. It’s our tournament and of course we want to win it. Coach (Mark) Lee talks about the history of it and we want to keep the tradition of us doing well here alive.”

Senior Michael Jensen has teamed with Centi to form a dynamic backcourt in December. Jensen was the MVP at both the Antelope Christmas Classic and the Rail City Classic in Sparks Nev. earlier this month.

The Hillmen (7-5) are coming off a loss to Oakmont last Tuesday as they prepare to face Mira Loma (6-5) in the first round Monday at 8 p.m.

“They’re big and athletic,” Centi said of the Matadors. “But we’ve prepared and I think we match up well with them.”

Placer has not won the Arnett title since 2004. The hosts will be gunning for their 28th championship in the tournament, which was originally called theBlock P Tournament when it began in 1942.

Del Oro hasn’t hoisted the Kendall Arnett championship trophy since 1986, when it beat Colfax in the title game. The Eagles lost in the third-place game to Placer last season.

“It’s a tournament we’re really happy to be a part of,” Del Oro coach Geoff Broyles said. “There’s a ton of tradition there. It’s local, we get to stay at home and it’s a great gym to play in. There’s always some really good teams there.”

The Golden Eagles will clash with Colfax in an intriguing first-round showdown. The Falcons have looked very good early this season, led by much-improved center Ryan Salmonson.

“It’s a tough matchup for us,” Broyles said. “They’ve got a lot of size and they’re very physical. We’re going to have to play very well to beat them.”

Even with all its success in recent years, Colfax has never won the Kendall Arnett title.

In the tournament’s opening game, Bear River will face San Juan at 3:30 p.m. The scrappy Bruins (7-3) have played well in December despite losing the school’s all-time leading scorer Patrick Scott to graduation last June. Junior point guard Zach Welz has played well along with senior forward Jordan Beskeen and senior guard Johnny Jewett.

San Juan (7-3) played for the Arnett title last season and coach Erich Wohlenberg’s team will be a tough out again this year. Senior Kevin Stroughter is athletic and strong in the paint while senior Jordan Ball is a smooth playmaker at guard.

Monday’s second game features a matchup of two schools that dominated the gridiron in the fall — Nevada Union and Del Campo. The Miners won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title while the Cougars were the Division III champs.

On the court, Nevada Union is 7-4. The Miners won the 2008 Arnett title behind MVP Mark Kendall, but he graduated. Senior forward Peter McDonald leads Nevada Union, averaging over 17 points per game.

Del Campo is 4-6 on the year after playing a tough non-league slate. Senior forward Dylan Ottaway leads a balanced Cougars attack, averaging just under 11 points per game.