All posts by Renee Christensen

Summer Ball Begins June 22!

The 2020 Placer Hillmen football season is beginning!!!  

Varsity and JV will start summer ball Monday June 22 and the Frosh will start the 29th. Varsity will practice from 9-12 and JV from 2-5 Monday through Thursday. Unlike the original schedule, instead of ending on the 2nd of July we will end Thursday July 16th and will be off until the July 27th. 

Protocols outlined by Placer Union High School District and Placer County, such as daily temperature checks will be followed. Team moms will email out to the Hillmen Football families how it will work. If you haven’t heard from your team mom, email us at [email protected] and we’ll make sure you’re on the email list.

Players will need to go online and get cleared like they do for the season. Go to this Placer Athletics Website to find the Athletics Registration link (where they go to get cleared) and the link for the Physical Form. THEY DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A PHYSICAL done for summer (22/29) but will need to have it done by the official start of the 27th of July (we highly recommend they get it done ASAP). 

As we get more information on the schedule, etc., we will share it here and on the Hillmen Football Facebook and Twitter pages.

Go Hillmen!

Welcome, Hillmen Frosh!

Hello Future Hillmen Football Parents and Players,

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during these challenging times. Despite there being a lot of questions about this up and coming season, we wanted to send this email to get out ahead of the optimistic chance we have a season this Fall. First, let me say that your child’s health and safety is our number one concern and we will be vigilant as always to accomplish this.

Traditionally we would meet with your child during the Spring at their school to get out the information about the summer schedule and then would start practice the week after they get out of school on June 8th. During the summer practice the frosh staff implements the base offense and defense, the basic fundamentals and our conditioning program . As of today, we cannot have summer practice until the official start of Fall practice on July 27th but this could change at any point. CIF who mandates our schedule and dead weeks has pushed back the July dead week to July 20th. This means if we get the green light that we are safe to practice we could start up Summer practice at any time. Summer practice would be Monday through Thursday from 3-530.

We are so excited to work with your son/daughter at Placer and their time here will be a life changing experience. If your child is interested in playing football this fall please email our Frosh Head Coach Jim Packheiser at [email protected]

Thank you and Go Hillmen!!

Joey Montoya
Head Football Coach Physical Education Teacher

Find more information on hillmenfootball.org

Dates to plan for:
-June 8-July 17: Summer practice IF we get permission to start. M-Thursday 3-5:30. The pamphlet included will need to be filled out and turned in the first day we start. The price will vary depending on start date.

-July 27th the official start of the season 3pm in the stadium (ending around 5:45) Important note: your child will need to be cleared online through our school by the start of the 27th. This includes getting a physical, filling out the information and also the donation. You can accomplish this at this website: Placer’s main athletic page online. (See the “Athletics Registration” and “Registration Instruction Sheet” links in the center of the page)

August 1st: Stuff the helmet fundraiser (times and locations TBA)

2020 Kids Camp (Postponed until further notice)

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have had to postpone our kids camp. We are hoping to have it in August. Check back here for updates!

Come to the 2020 Placer Football Kids Camp! Open to all kids in grades 3-8!* Just complete the attached flyer, submit it and $70 to Teri Bequette at Placer (or bring it by 9:30 AM the first day of camp), and your kids are all set for four days of a fun, non-contact, Hillmen Football experience–learning from Placer coaches and players!

Date: TBD
Time: 12-2 PM
Place: Placer High School practice field

*This year we will also be offering a camp for 6-8 year olds if there’s enough interest. Email Chris Ferreira ([email protected]) to get on the list.

Go Hillmen!

2020 Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, March 14

Location: Placer High Cafeteria

Time: 7:30-11:00 AM

Come to the 2020 Placer Hillmen Football Pancake Breakfast!

Come support Placer Football and eat a delicious pancake breakfast prepared by the Auburn Jeep Club and sponsored by Pizza Express Auburn! For a $5 donation you’ll get pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice!

Tickets available at the door or from Placer Football players.

See you there!

Go Hillmen!

Code of the Hillmen: Pain is temporary, pride is forever!

Some thoughts on our last game and the 2019 season from Coach Erik Egan:

It’s always tough after the last game every year having kids come up to me upset and apologizing because they didn’t bring it home. It’s one of the few times I am not sure what to say to them because I know at that moment they are speaking from a place of raw emotion. But the truth is, these kids have nothing to be sorry for. Losing the last game is disappointing yes, but they didn’t let me down. 

Each week they left it all on the field, which is all one can really ask. Wins and losses matter, but 10 years from now, I won’t remember the scores of games or final records. However, I will always remember the relationships I formed with these young men and the memories we had, and in some cases, those relationships will be life long ones.

Getting to know who a kid is when the shoulder pads and helmet comes off, is one of the greatest pleasures. Every kid is unique. They come from all walks of life and each has a different story to tell. To watch them grow from boys to men from the beginning to the end of their high school careers is what makes it all worth it. It means more to me than any championship ever could.

Be sorry that it’s over, but don’t be sorry ’cause you think you let me down……’cause you didn’t. Each of you boys on some level taught me something that I will carry on with me throughout the years. I will be forever grateful to you for that.

Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of your team and your lives this year, and for you seniors, the last 3-4 years. It’s been a heck of a ride.

Hillmen Pride

Placer ended the 2019 season as the 2019 Foothill Valley League Champions: with 10 wins and 3 losses. It was their 8th league championship in a row! Here are some more amazing facts about 2019:

Of Placer’s 13 opponents, 11 made the playoffs;

Of Placer’s 3 losses, two became Section champions (Manteca, Cardinal Newman) and one was the Division 2 Section runner-up (Whitney);

Placer defeated a defending State Champion (Rio Linda) and two defending Section Champions (Bishop O’Dowd, Eureka);

Placer vanquished a previously unbeaten school (Buhach Colony) and ended their season;

Placer went undefeated in the Foothill Valley League as the school with the smallest enrollment.

And when the team took its traditional FVL champion picture at midfield, they made sure that jersey number 44 was on display, as their teammate was recovering from season-ending knee surgery and could not be there.

In the best of times, in the worst of times, and at all times: it’s great to be a Hillman!

Placer vs Buhach Colony: SJS Div III Semifinal

After defeating the Yuba City Honkers in Round 2, the Hillmen have moved on to the semifinals! Placer will be playing the Buhach Colony Thunder of Atwater on Friday, November 22, at 7 PM at home! #GoHillmen!

Look for updates here and on the Hillmen Football Facebook page, on our Twitter, and/or sign up for the Hillmen Football Newsletter!

SJS Div III Playoffs Round 2: Placer vs Yuba City

Round 1 of the playoffs is complete and the Round 2 games are now set! Placer will be playing the Yuba City Honkers on Friday, November 15, at 7 PM at home! #GoHillmen!

Look for updates here and on the Hillmen Football Facebook page, on our Twitter, and/or sign up for the Hillmen Football Newsletter!

2019 Sac-Joaquin Div III Playoff Bracket!

Placer has been given the #2 seed in the Division 3 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs! We have a bye in Round 1 and will play the winner of the Christian Brothers/Yuba City Round 1 game in Round 2 on November 15, at 7 PM at home! #GoHillmen!

Look for updates here and on the Hillmen Football Facebook page, on our Twitter, and/or sign up for the Hillmen Football Newsletter!

Foothill Valley League Play Begins This Week!

It’s October, and that means it’s FVL time! The Placer varsity team begins defending its 2018 FVL title this week in Grass Valley, as they head to Nevada Union to take on the Miners on October 4th. Then there will be two home games in a row: October 11th against the Rio Linda Knights, and October 18th, Homecoming and Senior Night, against the Oakmont Vikings. They then travel to face the Ponderosa Bruins on October 25th, finishing up the regular season at home against the Lincoln Fighting Zebras on November 11th.

Every FVL team this year enters league with a winning record, so it should be an exciting and challenging season! Placer’s tough non-league schedule has prepared them and they are ready for the battles ahead!

Go Hillmen!