All posts by Renee Christensen

Hillmen and Bruins battle for inside track to PVL Title

The game that both schools have been anticipating all season is finally here. In a battle of unbeatens, the Hillmen (7-0) and Bear River Bruins (7-0) will take the field tonight with the inside track to the PVL title on the line. Both teams boast strong lines on both sides of the ball, so one of the biggest keys to the game will be the battle in the trenches. The Hillmen offensive line of Jacob Capra, Diego Lopez, Logan Moore, Tyler Mader, and Alex Houston, Jack Petty, and Seth Horton have been phenomenal all season. This group will face perhaps one of their stiffest challenges of the season, but are more than ready for the challenge.  Defensively, Bear River has been strong all season, allowing just under 11 points per game in PVL play. Gunnar Simpson leads the unit with eight sacks, 47 tackles, and six tackles for a loss. Connor Hollister, and Dave Mastrella are also having strong seasons for the Bruins.  The Bear River defense will faced with the task of trying to slow down a potent Hillmen offense which as averaged 42.5 points per game in the PVL. Owen Scott (1067 total yards, 12 touchdowns) Waylen Cozad (591 yards rushing, six touchdowns), and Jared Halbert (561 yards, 10 touchdowns),  have led a potent rushing attack. Derek Haney (210 yards, three touchdowns), and Joe Robinson (150 yards, two touchdowns), have had solid games receiving in recent weeks as well. Defensively, the Hillmen have only allowed one offensive touchdown to Bear River in three years, and will be looking to continue that trend. The defensive front of Michael Downen (59 tackles, eight sacks, 10 TFL), Logan Crawford (52 tackles, 4.5 sacks, six TFL), Simeon Engle (38 tackles, three sacks, two TFL), and Diego Lopez and Capra who have rotated in with each other have been lights out so far this season. Dallan Trentman (44 tackles, two TFL), Taylor Levesque (38 tackles, 2 TFL), and Derek Haney (28 tackles, 2 TFL) have been solid at the linebacker position. Ryan Huston, who leads the team with five interceptions,  Cozad, Anthony Pierce, and Robinson have led the way in the secondary. This group will look to shut down WR Ben O’lena (397 yards, four touchdowns), Mostrella (151 yards receiving, 2 touchdowns), and running back Austin Baze (eight touchdowns).  It promises to be an exciting night of action! if you can’t make it, tune in to KAHI 950 to hear all the action. Follow us on Twitter for live in-game scoring updates! The JV game will begin at 5:15pm. Check out Mike Ray’s article on tonight’s showdown in the Auburn Journal!

WHO WILL FALL?: Placer, Bear River prepare for epic PVL showdown

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

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Hillmen defeat Foothill; Showdown with Bear River Next

Jared Halbert rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns, Owen Scott added had 112 yards rushing and one touchdown, and Mikey Ferreria added 63 yards and a touchdown of his own as the Hillmen rushed for 479 yards, defeating Foothill 52-26 ahead of next week’s showdown with Bear River. Ferreria, stepping in Waylen Cozad, started the scoring with a short touchdown run to put the Hillmen out in front 7-0. After a defensive stop, quarterback Marcus Ante hit tight end Derek Haney for a 46 yard touchdown to put the Hillmen out in front 14-0. Halbert then plunged into the end zone from one yard out for his first touchdown of the night to give Placer a 21-12 lead.  Scott scampered 26 yards into the end zone a little over a minute later, and Halbert added two more short touchdown runs to give the Hillmen (7-0) a comfortable 42-12 lead before the starters came out. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage all night long, opening up huge holes for the running backs. Defensively, Ryan Huston intercepted his fifth pass of the season and had a pass defended. Michael Downen and Logan Crawford each had a half a sack, and Simeon Engle played well, recording five tackles. Downen now has a team high 8 sacks on the year and Crawford is second with 4.5. Taylor Levesque and Andrew Smith led the linebackers with six tackles each, and Dallan Trentman added a tackle for a loss.  To read more about Friday’s victory check out Ike Dobson’s article in the Auburn Journal! Also on Friday, The JV (5-2, 2-0), coasted to a 41-14 victory over Foothill, and the Freshman (7-0), beat Mesa Verde 69-0 on Thursday. The Hillmen will travel to Lake of the Pines Friday night for the much anticipated PVL showdown with fellow unbeaten Bear River. Kickoff will be at 7:30 pm. The JV game starts at 5:15pm, and the Freshman will take on Bear River Thursday night.

Placer Hillmen roll to 7-0 after 52-26 win over Foothill

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

2015 Hillmen Stats

 

HILLMEN HIT THE ROAD TO TAKE ON FOOTHILL

Following their league opening 33-7 victory last week against Center, the Hillmen will hit the road again to take on Foothill tonight. The Hillmen (6-0, 1-0) turned in perhaps their best all around performance of the season against Center. Offensively, the Hillmen gained 423 yards (354 on the ground), and Owen Scott added an 85 yard kickoff return on special teams. In the last three games, the Hillmen ground game has been shredding opponents to the tune of 990 yards and four touchdowns, including Waylen Cozad’s 195 yard effort last week. The offensive line once again dominated up front paving the way for big games for the Hillmen running backs. The first string defense stymied Center, holding them to just north of 100 yards offensively.  Foothill (1-5) is coming off a game which saw them hang tough with Bear River despite losing 20-7.  if you can’t make it, tune in to KAHI 950 to hear all the action. Follow us on Twitter for live in-game scoring updates! The JV game will begin at 5:15pm.

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

Click Here For Live In-Game Updates on Twitter all season!

Click Here For Directions to Foothill High School

Cozad and Strong Defensive Effort Lead Hillmen Past Center

Waylen Cozad had quite the first half Friday night, rushing for 198 yards, two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown, and the defense turned in a strong performance to lead the Hillmen (5-0, 1-0) past Center (4-2, 0-1), 33-7 in their Pioneer Valley League opener. Marcus Ante hit Cozad for a 10 yard touchdown pass on the second drive of the game to put the Hillmen on the board. Following Jared Halbert’s one-yard touchdown run, Cozad broke loose for a 93 yard touchdown run, and later scored from 13 yards out. Owen Scott returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to close out the scoring. The Hillmen first string defense, which played only one half, stifled the Cougars, limiting them to just over 100 yards of total offense. The Hillmen were dominant once again up front, with Logan Crawford, Michael Downen, Jacob Capra, Diego Lopez, and Simeon Engle, all turning in solid performances. Ryan Huston added an interception, his fourth of the season, and Dallan Trentman, Taylor Levesque, and Derek Haney all turned in solid performances as well.  To read more about Friday’s victory check out Ike Dobson’s article in the Auburn Journal! Also on Friday, the JV defeated Center 41-6 behind four touchdowns from Jonny Callahan, three through the air and one on the ground, to improve to (4-2, 1-0) on the season. Callahan threw two touchdowns to Travis Warren and one to Dylan Bridges. Fullback Mario Perez also had two rushing touchdowns for the Hillmen. On Thursday night, the freshman (6-0, 1-0) beat Marysville 41-6 to remain undefeated. Michael Stuck threw three touchdown passes, two to Jorge Maldonado, and one to Christian Evensen. The Varsity and JV will travel to Foothill to take on the Mustangs Friday night. Kickoff for the Varsity is at 7:30pm, and the JV game starts at 5:15pm. The freshman will face off against Mesa Verde at San Juan high school Thursday night.

Winnin’ with Waylen: Placer rolls over Center with 367 rushing yards

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

2015 Hillmen Stats

Hillmen begin defense of PVL title against Center tonight

Following the bye week, the Hillmen (5-0), are rested and ready to begin the defense of their PVL title om the road against Center (4-1) tonight at 7:30pm. The game will mark the first time the teams have faced each other since Center defeated the Hillmen 24-20 in the playoffs in 2013, as Center had to forfeit the game last year due to suspensions. The Hillmen are coming off a 42-39 victory over Vista Del Lago, a game which saw quarterback Marcus Ante (219 yards passing) hook up with Owen Scott ( 5 rec. 185 yards) for three touchdowns through the air. Jared Halbert (144 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns), and Waylen Cozad (75 yards, one touchdown), led the way on the ground.  if you can’t make it, tune in to KAHI 950 to hear all the action. Follow us on Twitter for live in-game scoring updates! The JV game will begin at 5:15pm. To read about what the other PVL coaches have to say about who the other PVL coaches think has the edge in the chase for the PVL crown check out this week’s article in the Auburn Journal!

PVL coaches give Placer the edge in football chase

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

Click Here For Live In-Game Updates on Twitter all season!

Click Here For Directions to Center High School

Hillmen look for payback tonight against Vista Del Lago

Last season, the Hillmen lost a heart breaker to Vista Del Lago at home. Tonight, the Hillmen will look for payback as they travel to Folsom High School to take on the Eagles. The Hillmen defense in particular will be playing with a chip on their shoulders, aiming to prove that last year’s performance was a fluke. The defensive line of Michael Downen, Jacob Cabra, Simeon Engle, Logan Crawford and Diego Lopez have been dominate up front all year long and will look to continue that trend tonight.  The linebacking corps and secondary have also been playing well of late. On the offensive side of the ball, the Hillmen have gotten the running game going in the last few weeks, as Owen Scott, Waylen Cozad, Jared Halbert, and Morgan Robinson have turned in strong performances. Quarterback Marcus Ante, one of the top signal callers in the area so far this season, has been exceptional through four games as well, and is primed for another big outing.  Offensively, Vista Del Lago has three pretty solid running backs in Colby Carrera, Dylan Hackett, and Ney Vencer. Blake Martin and Blake Tuter are having pretty good seasons at the wide receiver position.  It promises to be an exciting night of action. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm with the JV starting at 5:15. If you can’t make it, tune in to KAHI 950 to hear all the action. Follow us on Twitter for live in-game scoring updates!

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

Click Here For Live In-Game Updates on Twitter all season!

Click Here For Directions to Folsom High School

Hillmen Cruise to 50-7 Homecoming Victory over Rio Americano

Owen Scott scored two touchdowns, including a 64 yard scoring strike from Marcus Ante, and Waylen Cozad (116 yards rushing), and Jared Halbert (32 yards rushing), each added first half touchdowns, helping the Hillmen out to a big early lead  as they cruised to a 50-7 homecoming victory over Rio Americano. Morgan Robinson also tallied 125 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the night. The offensive line of Jacob Capra, Diego Lopez, Jack Petty, Alex Houston, Logan Moore. and Tyler Mader were outstanding once again opening  up huge holes for the running backs who gained 362 yards on the ground. Defensively,  the Hillmen recorded six sacks, including three by Michael Downen and 1.5 sacks by Simeon Engle. Linebacker Dallan Trentman, starting his first game at middle linebacker also had a solid game defensively with 11 tackles.  To read more about Friday’s victory check out Ike Dobson’s article in the Auburn Journal! Also Friday, Mario Perez scored two touchdowns as the JV blanked Rio Americano 14-0 for their third straight shutout to improve to 3-1. The Freshman rolled to a 56-13 victory Thursday night to move to remain undefeated at 4-0. Louis Fudge scored two touchdowns, one receiving and one on the defensive side of the ball with a pick six, and Michael Stuck threw three touchdown passes to lead the Freshman.  The Hillmen varsity (4-0) will travel to Folsom High School Friday night to take on Vista Del Lago (2-2). The varsity game is set to scheduled to get under way at 7:30 pm, and the JV game will start at 5:15 pm.

Placer moves to 4-0 with blowout of Rio Americano

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

2015 Hillmen Stats

Hillmen look to continue winning ways against Rio Americano

Coming off their most impressive victory of the season against Damonte Ranch last week, the Hillmen will look to continue their winning ways against Rio Americano tonight at 7:30 pm in this year’s homecoming game. The Hillmen (3-0) have been clicking on both sides of the ball through three games. Offensively they are racking up an average of over 510 yards per game (202 passing and 308 rushing) thanks in large part to a offensive line which has been dominating opponents at the line of scrimmage, giving Marcus Ante plenty of time to throw, and also opening up holes for the running backs.  Ante has been impressive all season long (607 yards, 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions). Owen Scott (456 total yards, 5 touchdowns), Waylen Cozad (205 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns), and Jared Halbert (185 yards rushing, 3 touchdowns), are all coming off of their best performances of the season. Derek Haney (142 yards, 2 touchdowns), Joe Robinson (108 yards, two touchdowns) and Ryan Huston (68 yards receiving, 1 touchdown) have all made solid contributions as well. The defense is coming off their stiffest challenge of the season, a game which saw them keep a very talented offense in check. Defensive Ends Logan Crawford (17 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 sacks), and Michael Downen (22 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks) , which have been relentless this season, along with interior lineman Jacob Capra, and Simeon Engle (1 sack apiece), and Diego Lopez, put consistent pressure on the quarterback last week, especially late in the game.  In the secondary, cornerback Anthony Pierce had his best game of the season last week, with several nice plays, including a big hit. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm with the JV starting at 5:15. Tune in to KAHI 950 to hear all the action. Follow us on Twitter for live in-game scoring updates!

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

Click Here For Live In-Game Updates on Twitter all season!

Hillmen Hit The Ground Running, Down Damonte Ranch 41-26

After carving up defenses through the air during the first few weeks, the running game joined the party Friday night, churning out nearly 500 yards, as the Hillmen hit the ground running, downing Damonte Ranch 41-26 to improve to 3-0 on the season.  Fullback Jared Halbert (140 yards),  and running backs Waylen Cozad (174 yards), and Owen Scott (128 yards) combined for 442 yards rushing. Halbert found pay dirt three times, while Cozad had an impressive 90 yard touchdown run to seal the victory late in the fourth quarter, and Scott added a nine yard touchdown run. Quarterback Marcus Ante turned in another solid performance with 124 yards passing, including a 34 yard touchdown to Scott. To read more about Friday night’s victory, check out Ike Dobson’s article in the Auburn Journal! Also Friday, Anthony Kerrigan scored three touchdowns ( two rushing, one receiving), and the defense turned in a strong performance, as the JV blanked Damonte Ranch 27-0 for their second straight shutout to improve to 2-1 on the season. Fullback Mario Perez also added a touchdown on the ground f.  On Thursday night, Jorge Maldonado had a long touchdown run, and Michael Stuck connected with wide receiver Christian Evensen for two touchdowns, as the Freshmen rallied from a 13-0 first half deficit for a 27-20 victory to remain undefeated. The Hillmen will take on Rio Americano next week for homecoming. The Varsity game will kick off at 7:30 pm, and the JV game will start at 5:15 pm. The Freshman game will take place Thursday night at 5:30 pm.

GROUND AND POUND: Placer Hillmen roll to 607 yards of offense in 41-26 win over Damonte Ranch

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

HILLMEN TAKE ON DAMONTE RANCH TONIGHT IN FIRST TEST OF YOUNG SEASON

After two convincing victories to start the season, the Hillmen will take on Damonte Ranch of Nevada tonight in their first test of the young season.  The Hillmen defense which has been stout thus far, with the starters having only given up 14 points in two games, will look to contain a strong Damonte Ranch ground game which is led by Samuel Banghart (267 yards, three touchdowns), and Cameron Sandoval (198 yards, five touchdowns).  The Hillmen offense has been stellar as well. Quarterback Marcus Ante (seven touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 486 yards) has been lights out through two games. His favorite targets have included, Owen Scott (six catches, 224 yards, two touchdowns), Derek Haney (three catches, 142 yards, two touchdowns), Joe Robinson (two catches, 56 yards, two touchdowns) and Ryan Huston (three catches,  53 yards, one touchdown). Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm with the JV starting at 5:15. Tune in to KAHI 950 to hear all the action. Follow us on Twitter for live in-game scoring updates!

2015 Hillmen Football Schedule

2015 Pioneer Valley League Standings

Click Here For Live In-Game Updates on Twitter all season!