200-200 vision: Placer backs run wild, Hillmen rush for 565 yards to beat Nevada Union

There were things Placer High School football coach Joey Montoya wanted to do with the passing game during Friday night's home opener against Nevada Union. "But we didn't need to," he said. The Hillmen (1-1) attempted just one pass in the second half because their offensive line opened gash after gash up the middle, and running backs Lavelle Davis and Dylan Logelin cut, slashed, darted, sprinted, slammed, muscled, twisted and battled for a combined 453 yards rushing in a 34-27 victory over the Miners (1-1) at LeFebvre Stadium. With Zavery Guerra out because of an injury, Davis, a junior, ran for 238 yards on 21 carries, and Logelin, a senior, rushed for 215 yards in 21 carries. Logelin scored Placer's first three touchdowns on runs of 12 1 and 8 yards. Davis rambled for a 78-yard score – the longest play of the night – early in the fourth quarter to give the Hillmen a 27-13 lead. "Dylan set the tone for us," Montoya said after getting a squeeze from each of his three children on a turf field still plenty wet from rain that lasted until halftime. "He played like a warrior. I'm happy for that kid." Noticing the pressure Nevada Union brought off the edges, Montoya said the Hillmen "felt we needed to get our running game going." They did, in a big way, and it started up front with brothers Chase and Zander Esty, Alex Rosales, Aidan Dunham, Ben Trickett, Cole Santiago and Zion Lapera. The Hillmen had 21 running plays with 10-plus yards in rushing for 565 yards. "We have a big, physical O line," Logelin said. "It starts in practice. We pull tires, leg drive. Our coaches teach us running into contact." And through defenders it appears. Placer rushed for 311 yards in the first half but went into the locker room tied 6-6 when only one of its first six possessions resulted in a touchdown. The Hillmen made it into Nevada Union territory five times and penetrated the red zone four times but didn't cash until Logelin scored on a 12-yard run with 2:54 left in the second quarter. The Hillmen lost a fumble at the end of a 43-yard run and turned over the ball on downs twice. "We kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Montoya said. "We couldn't finish and bumbled. It's stuff we gotta clean up. It's COVID football." Nevada Union struck on the second play of the game, a quick sideline toss from Gabe Baker to Drake Schlachter, who raced 69 yards less than a minute in. The Hillmen also forced four punts and held the Miners on downs at their 15-yard line in the first half. Placer is scheduled to play at Rio Linda on Friday. In Rio Linda's first game last week, the Knights were shutout by Ponderosa 56-0. The Hillmen have won the last two meetings with Rio Linda during Foothill Valley League play.