Placer, Casa Roble open season in battle of small-school heavyweights

Placer and Casa Roble on Friday night open the prep football season against one another for the third straight year, but this is perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the three. Both schools have Sac-Joaquin Section championship-caliber teams and will be two of the biggest heavyweights among the small schools. Casa Roble won the 2021 matchup in Orangevale 40-33, but Placer recorded a 37-35 win in Auburn last year. Now the nonleague game shifts back to Orangevale as both squads look to open the 2023 campaign with a victory. Placer returns plenty of talent on offense, including leading rushers Baylor Kelley and Kosta Aleksic, who should have no trouble moving the ball down the field. There are two groups for Placer to keep an eye on: the offensive line and the secondary. The Hillmen start five new offensive linemen, which means there will be growing pains, and Casa Roble's defense won't relieve those pains as the Rams return nine starters. Placer does have plenty of size on the line, which should help protect quarterback Josh Craycraft and open running lanes, but if the line struggles, so will the Hillmen. While the new offensive line makes for a big question mark, it doesn't concern coach Joey Montoya. "Every year, I feel like we replace the majority of our starters, so that's kind of par for the course," Montoya said. "These guys have been working hard and they've got a lot of confidence behind them. They've been getting better and better. The biggest matchup of this game is on the line, both offensive and defensive for both teams." The biggest question of the game will be how Placer's secondary combats Casa Roble's ruthless aerial attack. Last year, Casa Roble quarterback Connor Campbell threw for 248 yards on just eight completions against the Hillmen as a sophomore, finding his favorite targets Elijah Huddle and Cole Owens for 118 yards and 108 yards. Huddle reeled in two touchdowns and Owens had one. The bad news for the Hillmen: The trio is back and has another year of improvement and experience. "We really will have to limit their production not only in the passing game, but we've got to minimize the big plays in the running game and in the screen game as well," Montoya said. Casa Roble will have its own questions to answer on defense, like how to slow a Placer rushing attack that amassed 341 yards and five touchdowns on the Rams in 2022. Kelley was the highlight of that rushing attack as he carved up Casa Roble for 219 yards in his varsity debut. The game in recent years has consisted of offensive fireworks, and that should be no exception this year. "Every time we play Casa Roble, you know it's gonna be a great game," Montoya said. "They're a great football team. We're a very good football team. It should be a fan favorite every year and it is always a great game." Friday's game kicks off at 7 p.m.