Esty tradition continues in the trenches at Placer

From a young age, Gage Esty dreamed of wearing the green and gold as a Placer Hillmen football player. He grew up around the program, serving as a ball boy on Friday nights and eager for the days when he would be a varsity player. Football is a family tradition in the Esty household. His father, Chuck, was a two-time Division III All-American at St. Lawrence University before playing in the NFL and CFL. His older brother, Chase, suited up for College of Idaho and brother Zander is currently playing on the offensive line at Oregon State. Gage, a junior, already looks the part of his dad and brothers at a menacing 6-foot-3, 260 pounds. As the youngest sibling, he has a chip on his shoulder but he's determined to be the best football player in the Esty family. "I want to try and get a bigger offer than my brothers did," Esty said with a chuckle. "My brothers used to pick on me all the time but once I joined the wrestling team, they won't mess with me anymore." As much as his brothers messed with him, they also toughened him up and showed him what it means to play football at Placer. Esty says each brother taught him different things, allowing him to combine their best qualities into one. "Chase showed me how being physical on the field just sets the pace of the whole line and sets the tone, while Zander showed me how to be stable through the whole game and not get hurt," said Esty. "He's got the athleticism of Zander and that physicality and meanness of Chase kind of all in one and he's just got a ton of pride," Placer coach Joey Montoya said of Gage. "He's a great kid and a quiet kid. He doesn't say much, but when he speaks, people pay attention as he's talking." After a stellar sophomore campaign, Gage is starting to gain interest from Division I programs. Esty already bench presses more than 300 pounds and squats nearly 500, and if he keeps growing, Montoya believes he can be the best of the bunch. Now with a year of varsity experience, the junior is poised to break out as one of the top linemen in the Sac-Joaquin Section. "Last year gave me the confidence to go on the field and just have a fun time when I play," said Esty, who believes this group can be even stronger than last year's line that paved the way for 2,900 yards rushing. "This offensive line is one of the more aggressive offensive lines that we've had in the last few years. This group is all about keeping the pace of being physical throughout the whole game. Smashmouth football is my favorite." Esty has high hopes, as the Hillmen looks to be among the top squads in the Foothill Valley League and Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV again. He knows it's a long season, but he feels this team has the pieces to make another deep postseason run and potentially reach the section championship game for the first time since 2019. "We have a long history of just winning," Esty said. "There's so much culture at this school and if you look at our walls, it's just lines of section and state championships. We have such a high standard compared to most other teams."