Auburn Journal Athlete of the Week: Placer's Herlehy finding his stride

Placer High School senior Sam Herlehy has paid his dues on the hardwood. Herlehy didn't see the floor much as a junior, but that's changed this season. Herlehy has made his way into the starting rotation and become one of the key players for the 10-0 Hillmen. "Sam is a tough competitor who works very hard," Placer coach Mark Lee said. "He plays with sportsmanship and has high character. He is the definition of a team player and a class act." The senior big man was the difference maker in Tuesday night's 61-53 win at Del Oro. Herlehy scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half and reeled in eight rebounds. "I feel like I was a bit bright-eyed in the first half. It was a really big game," Herlehy said. "It all clicked in the second half. It was more of a hustle thing, and I ended up crashing the offensive boards more. Once I do that ... that's when it starts to click and open things up." Del Oro wasn't the only game Herlehy impressed in. He was a key piece in Placer's Rosemont Tournament championship last weekend, scoring 19 and 29 points in the first two rounds against Cordova and Rosemont. He kept up the momentum Thursday night by scoring 23 in Placer's 68-58 win over San Ramon-California in the Don Nelson Classic in Dublin. Even with such dominant performances, Herlehy is not concerned with his stats. In fact, he credits the chemistry with his teammates as the biggest reason for the 10-0 record, giving the love to the team rather than himself. "We all trust each other. We all play for each other. I definitely think every single one of us could care less about the personal stats and are more worried about the team win," Herlehy said. "And when you play like that, when you play for each other, that's when you really get stuff done. All we care about is getting the win." Herlehy and the Hillmen were scheduled to face a familiar foe Friday night in Palo Cedro-Foothill in a Nelson Classic semifinal. The Hillmen bested the Cougars 61-46 in the Harlan Carter championship game Dec. 3, with the help of a 14-point outing by Herlehy.