Del Oro sticks Placer as heated rivalry picks up where it left off

Del Oro and Placer high schools hadn't faced off on the gridiron since the 2011 postseason and hadn't played in the regular season since 2005. While there have been just three meetings in the last two decades between the rivals, there is still plenty of animosity. That was evident at the end of Friday night's contest in Auburn, when Del Oro took a shot at the end zone through the air leading by two scores in the final minute. The pass was incomplete, but that didn't stop Placer from taking exception to the attempt, with members of each coaching staff exchanging words at midfield after the Golden Eagles ran out the remainder of the clock in a 35-20 victory. Both head coaches talked about what it meant to renew the decades-old rivalry, alluding to the environment created by a crowd of more than 4,000. "It was great for both communities," Placer coach Joey Montoya said. "Both schools have a ton of history. Both schools have a lot to be proud of. Both schools have a rich football tradition, and I think it all showed tonight." "I think it's special for a lot of people on both sides," Del Oro coach Mike Maben said. "In Auburn and Loomis, there are a lot of people in our community who have played in this game and there were a lot of people who showed up tonight. Both sides were filled. It shows how much this community cares about football." Placer (0-3) had the Golden Eagles (3-0) on the ropes from the start, marching down the field after receiving the opening kickoff to take an early lead. The sides traded scores for the majority of the first half, and a late 15-yard touchdown pass from Caden Pinnick to Robert Garcia gave Del Oro a 21-13 halftime lead. The Hillmen cut the deficit to one to start the third quarter, recovering an onside kick and punching the ball into the end zone on a two-yard run by Baylor Kelley. Del Oro responded with a march down the field that ended with Pinnick's third touchdown pass of the night, as he found Landon Vander Kooi for a seven-yard score. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to two scores early in the fourth quarter on a 64-yard touchdown run by Marcel Urquhart, and an interception by Vander Kooi helped clinched the victory with 6:11 to play. Pinnick continued his impressive senior season. He also had a 43-yard touchdown run and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Beaux Sauve. "Caden Pinnick is an absolutely special player. He is a fantastic athlete and he's a great leader," Maben said. "We are very, very fortunate to have him on our team, and I'm hopeful that he'll continue to have great success throughout a very long career." Placer's rushing attack was equally strong. The Hillmen gave the Del Oro defensive front fits, as brothers Parker and Baylor Kelley handled the majority of the workload for the Hillmen, who racked up an even 300 yards on the ground. Montoya offered praise for Parkey Kelley, noting he was a key factor that kept the Hillmen in the game on both sides of the ball. "Parker is one of the hardest workers on this team, and he's just the ultimate team player," Montoya said. Placer's rushing performance didn't go unnoticed on the Del Oro sideline. Maben credited the Hillmen and talked about what made it so difficult for the Golden Eagles to stop. "Joey Montoya does an excellent job preparing his team. They are well coached, they're well practiced, and he's got some kids who went out and executed tonight," Maben said. "Hats off to Placer, they did good and they executed well." Del Oro will now shift its focus to another tough opponent, as the Golden Eagles face Stockton-Lincoln on Friday night in Loomis. Montoya felt the Hillmen looked the best they have all season in the loss. "We got a lot better tonight, and that's all I can ask these guys," Montoya said. "Our record does not define how good of a team we are, and people can sleep on us all they want. This is going to be a team that's going to get better and better and better, and we're going to play our best football come October, November and December." Placer next hosts Vista del Lago on Friday, as the Eagles look to avenge a last-second loss to the Hillmen in 2022. Del Oro 35, Placer 20 Del Oro 7 14 7 7 - 35 Placer 6 7 7 0 - 20 Placer - Parker Kelley 5 run (run failed) Del Oro - Caden Pinnick 43 run (Cameron Smith kick) Placer - Jayden Erickson 28 run (Kevin Martinez kick) Del Oro - Beaux Sauve 17 pass from Pinnick (Smith kick) Del Oro - Robert Garcia 15 pass from Pinnick (Smith kick) Placer - Baylor Kelley 2 run (Martinez kick) Del Oro - Landon Vander Kooi 7 pass from Pinnick (Smith kick) Del Oro - Marcel Urquhart 64 run (Smith kick)