Placer hosts football camp for future Hillmen

Placer High School welcomed the next generation of Hillmen to Miller-Johnson Field at Ralph LeFebvre Stadium this week as it hosted its annual football camp for incoming third- through eighth-graders. Fifty-five boys and girls spent time honing their skills as they were coached by members of the varsity team. "They've all got great attitudes, they're eager to learn, and they work really hard," Placer football coach Joey Montoya said. "It's just a really fun group to be around." Montoya further praised the campers' coachability, noting they made things easy on the camp staff. "These young guys and gals are teachable and you can tell they're hungry to learn," Montoya said. "The progress we made even from the first day to the second day is incredible, and it just goes to show that it doesn't matter what age you are, you can really, really learn a ton and grow every day." Campers practiced running routes, defending passes, proper transfer techniques for quarterbacks and running backs, and proper tackling techniques while hitting bags. Once drills were over, they were divided into teams for two-hand-touch scrimmages. The camps are important to the growth of high school football programs and the community as well, and as several varsity football players pointed out, it is where many kids learn to love the game of football. "It's an important event that not only gets the community exposed to our program but also gets the youth exposed to football," Montoya said. "Our intention is for kids to have fun, have a great experience and to fall in love with the game of football and to teach them something important about life." .