Placer boys wrestling pulls away late to defeat River Valley

Shorthanded but unshaken, the Placer High School boys wrestling team leaned on belief and depth Thursday night, pulling away late for a 52-28 Foothill Valley League win over River Valley. The Hillmen clung to a 29-28 edge before stringing together wins down the stretch to improve to 4-0 in league duals. Head coach Brett Spaid said the late surge reflected the mindset his program has worked to build. "I think we work really hard every day, and they just believe in themselves," Spaid said. "Our motto is kindness first. We want to be kind killers and never give up. Always go first and just keep it going." Placer competed without several key wrestlers, including Steven Frink and Gage Esty, but its depth proved decisive as the night wore on. The Hillmen supplemented their missing pieces with junior varsity wrestlers who stepped up and delivered key performances. "It's a team sport but very individual, too," Spaid said. "Some of our best guys weren't able to wrestle tonight. We're kind of holding them back for postseason to make sure they're safe and have a great run there. " The victory all but clinched a league championship for Placer for the first time since 2018, a milestone Spaid said has been a point of emphasis for his senior class. "I talked a lot about that to the seniors, like, 'Hey, let's get you up in the rafters forever,' " Spaid said. "Let's memorialize this team." Spaid said the belief that a title run was realistic solidified earlier in the season after navigating the toughest part of the schedule. "Once we got through the two toughest teams, Nevada Union and Roseville, we believed that, 'Hey, now we just have to stay healthy and keep working,' " Spaid said. Thursday's dual also carried added meaning with Placer wrestling alumni in attendance, something Spaid said underscored the program's direction. Georgia Flake, the widow of longtime Placer wrestling coach Bill Flake, sat front and center alongside her daughter, Amy. They were joined by two of Placer's most prolific grapplers: 1973 heavyweight state champion Gary Anderson and 1973 conference champion Jim Jordan. "That was the biggest part for me," Spaid said. "I wanted them to see that we are putting everything into this. We're going to keep this going. They deserve it. They haven't come to anything for the wrestling program in probably over 15 years, and now they know, 'Hey, we are home. We're calling you back.' " As the Hillmen close in on a league crown and turn their attention toward the postseason, Spaid said the foundation is firmly in place as this group is determined to leave its mark.