Placer surges past Beyer for section championship

Placer High School senior Emmett Rose had one more shot to take after the final buzzer. "The Kings have never won at the Earl Crabbe Gym," Rose said with a grin. "But Placer's won at Golden 1 Center." Rose helped make sure of it Saturday afternoon. He scored 16 points and knocked down four three-pointers as top-seeded Placer defeated No. 7 Modesto-Beyer 63-51 to capture the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship at Golden 1 Center. It was the first section title for the Hillmen since 1988 and second in program history. Placer coach Nate Swesey said the championship run was years in the making. After playoff heartbreaks in the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025, Swesey said the Hillmen were clear entering this season that anything less than a trip to Golden 1 Center would be a disappointment. "I'm just proud of these guys. They set the goal at the beginning of the year to get to the section championship and they kept telling the media that," said Swesey. "I told them, 'Guys, don't tell people that. Let's just talk about that as a team.' And they said they were confident that we were going to get there. I told them that they have got to prove it." Swesey said it wasn't an easy road to reach the section's biggest stage, but time after time the Hillmen cleared every hurdle in their way. "These guys put a lot of hard work in. I'm so proud of everything that they've done," said Swesey. "Beyer is a very, very, very good team. We just beat a big team. They're very long. It was hard to guard them, but we pulled through, and that just shows what we did all year." Placer (29-3) raced out to a 17-7 lead after one quarter and controlled most of the game. Beyer (25-7) drew closer, closing the second quarter with a 14-2 run to cut the halftime deficit to two. Swesey said he had a simple message for his team at the half: "Don't let them shoot wide-open three-pointers." Placer responded by outscoring the Patriots 30-20 in the second half to put away the game. The Hillmen rode their strong performance from deep, going 10 for 25 from beyond the arc and using their perimeter attack to stretch Beyer's defense. Rose led the way with 16 points, going 6 for 11 from the field and 4 for 7 from three-point range. Senior Joe Manley had 15 points while sophomore Max Manley had 11 points, including three triples. Junior guard Kannon Rector nearly had a triple double with nine points, nine assists and 12 rebounds. Joe Guthrie, Tanner Baldwin and Pope Robinson had strong contributions off the bench. The Hillmen's depth also made a difference. Placer held a 10-3 advantage in bench points and turned nine offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points. Rector said he was happy to put together such a strong performance under the bright lights but added it means more to him to win with this group that has battled through thick and thin together. "It means everything to this group of guys right here. We talked about this all year. All those early morning lifts, all the late practices, going hard with each other every day. It pays off right here," said Rector. "I'm so excited for that performance, but I'm also more excited for this blue banner right here." Placer's last boys title came in 1988 under coach Wendell Witt, who served as Swesey's coach when he donned the green and gold. Placer basketball is a family affair for Swesey. His grandparents attended Placer. His sister has kept the scorebook for 25 years, and in his pocket Saturday was a photo of his father, Cliff Swesey, who coached him growing up and later coached the Hillmen. "I know my dad would be very proud watching right now," Swesey said, pausing. "I put a picture of him in my pocket today. So I know he was with me." It was, as he described it, "full circle everywhere." Placer also played with heavy hearts. Following the tragic death of Christian Brothers freshman Jaden DeJesus-Eves following a semifinal clash with Placer on Tuesday, the Hillmen wore patches with his number 11 to honor him. Swesey said it was the players' idea. "Nobody ever wants to go through something like that," said Swesey. "We just feel for them." "We reach our hearts out there to the Christian Brothers community. We felt like we should do something for him," said Rose. The championship also completed a historic sweep for Placer, as the girls won the Division III section title before the boys played, marking the first time both programs have won in the same season. Swesey made sure to credit the Auburn community, which drew a big gathering to Golden 1 Center. "There probably wasn't anybody left in town," said Swesey. "We're very lucky at Placer to get that support." Rose said he will never forget the feeling of hearing the final horn. Said Rose, "I haven't been happier. No better feeling than hearing that buzzer go off. I'll never forget this." The Hillmen drew the No. 12 seed in Division II and will head to San Francisco on Tuesday to face No. 5 University to open the state tournament.