By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
The final verdict in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 playoffs? The Whitney Wildcats are the section champions.
In just their third year of existence, the Wildcats, under coach Mike Gimenez, opened a 28-0 halftime advantage against the resilient Placer Hillmen and held on for a 35-14 victory.
“This is the greatest feeling ever,” said Gimenez after the game. “This group of kids is 24-2 the past two seasons and that’s more than any other team in the section. My hat’s off to them.”
So does Gimenez think that his team is worthy of a spot in the CIF Bowl games?
“That’s not for me to answer, but I’ll say that there are three 13-0 teams in the section this year, not two. Don’t forget about us.”
The Wildcats have made a meteoric rise to the top of the section standings. Playing without any seniors two seasons ago, Whitney posted a 2-8 record. Gimenez and his crew followed that inaugural season with an 11-2 mark last year that included a spot in the section finals against Oakdale, which defeated the Wildcats 34-27.
Now Whitney is on top of the Division 4 mountain and eyeing a possible berth in the state bowl championship games. The Wildcats are in contention with fellow Sac-Joaquin Section member Casa Roble, which went 13-0 and won the Division 3 title, along with Paradise of the Northern Section and the winners of tonight’s Division 1 game between St. Mary’s of Stockton and Pleasant Grove and the winner of the North Coast Section Division 3 game Encinal of Alameda and Novato.
Meanwhile the game brought an end to a whirlwind four weeks for the Hillmen and coach Joey Montoya. Originally left out of the playoffs due to the forfeiture of several wins because of the use of an ineligible player, Placer had the Sac-Joaquin Section’s decision overturned and the wins restored by a judge the Monday after the section playoffs officially began.
A first-round game between Oakdale and Colfax was suspended and Placer replaced Colfax as Oakdale’s opponent. The Hillmen surprised defending champion Oakdale 27-14 and then edged Dixon 24-21 in the second round to reach the finals.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Hillmen made a game of it in the second half against Whitney with a pair of touchdowns.
“It was a tale of two halves,” said Montoya. “We were a little down in the first half after they returned the blocked field goal, but the goal line stand at the end of the first half helped pick things up. The kids came into the locker room at halftime fired up and ready to play the second half.”
The blocked field goal was a backbreaker in the first half. Trailing 7-0 after just two minutes of play, Placer put together a solid drive, but stalled at the Whitney 23. The Wildcats blocked the 40-yard field goal attempt and Taylor Irwin, who also had a 22-yard TD run in the first half, was able to gather in the ball at the 30 and race 70 yards for the touchdown.
“That was a nine-point swing right there,” said Montoya. “But the future is bright for Placer. We’ll continue to grow. These kids have a lot to be proud of.”
The Hillmen made a game of it after giving up two touchdowns and 152 yards to Whitney standout Zach Graves in the first half. Operating out of the spread formation, and sometimes taking the direct snap himself, Graves scored on the fourth play of the game by rushing 30 yards for the touchdown.
Graves also had a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and added a 50-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter that sealed the Hillmen’s fate. A fourth touchdown was averted in the final seconds when Graves was tackled at the 1-yard line following a 38-yard run. Whitney took a knee on two consecutive plays in the final seconds rather than score the extra touchdown.
Graves finished the night with 282 yards on 37 carries and ends the year with an unofficial 2,763 yards and 39 touchdowns.
“That’s your section player of the year right there,” said Gimenez.
However Placer was able to shut down Graves for most of the second half and it all started with a goal line stand at the end of the second quarter.
With the Wildcats driving for their fifth touchdown of the half, the Placer defense stiffened at the 1-yard line where Graves mishandled the direct snap and Jordan Arndt fell on the loose ball to end the threat.
In the second half, penalties and a tackle for loss pushed Whitney back to its own goal line. It looked like the Hillmen had tackled the Whitney runner in the end zone for a safety, but the officials judged the forward progress stopped at the 1.
On the next play, Graves fumbled and Seth Parrish recovered. Two plays later Placer scored its first touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Matt Ross to Asher Gotzmer.
Placer stopped Whitney on fourth down at the end of the third quarter and drove inside the red zone, but an interception in the end zone ended the drive.
Placer was able to get the ball back following a punt and this time Ross sneaked into the end zone from the 1 to culminate a 54-yard drive and cut Whitney’s lead to 28-14.
But Graves put the game away on the first play following the failed onside kick. Moving to the right, Graves faked out a Placer defender, cut inside and then headed back down the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown run.
Gotzmer finished the game with 140 yards rushing on 18 carries for the Hillmen, who end the year 8-5 overall.
